N.J. transportation chief tries to sort through financial mess

With New Jersey’s transportation budget in shambles, Transportation Commissioner James Simpson tried to piece together a plan in front of a state Senate budget panel on April 22.

Although he had no formal strategy, Simpson did list off a number of ideas that could help pull New Jersey out of its financial doldrums—and none of them involved raising the gas tax or increasing tolling. In 2011, the state’s highway trust fund is expected to hit rock bottom, and its $895 million annual revenue will be used to pay off debt.

Simpson said some money could come from an already planned toll hike on the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, and more could come from leasing the state’s rest areas. Simpson said that move alone could bring in $100 million a year.

“The short answer is we are not prepared at this point,” Simpson told the budget panel. “The long answer is we are truly working on it.”

Simpson’s hodgepodge of solutions, however, did not appear to impress many.

“At this point as we sit here, there is no concrete plan on how to take care of the transportation trust fund,” said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo. “You have some conceptual ideas, but there are no hard numbers.”