TRENTON, N.J. – Assemblyman Christopher P. DePhillips, who is starting his third term serving New Jersey’s 40th Legislative District, has been appointed to sit on the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee. Sen. Kristin Corrado, who also serves the same district, was named to the Senate Transportation Committee.
“All New Jerseyans have felt the impact of outdated, crumbling roads and bridges,” DePhillips (R-Bergen) said. “With the passage of the federal infrastructure bill, and funds starting to be released this year, long neglected projects may finally be funded, making travel safer for our constituents. Sen. Corrado and I are committed to seeing that through.”
The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was enacted in November, with New Jersey getting $3.3 billion this year – and a total of $13.5 billion over the next five years, $6.8 billion of that for road and bridge improvements – of the $1 trillion earmarked for road and bridge upgrades among other projects, such as cybersecurity, lead pipe replacement, and superfund site cleanups.
According to TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit, New Jersey ranks among the worst in congested urban interstates, interstates in poor pavement condition, and poor bridge conditions. Specifically, the Garden State has 502 bridges and nearly 4,000 miles of highway rated in poor condition. Other reports claim those poor conditions have increased commuting times by 8.8% since 2011, costing the average motorist an additional $713 a year.
One project that has been committed to is the $12.3 billion Gateway Tunnel under the Hudson River, recently approved by the Federal Transit Administration to move forward.
New Jersey will also receive $4.1 billion for mass transit. NJ Transit is expected to receive a significant portion of that money, which may go to extending the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail into Bergen County and Jersey City. Officials have also talked about obtaining a zero-emissions bus fleet as well as modernizing old train stations and rail bridges. Increasing rail capacity on some lines has also been discussed.
“Our legislative district is a commuter district, and transportation concerns ranging from traffic to infrastructure improvements to NJ Transit issues are frequently raised by our constituents,” added Corrado (R-Bergen). “Our service on the Senate and Assembly Transportation committees will put us in a position to hold the Murphy administration accountable for using federal funds effectively, and for ensuring the governor keeps his promise to fix NJ Transit.”