Bill Text: NJ SCR159 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges U.S. Congress and President to approve federal infrastructure funds for completion of Gateway Tunnel and extension of Route 55.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-14 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee [SCR159 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-SCR159-Introduced.html
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 159
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED MARCH 14, 2019
Sponsored by:
Senator BOB ANDRZEJCZAK
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
SYNOPSIS
Urges U.S. Congress and President to approve federal infrastructure funds for completion of Gateway Tunnel and extension of Route 55.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution urging the U.S. Congress and the President to approve federal infrastructure funds for the completion of the Gateway Tunnel and the extension of Route 55.
Whereas, New Jersey is in urgent need of improvements in its road, bridge, and mass transit systems, which are vital to the continued economic prosperity of the State and the entire Northeast region; and
Whereas, Reliable commuter trains connecting the State of New Jersey with New York City in the north and a well-developed road infrastructure connecting central and southern New Jersey with Philadelphia to the south are necessary; and
Whereas, The Northeast Corridor (NEC) rail lines are the transportation backbone of the Northeast region, serving hundreds of thousands of riders and various industries on numerous commuter, intercity, and freight trains each day; and
Whereas, Nationally, the United States economy would incur approximately $100 million in increased congestion costs and lost economic productivity if the NEC rail service was not in operation for a single day; and
Whereas, In addition to the State's reliance on the economic output generated along the NEC, New Jersey's coastal communities rely on a bustling tourism industry, which generates over $44 billion in economic activity annually and provides jobs that support nearly 10 percent of the State's workforce; and
Whereas, Despite the economic significance of the NEC and New Jersey's coastal areas, rail and road conditions continue to deteriorate due to lack of funds; and
Whereas, The NEC rail service relies on a pair of tunnels under the Hudson River, which are more than a 100 years old and are the only passenger rail crossings between the State of New Jersey and New York City; and
Whereas, The aging tunnels already in need of repair, were further damaged in 2012, when flooding during Superstorm Sandy made repairs even more urgent; and
Whereas, Experts warn that closing just one of the two tunnels for emergency repairs would reduce the number of hourly trips allowed during peak times from 24 to six; and
Whereas, A new tunnel will add two trans-Hudson tubes, allowing uninterrupted traffic between New Jersey and New York City and facilitating the closure of the existing tunnels for repairs in addition to doubling rail-service capacity; and
Whereas,
In 2015, federal officials
agreed to pay half the costs of funding the proposed Gateway Tunnel; however,
after taking office President Trump declined to provide federal matching
funds; and
Whereas, Furthermore, in order to facilitate the flow of traffic to and from the Jersey Shore and to relieve congestion on the Atlantic City Expressway, as well as to enhance opportunities for economic development in Cumberland and Cape May counties, it is in the public interest for Route 55 to be extended to the Garden State Parkway; and
Whereas, State Highway Route 55 currently extends from State Highway Route 42 in Deptford, Gloucester County, to an intersection with Route 47 in Maurice River Township, Cumberland County; and
Whereas, In rural Cumberland County, the four lanes of Route 55 narrow to a single lane before merging with Route 47, a local road not suitable for the heavy tourist and commuter traffic the highway handles; and
Whereas, Extension of the highway, which was initially slated to extend from Gloucester County into Cape May County, was halted in 1975; and
Whereas, In light of the significant costs of this project, federal funds are needed for the extension of Route 55; and
Whereas, New Jersey is a key corridor state located between two major metropolitan areas, and the benefits derived from a well-maintained transportation infrastructure not only support commerce and economic activity between those metropolitan areas but also provide significant benefits to the region and the nation as a whole and it is imperative that the federal government meet its commitment to the passengers and industries that rely on a seamless operation of rails and roads by approving funds for the completion of the Gateway Tunnel and the extension of Route 55; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):
1. The U.S. Congress and the President are urged to adhere to their commitment to the passengers and industries that rely on a seamless operation of rails and roadways by approving federal infrastructure funds for the completion of the Gateway Tunnel and the extension of Route 55 to the Garden State Parkway.
2. Copies of this resolution,
filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the
General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the President and Vice
President of the United States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United
States Senate, the Speaker and Majority and Minority Leaders of the United
States House of Representatives, and each member of the United States Congress
elected from this State.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the U.S. Congress and the President to approve federal infrastructure funds for the completion of the Gateway Tunnel and the extension of Route 55.
The existing rail connection between New Jersey and New York City consists of a pair of century-old tunnels in need of critical repair after being heavily damaged due to Superstorm Sandy in 2012. A new tunnel is needed so the existing tunnels can be closed for repairs. All trains running along the busy Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington pass through one of these single-track tunnels. The loss of one of them would prove devastating for the region's transportation and economy. It is important that the President and the United States Congress adhere to the federal government's commitment to improve the reliability of the Northeast Corridor rail infrastructure by providing half of the funding required to complete the Gateway Tunnel.
In addition to the State's reliance on the economic output generated along the NEC, New Jersey's coastal communities rely on a bustling tourism industry, which generates over $44 billion in economic activity annually and supports over 800,000 jobs, nearly 10 percent of the State's workforce. State Highway Route 55 currently extends from State Highway Route 42 in Deptford, Gloucester County, to an intersection with Route 47 in Maurice River Township, Cumberland County. In rural Cumberland County, the four lanes of Route 55 narrow to a single lane before merging with Route 47, a local road not suitable for the heavy tourist and commuter traffic the highway handles.
In order to facilitate the flow of traffic to and from the Jersey Shore and to relieve congestion on the Atlantic City Expressway, as well as to enhance opportunities for economic development in Cumberland and Cape May counties, it is in the public interest for State Route 55 to be extended to the Garden State Parkway.
