Assembly, No. 632 State of new jersey 212th legislature

ASSEMBLY, No. 632



STATE OF NEW JERSEY

212th LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2006 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman BRIAN E. RUMPF

District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean)

Assemblyman CHRISTOPHER J. CONNORS

District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean)

SYNOPSIS

Directs Commissioner of Transportation to use monies from Transportation Trust Fund for certain projects.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

An Act concerning transportation, expending monies from the revenues and other funds of the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority, and supplementing P.L.1984, c.73 (C.27:1B-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Commissioner of Transportation shall conduct the necessary studies to determine the transportation infrastructure deficiencies that affect the efficient operation of the following three highway corridors under State jurisdiction: (1) Route No. 9, from the Borough of South Toms River in Ocean County to the Township of Bass River in Burlington County; (2) Route No 70, from the Borough of Point Pleasant in Ocean County to its intersection with Route No. 72 in Burlington County; and (3) Route No. 72, from Manahawkin Bay Bridge in the Township of Stafford in Ocean County to its intersection with Route No. 70 in Burlington County.

b. The commissioner shall estimate the costs to correct the deficiencies in the three highway corridors that were determined by the studies required pursuant to subsection a. of this section.

2. From funds authorized by the Legislature to be appropriated from the revenues and other funds of the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority for the Fiscal Year 2000 transportation capital construction program, the commissioner shall allocate and transfer such sums as needed from a part or all of any item or items to a new item or items for the studies and estimates of costs required pursuant to section 1 of this act.
3. The commissioner shall further allocate from funds authorized by the Legislature to be appropriated from the revenues and other funds of the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority for the Fiscal Year 2000 transportation capital construction program such sum or sums as needed from a part or all of any item or items to a new item for the design of a passenger rail service that would begin at the Northeast Corridor Rail Line in Monmouth Junction in the Township of South Brunswick in Middlesex County, and then follow an alignment that would be generally southeasterly to the Borough of Farmingdale in Monmouth County, and then southwesterly to the Borough of Lakehurst in Ocean County.
4. a. The commissioner shall annually include in the report of proposed projects submitted to the Legislature pursuant to section 22 of P.L.1984, c.73 (C.27:1B-22) a request for such sums as estimated pursuant to subsection b. of section 1 of this act.

b. The commissioner shall also annually include in the list of proposed projects submitted to the Legislature pursuant to section 22 of P.L.1984, c.73 (C.27:1B-22) a request for such sum as needed to effect the completion of work required to provide rail passenger service authorized pursuant to section 3 of this act.

5. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

The transportation infrastructure in the Ocean County area has not been modernized or enhanced to accommodate the burgeoning growth occurring in that part of the State. As a result, traffic volume on Route 9, Route 70 and Route 72 far exceeds the design capacities of those highways. This substantial volume of traffic creates unacceptable levels of traffic congestion, and undermines the safe, convenient and dependable transportation network on which the hardworking families of this region depend. Immediate steps must now be taken to correct this intolerable situation.

In addition, there is a demonstrable need to augment improvements to the highway system with passenger rail service. The support from community leaders and citizens throughout the Ocean County area to restore passenger rail service from Monmouth Junction on the Northeast Corridor Rail Line southwards to Lakehurst in Ocean County is overwhelming. Given the beneficial impact that such rail service would have on the mobility options available to the residents of the area, it is equally important that immediate steps be taken to provide rail mass transit.

This bill directs the Commissioner of Transportation to take the action required to improve Route 9, Route 70, and Route 72 in the Ocean County area, and to initiate work to restore passenger rail service between Monmouth Junction and Lakehurst. The bill also directs the commissioner to use the financing capacity of the Transportation Trust Fund to insure the completion of the noted highway and rail projects.