Gov Nominates Leader for Broken Transportation Department

For Immediate Release

February 17, 2016

Contact Jeff Tittel, 609-558-9100

Gov Nominates Leader for Broken Transportation Department

Governor Christie recently announced that he is nominating Richard T. Hammer for Commissioner of the Department of Transportation. Richard Hammer is from Upper Freehold Township in Monmouth County and is currently Acting Commissioner, which he was appointed to in October 2015. The Department of Transportation is an agency suffering from no money and a looming union strike for New Jersey Transit (NJT).

“It’s no longer the Department of Transportation, it’s becoming the Department of Broken Bridges and Roads. Richard Hammer may be the Commissioner but if there’s no money to fix the TTF then he’ll always be acting. He is taking over an agency that has no money and is falling apart. Instead of getting our transportation system moving we’re stuck in gridlock without any funding. The Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) is broke and NJ Transit is getting worse,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “ It doesn’t matter how competent Hammer is, he is going to be following the Governor’s failed policies.”

The Transportation Trust Fund is used to finance the construction and upkeep of New Jersey’s roadways and bridges. The TTF is currently broke and the Christie Administration has not come up with a way to fund it. Without funds, we have broken bridges and roads filled with potholes and closed lanes. This causes major delays to the commuters of New Jersey.

“ We have a transportation crisis in New Jersey. Since we have bridges closed and roads falling apart, people are stuck in traffic longer. Commuters need to detour to get to work and their cars are getting damaged from potholes. It costs people money to fix their cars and causes them to be late due to traffic delays. This is having a major impact on commuters and also hurts our economy overall. Commuters are being victimized by the failure to fund transportation ,” said Jeff Tittel.

New Jersey Transit is currently in upheaval with the recent fare hikes and service cuts and now a threat of a union strike looming. Last summer’s service cuts and fare hikes were made to close a $60 million gap in the budget. In comparison to other high population density states, NJ Transit receives smaller portions of their operating budgets from state and local governments or other funding like advertising—which means our N.J. commuters are forced to pay more. Since 1988, the gas tax hasn’t been raised, but the fares for NJT have been raised 9 times.

“Instead of encouraging public transportation as a way to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, the state is taking away important transit opportunities and forcing more people back onto the roads. NJ Transit was already unraveling before the latest hikes went into effect. There needs to be a long term solution and a stable source of funding for NJT by increasing the gas tax. The TTF is broken and people are feeling the effects of it. We should not only be fighting to expand ridership, but to maintain transit systems. Instead, NJT continues to raise fares and cut services,” said Jeff Tittel. “Services have gone down, there are more delays and breakdowns, and now maybe a strike. We once had one of the best transit systems in the country and now the wheels are about ready to fall off. The Christie Administration’s mismanagement and failure to fund transportation has lead us to this point.”

The Transportation Trust Fund is broke. In yesterday’s budget address Governor Christie failed to acknowledge the problems with the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF). The Governor says we’re spending enough money on roads and bridges and that everything is fine with the TTF.

“We have no money to fix our broken roads and bridges. The Governor has said he won’t fix TTF and that’s unconscionable. Trains are derailing and wheels are falling off busses. Without funding our transit system will be in ruin. The Governor also did not mention raising the gas tax, despite it being a possible way to fund the TTF. Now there is no mention of money to improve mass transit or highways. More people will be stuck in traffic longer on roads that are falling apart. On public transportation people will see higher fares with worse service and no expansion of service. New Jersey needs to spend our money in expanding mass transit and fixing dilapidated bridges and roads,” said Jeff Tittel.

The failure of New Jersey to fund the TTF has resulted in miles of closed roads and gridlocked traffic across the region. One accident can, and has, put our whole transportation system into gridlock. This is an example of why we need to raise the gas tax and come up with more funding for our transportation network.

“The Governor has appointed a new leader for the Department of Transportation but how can Richard Hammer lead an agency that is broken? There is no money to fund fixing our roads or bridges and people are stuck in bad traffic on bad roadways. Transit riders and commuters across the state are unhappy with fares being raised and services being cut in order to fund the TTF. Until the Christie Administration starts looking at viable and fair options to revitalize the TTF, Richard Hammer will be the leader of a failed Department,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.