New Jersey — Empower NJ submitted blistering comments (attached and also hyperlinked here) on the Murphy Administration’s proposed $24 billion massive highway expansion plan today, the final day of ‘public’ comment. The commenters urge Governor Murphy to veto the minutes of the NJ Turnpike Authority if it adopts this plan and to insist it is replaced with one that funds mass transit and fix it first, not highway sprawl.

“Using any relevant metric — cost, greenhouse gas emissions, land use, traffic congestion, land use and jobs — the Plan is disastrous for the health, welfare and well-being of New Jersey residents,” the comments read. Sections of the comments are entitled:

1. Authority’s unconscionable decision-making process
2. Climate crisis and state’s Energy Master Plan
3. Highway widening plans
4. Failure to consider climate impact
5. Other negative health and environmental impacts
6. Road widening will not reduce congestion
7. Desperate need for mass transit funding
8. What the Authority should be doing

This plan and process is not unintentional. Incredibly the Murphy Administration is proposing the same thing for the Atlantic City Expressway as it is for the NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway only 2 weeks deeper into New Jersey’s public health emergency concluding ‘public’ hearings just yesterday!

These comments do not stand by themselves. Among others, the Star Ledger Editorial Board wrote yesterday: “Democracy in the COVID Era, Jersey style: The governor has a lot on his plate, but here’s the easiest task he’ll have this week: He should invalidate the minutes from these hearings, effectively postponing discussions on toll hikes while all stakeholders are given a chance to catch up.”

Comments are due by 5 pm today and should be submitted to NJTAPPublicComments@njta.com.

EmpowerNJ is a coalition of more than 90 environmental, community, and faith and labor groups.  Leonard Resto, President, New Jersey Association of Railway Passengers, joined in the submission of these comments. John Reichman, Environment Committee chair of BlueWaveNJ, was the lead author of the comments written in coordination with the balance of Empower NJ’s Steering Committee including Clean Water Action, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Don’t Gas the Meadowlands Coalition, Environment New Jersey, Food and Water Action, and NJ Sierra Club.