Gov. Murphy Announces $161 Million In Aid Grants To New Jersey Municipalities
EAST ORANGE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – Gov. Phil Murphy announced Friday that 537 cities and towns across New Jersey will share in $161.25 million in grants for road, bridges, and quality-of-life improvements.
For many, the money could not come soon enough, reports CBS2's Meg Baker.
Tiffany Davis says she often has to swerve around deep divots to avoid popping a tire.
"Please fix the bumps, lumps, the holes in roads, please," she said.
Gamar Jones says she spent more than $1,500 after hitting a pot hole on a dark street one night, money she really can't afford.
"Every time you look, I'm at the tire shop," she said.
Murphy stressed that help was on the way.
"Supporting New Jersey's communities through funding for infrastructure maintenance and renewal is a core component of good government, and stands at the top of this Administration's priorities," said Murphy.
HOW MUCH $$$ DID YOUR TOWN GET? CHECK THE LIST: 2019 Municipal Aid Grant Recipients In New Jersey
The grants were given out based on evaluations from an independent panel of New Jersey municipal engineers with the support of NJDOT.
For example, East Orange will receive $1 million to fix roads like Freeway Drive, one of the main roads thru the city.
Web Extra: Gov. Murphy Announces Infrastructure Grants
"I'm often asked where is my gas tax money, raised 23 cents, what happened to it?" said Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. "This is what happened to it: being given to counties and municipalities to do important work."
The announcement came a day after an alarming new national report revealed that many of the nation's bridges are structurally deficient, including 544 in New Jersey.
A bridge over the Garden State Parkway near Springfield and Clinton avenues in Irvington is not only one of the most traveled, it's also one of the most structurally deficient bridges in New Jersey.
READ: American Road & Transportation Builders Association 2019 Bridge Report
But as driver's habits change and there are more electric vehicles on the roads, the gas tax revenue will go down.
"Down the road we may need to think of a different mouse trap to capture the movement around the state," said Murphy.
Other states are looking at mileage fees instead of gas consumption. Mileage fees can be collected in different ways, either via a GPS tracker or self-service gas stations could reduce the price of gas by 10 cents and keep consumers and their tax dollars in New Jersey, but Murphy wasn't ready to commit to alternatives just yet.
"I will not commit political suicide, I'm not going near who pumps the gas," he said.