NJ Lawmakers Try For Compromise As Transportation Shutdown Looms
TRENTON (CBSNewYork) -- The July 1 deadline has come and gone, but New Jersey officials are still working on a way to pay for new transportation projects.
Last week, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie issued an executive order directing state road projects to cease, after the state Senate decided not to vote on a gas tax compromise to keep the fund going.
Under the order, plans for an orderly shutdown of all projects supported by the state's Transportation Trust Fund were supposed to be prepared by 11:59 p.m. Saturday, and all ongoing work supported by the fund must halt according to those plans.
However, none of the plans have been shut down, as officials scramble to come up with a compromise, WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reported.
"That's what we're hoping is that we'll be prepared to provide him some choices to see if we could gather his support," State Senate president Steve Sweeney said.
The Christie Administration is expected to begin revealing Tuesday which projects will be shut down.
The trust fund has 85 million dollars left in it to pay for the emergency work through August 1st. That is according to testimony from transportation officials.
Christie is currently out of the state.
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