A letter from former NJ DOT Commissioner Jamie Fox to legislators, obtained by Americans for Prosperity through an open public records request, confirms that the state is spending upwards of $2 million per mile on building, maintaining and operating its roadway system.
In the correspondence, delivered to Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-26) and Assemblywoman Amy Handlin (R-13) on March 20, 2015, Commissioner Fox acknowledged “…the cost per center line mile is $925,704 per mile.” Adding in New Jersey’s debt service, the state’s per mile road costs approximate the $2 million figure in Reason Foundation’s Highway Report.
“Commissioner Fox’s letter is a smoking gun which puts to rest any notion that New Jersey does not have an enormous, out-of-control transportation spending problem,” said AFP spokesman Mike Proto.
“Lawmakers supporting this 23 cent per gallon gas tax hike, and debt-fueled $2 billion a year TTF spending plan, owe taxpayers answers and solutions, not more excuses. AFP once again calls on lawmakers to come together to address our transportation spending problem by making the structural reforms needed to ensure our transportation dollars are being spent prudently and efficiently.”
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1 comment:
Under $1 million per mile? That's a yawn, even though it's a significant expenditure. When the Massachusetts turnpike was built, these many (some 50) years ago, it's cost was widely publicized as $1 million per mile. Given normal inflation it's amazing that such costs are not already higher, unless, of course, you assume that the workers are overpaid.
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