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Wisniewski Statement on Pulaski Skyway Rehabilitation Hearing

Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee Chair John S. Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) issued the following statement on Monday after the committee’s hearing on the Pulaski Skyway Rehabilitation Program:

“For the safety of motorists in New Jersey, the structural deficiencies of the Pulaski Skyway must be addressed. The committee will continue to monitor this issue. The structural deficiencies within the Christie administration, however, seem to be beyond repair.

“The volume of traffic sustained by our state’s roads and bridges demands a strong relationship between legislative committees charged with deliberating on transportation matters and the commissioner of the Department of Transportation. Rather than attending today’s meeting or returning a phone call directly from me, Acting Commissioner Hammer responded to this committee’s invitation for him to provide an update on the Pulaski Skyway rehabilitation project with only a letter, thus allowing no opportunity for committee members – representatives elected by the people of New Jersey – to ask questions or relay concerns.

“Among those concerns is how this project – one that certainly is necessary – has been financed. The elephant in the room here is the Transportation Trust Fund. Finding a way to raise revenue and fix this problem is central to preventing the delays we’ve witnessed with the Pulaski Skyway in the future. It seems, however, that the governor is more concerned with the bridges of Madison County than he is with our infrastructure here at home.

“Given its sordid history with bridges, one would think that this administration would at least make some effort at redemption. Unfortunately, New Jersey has a no-show transportation commissioner, no answers to a multitude of unknowns and no end in sight for this project.”