For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Jackie.Greger@sierraclub.org
Governor Murphy Reauthorizes Transportation Trust Fund, Launches $1k EV Fee
Trenton, NJ - Tuesday evening, Governor Phil Murphy reauthorized New Jersey’s Transportation Trust Fund for five more years. The fund’s purpose is to invest in modernizing and maintaining New Jersey’s transportation infrastructure, while providing additional funding for NJ TRANSIT.
However, despite claiming to alleviate costs to ratepayers, a new piece of the legislation includes an increase in costs to electric vehicle (EV) drivers through a yearly $250 registration fee.
NJ Sierra Club Chapter Director, Anjuli Ramos-Busot, made the following statement:
“The Transportation Trust Fund is an important source of revenue for the maintenance of our state’s bridge and highway infrastructure. The Sierra Club supports the full funding of this trust fund to maintain these facilities in a State of Good Repair and in recognition of the impact that such a state of good repair has on our state’s economy and public safety.
“Unfortunately, this law unfairly discriminates against owners of fuel-efficient EV vehicles. This law adds an additional $1,350 registration fee for electric vehicles which is counterproductive to New Jersey’s climate action goals to electrify our transportation infrastructure and fleets. This new upfront fee coming on the heels of the Governor’s plan to remove the sales tax exemption for EV’s, will actively discourage buyers from purchasing an electric vehicle. These two new costs are in direct contradiction to the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) regulations adopted by the Murphy administration this past December, which aims to kickstart our zero-emission vehicle transition by 2035. The fee makes the progress and goals outlined by ACC II less accessible for more New Jersey residents.
“We need to be making it easier and more affordable for folks to choose clean transportation options, not more difficult. We support amending the Transportation Trust Fund to allow zero-emission vehicles, trucks, vans, buses, construction equipment, and farm vehicles to pay their fair share of the expenses associated with highway and bridge maintenance.”
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