New Jersey’s public transit system links residents with economic centers both inside and outside the state. But the state has committed steadily smaller shares of transportation capital spending to transit, as shown by a review of its transportation capital programs. In fiscal year 2004, nearly half of the program was dedicated to transit. In the FY2012 capital plan, which the state recently finalized, that has shrunk to a third.
In absolute terms, New Jersey’s combined state and federal funding for transit projects has stayed more or less flat. In FY2004, state and federal funding for transit projects added up to $1.27 billion. Fast forward to FY2012 and transit funding is $1.16 billion, even though the overall capital plan grew by a billion dollars.
In a statement released today, Tri-State said that NJ Transit’s difficult summer showed the need to increase investment in the system. “It’s been a summer of woe for commuters, who have endured delay after delay,” said TSTC Executive Director Kate Slevin. “NJ Transit does the best it can with limited resources, but train and bus riders have the right to ask why the state’s commitment to them seems to be slipping.”
Much of the transportation capital program dedicated to NJDOT will pay for needed road and bridge maintenance. NJ also does a better job than most states of funding pedestrian and cycling projects. But NJDOT is also spending significantly more on road expansion than it has in the recent past. If NJ instead brought its commitment to transit back up to historical levels, it would mean less traffic and wear on the roads, and be a more sustainable, sensible way to keep New Jerseyans moving.
Images: TSTC graphs using data from NJDOT.
As an old transit and rail advocate, I agree about lack of transit funding.
What happened to activate the Northern branch,electric LRT or diesel? Also the old Susquehanna line to Patterson and . . . Too bad the new tunnel to the core failed,although terminating at Macys was a bad idea, a connection to Grand Central or Penn Sta would make much more sense.
As an old transit and rail advocate, I agree about lack of transit funding.
What happened to activate the Northern branch,electric LRT or diesel? Also the old Susquehanna line to Patterson and . . . Too bad the new tunnel to the core failed,although terminating at Macys was a bad idea, a connection to Grand Central or Penn Sta would make much more sense. Also the West Shore to West Point and . . .
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