The New Jersey Senate Legislative Oversight Committee will hold hearings on Aug. 10 about rail tunnel repairs and long-term transportation challenges facing the Garden State.
State Sen, Bob Gordon, D-Fair Lawn, announced on Aug. 6 that the hearings will address tunnel repairs that snarled commuter rail service in late July as well as plans for a new Gateway tunnel connection to Manhattan. Long-term budgetary issues impacting New Jersey Transit, Amtrak and the New Jersey Department of Transportation will also be discussed. Scheduled to testify at the hearing in the New Jersey State House is Stephen Gardner, Amtrak vice president for Northeast Corridor investment and infrastructure development, as well as other transportation experts.
Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, vice-chair of the committee, said the hearings will look closely at the state's long-term transportation capital funding needs and the New Jersey Transit's operating budget going into the next fiscal year. New Jersey's Transportation Trust is scheduled to come up for renewal next June.
"Bus and rail fares are already going up an average of 9% in October to cover a $56 million New Jersey Transit operating deficit for this budget year, and we're concerned that New Jersey Transit has another deficit looming next year when $295 million in New Jersey Turnpike money that has been used to cover New Jersey Transit operations is scheduled to go away," said Weinberg in a statement.
