Why are road, bridge and transit projects so expensive in NJ? Lawmaker wants answers
Why do roads, bridges and transit projects cost so much to build in New Jersey?
State Senator Michael Doherty, R-Warren, has proposed a bill to try and answer that question and recommend ways to cut those costs.
His bill to form a State Transportation Analysis Task Force will attempt to answer findings in a recent Reason Foundation report, which said New Jersey spent $2 million a mile for road bridge and transit construction. The foundation ranked the state 48th in overall performance and cost effectiveness.
A task force is proposed as lawmakers are wrestling with finding revenue to finance major road, bridge and transit projects through the state’s Transportation Trust Fund. On July 1, all revenues raised through the state gas tax and other related taxes will be consumed by debt payments, leaving no money for construction.
In an opinion article that Doherty wrote on NJ.com, he said the state needs “our own analysis of the factors that drive New Jersey’s road costs and a look at other states to determine how they are able to operate more efficiently.”
https://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2015/03/why_is_road_bridge_and_transit_construction_so_exp.html
12X the national average and 3X more than the next closest state, Massachusetts… we spend $2mn per mile of state road versus MA $675K… why? Oh yeah. Excessive union labor costs, lack of competition/open bidding, and Senators Sweeney and Sarlo have funneled billions of money into the scam. NJ’s Transportation Trust Fund has close to $17 billion in debt due to their “in plain sight” theft of taxpayers. So let’s raise gasoline taxes to fund this black hole even further without even bothering to ask any questions of Senator Sanzari, I mean Sarlo? Right. https://watchdog.org/199387/new-jersey-expensive-roads/
Answer to the question . Unions
Another of the reasons it costs so much here is all the mini-scams and mini-pay offs that are built in to the process. The corruption is pervasive.
Those that blame only the unions have to be wrong ,there must be something else at play here because most if not all of the other states mentioned also have unions. The question is is who is taking kick backs?
ask Senator Sanzari, I mean Sarlo…