(TRENTON) – Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto and Forward New Jersey on Thursday announced a bipartisan group of elected representatives from across the state – representing over 5.6 million New Jerseyans – have signaled their support for the goal of raising awareness about New Jersey’s transportation funding crisis and finding a solution by replenishing the trust fund in a smart, robust, sustainable and constitutionally dedicated way.
The Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) runs out of money on June 30.
“This show of support is very encouraging and I’d like to thank Forward New Jersey for its tireless efforts to help bring awareness to this crisis,” said Prieto (D-Hudson/Bergen). “New Jersey needs a modern and safe transportation network for its economic survival, but years of foolish borrowing leave our state teetering on the brink of a transportation disaster. We’re all going to have to work together if we’re going to solve this crisis in a sensible and responsible way. I encourage more leaders to join this effort to ensure a strong economic future for New Jersey.”
“This strong showing of support is indicative of the growing concern New Jersey residents have on this issue,” said ForwardNJ Chair Tom Bracken. “Their commutes are becoming less safe and more time consuming, as roads and bridges that are in desperate need of repair remain unfixed. Meanwhile, a replenished Transportation Trust Fund will create jobs and economic growth across the state. These endorsements show that fixing the state’s Transportation Trust Fund is an issue where a broad consensus of people from all walks of life and all ideologies are coming together and calling on our leaders in Trenton to act now,”
In less than a year, New Jersey’s Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) will be insolvent and have no capacity to pay for any transportation projects. According to some estimates, the TTF needs $20 billion over the next 10 years to maintain and improve the state’s roads, bridges, and mass transit systems, as well as to begin critical projects. The lack of a long-term solution to this dire problem threatens the safety and quality of life of residents and commuters. Moreover, replenishment of the TTF will help create thousands of employment opportunities across the job spectrum, spurring growth and economic development at a time it is sorely needed in New Jersey.
More than 30 mayors and representatives of 10 county governments have endorsed the goals of ForwardNJ, with more endorsements to be announced over the coming weeks. The bipartisan list of those endorsing ForwardNJ’s mission are:
County
Atlantic County Freeholder Will Pauls
Burlington County Board of Freeholders
Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo
Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise
Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes
Middlesex County Board of Freeholders
Monmouth County Board of Freeholders
Passaic County Board of Freeholders
Sussex County Board of Freeholders
Union County Board of Freeholders
Mayors
Aberdeen Mayor Fred Tagliarini
Asbury Park Mayor Myra Campbell
Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty
Berkeley Heights Mayor Joseph Bruno
Brick Mayor John Ducey
Camden Mayor Dana Redd
Cherry Hill Mayor Chuck Cahn
Clifton Mayor James Anzaldi
Collingswood Mayor M. James Maley
East Orange Mayor Lester Taylor
Edison Mayor Tom Lankey
Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage
Florence Mayor Craig Wilkie
Gloucester Township Mayor David Mayer
Hazlet Mayor James DiNardo
Howell Mayor William Gotto
Irvington Mayor Tony Vauss
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop
Lake Como Mayor-Elect Brian Walton
Lawrence Mayor Cathleen Lewis
Marlboro Mayor Jonathan Hornik
Mt. Holly Mayor Richard DiFolco
Neptune Township Mayor Michael Brantley
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka
Northvale Mayor Stanley “Ed” Piehler
Oceanport Mayor Michael J. Mahon
Parsippany-Troy Hills Mayor James Barberio
Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco
Piscataway Mayor Brian Wahler
Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp
Plainsboro Mayor Peter Cantu
Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn
Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson
Union Township Mayor Clifton People
Wayne Mayor Christopher Vergano
Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac
Copies of their letters of support are available at ForwardNJ’s website, http://www.forwardnewjersey.com/.
ForwardNJ is a coalition of more than 75 New Jersey-based organizations representing over 1.5 million New Jersey residents and more than 140,000 New Jersey businesses focused on reforming the state’s transportation system. Forward NJ will educate stakeholders and the public as to the crisis we are confronting in relation to our outdated infrastructure.
For more information on ForwardNJ and need to fix the state’s Transportation Trust Fund, log on to http://www.forwardnewjersey.com/ and follow on Twitter @ForwardNJ.