(TRENTON) – Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Union/Middlesex/Somerset), vice chairwoman of the Assembly transportation committee, released the following statement Monday after the committee heard testimony on the condition of New Jersey’s transportation infrastructure following Sandy:
“The fact that the DOT commissioner skipped this hearing is an insult to the commuters still struggling to get to work each day more than a month after Sandy. He owes the people of New Jersey an explanation, not excuses.
“Sandy was an unprecedented storm for our state, and I appreciate the hard work of all the transportation employees who have labored tirelessly to get our system back running.
“Our transportation system is the lifeblood of this state, relied on by countless working class families as their means to earn a living. Our entire economy is based on a workable transportation system. Quite simply, that system cannot be put at risk by poor planning and questionable decisions.
“We’re already seeing the detrimental impact on commuters still struggling to get to work daily. This continued stress and likely loss of economic activity is very concerning. We need to do better for the benefit of our commuters, such as those on the Raritan Valley Line.
“I thank Director Weinstein for testifying today and offering his thoughts, but I also want to hear more about what our transportation leaders will do to better plan for concerns such as climate change, which will have an unrelenting impact on our transportation system in years to come. We need to use the science available to protect our system.”
