Thursday, March 9, 2006

GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. WHILE WE HOPE THAT SOME TIME SOON, THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY WILL BE ABLE TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE GOVERNOR'S 2003 BLUE RIBBON TRANSPORTATION TRUST FUND COMMISSION, WE GLADLY SUPPORT A-2813 AND ACR-182 AS POSITIVE AND NECESSARY STEPS OUT OF OUR CURRENT CRISIS.

NEW JERSEY'S COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR 88 PERCENT OF OUR ROADS AND 39 PERCENT OF OUR BRIDGES. LOCAL ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES CARRY 55 PERCENT OF ALL TRAFFIC; AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS MAINTAIN 32,810 CENTERLINE MILES OF ROADS, 2,498 MAJOR BRIDGES AND 4,584 MINOR BRIDGES. IN 2003, IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT, FOR REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE OF THESE ASSETS - NOT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANY NEW ROADS AND BRIDGES, BUT ONLY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND UTILITY OF THE CURRENT STOCK - WE WOULD ANNUALLY NEED $211 MILLION FOR COUNTY BRIDGES, $7.5 MILLION FOR MUNICIPAL BRIDGES, $44 MILLION FOR COUNTY ROADWAYS AND $112 MILLION FOR MUNICIPAL ROADWAYS FOR A TOTAL OF $374.5 MILLION.

LOCAL OFFICIALS KNOW THAT THESE INVESTMENTS MUST BE MADE. FAILURE TO DO SO CAN COMPROMISE THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC, THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND THE SECURITY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

BUT, IN ORDER TO PAY FOR THESE IMPROVEMENTS, ABSENT A LONG-TERM COMMITMENT OF INCREASED FUNDING TO THE TRANSPORTATION TRUST FUND, IN GENERAL; AND TO THE LOCAL AID PROGRAM, IN PARTICULAR, NEW JERSEY'S CHRONIC AND ANACHRONISTIC OVER-RELIANCE ON THE REGRESSIVE AND EXCESSIVE PROPERTY TAX WILL INTENSIFY.

SO, A LONG-TERM FIX FOR THE TRANSPORTATION TRUST FUND ISN'T ONLY ABOUT ROADS AND TRAFFIC AND JOBS AND PUBLIC SAFETY. IT IS ALSO A NECESSARY FIRST STEP ON THE ROAD TO PROPERTY TAX REFORM. AN ADMINISTRATION AND A LEGISLATURE DEDICATED TO PROPERTY TAX REFORM HAVE TO FIRST MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE PROBLEM DOESN'T GET ANY WORSE, BEFORE THEY EVEN START TO THINK ABOUT HOW THEY CAN HELP THE PEOPLE OF NEW JERSEY TO MAKE IT BETTER.

OVER THE PAST DECADE, NEW JERSEY'S ABILITY TO FUND REPAIRS AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS TO HIGHWAYS, BRIDGES AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION HAS BEEN JEOPARDIZED BY POOR FISCAL POLICY AND GROWING FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS. THE GOVERNOR'S 2003 BLUE RIBBON TRANSPORTATION TRUST FUND COMMISSION OFFERED SOUND AND FEASIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS. IN PROPOSING THAT DEDICATED NEW REVENUES FUND A $3.1 BILLION ANNUAL CAPITAL BUDGET FOR THE NJDOT AND NJ TRANSIT, THE COMMISSION DID NOT NEGLECT LOCAL NEEDS. THE COMMISSION CALLED FOR A DOUBLING OF LOCAL AID.

WHILE THE LEGISLATION YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU TODAY DOES NOT GO THAT FAR, WE APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS, IN TOUGH BUDGETARY TIMES, TO MAKE CERTAIN PROGRESS.

WE SUPPORT A-2813 AND ACR-182. WE URGE YOU TO ADVANCE THE BILLS AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE.