By Nick Norlen, Staff Writer
New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine has asked for suggestions on his proposed toll hike plan, and he got them from Princeton Township Committee on Monday.
Voicing concerns that the plan to raise tolls on state highways will divert truck traffic to local roadways, the committee voted unanimously to pass a resolution calling on Gov. Corzine to amend his proposal in a way that would keep trucks on toll roads while still addressing the state’s financial woes.
Spearheaded by Township Committeeman Chad Goerner and members of the Route 206 working group, the resolution suggests capping the proposed toll hikes for trucks to the rate of inflation, rather than the higher rates planned, as well as tightening regulations to encourage trucks to remain on interstate highways.
The resolution also suggests offsetting the lost revenue by phasing in “a small increase in the gas tax” that “could occur over the next 20 years without the gas tax ever reaching the current national average of 28.6 cents on the gallon.”
Citing a state commissioned study that predicts that higher tolls will cause trucks to abandon the toll roads in favor of traveling on free, local roadways, Mr. Goerner said Monday that statistics project a 14-percent diversion at the time of the first toll hike in 2010, increasing to nearly 40 percent by 2022.
Though he said the committee “obviously applauded the governor’s attempt” to address the financial situation, he said the potential impact of the plan on local communities warrants changes.
Committeeman Lance Liverman called the resolution a “great document.”
He added, “It’s showing our concern for the toll hike and it’s showing our concern for the overall state budget. And that is what you call progress.”
Mayor Phyllis Marchand agreed.
”The governor has certainly recognized Princeton Township in informal discussions with me and with the mayors of Mercer County,” she said. “He was happy that we had some concrete, creative suggestions for him rather than having people say, ‘No, this is a terrible plan.’”
Deputy Mayor Bernie Miller praised the resolution for providing alternatives for the governor.
”I sincerely hope that he picks it up,” he said.
Jim Gardner, a spokesman for Gov. Corzine, said Wednesday that that the concern about the diversion of trucks from toll roads has been raised at a number of the town meetings held throughout the state.
And Gov. Corzine has “certainly received a number of suggestions on how best to go about” addressing the situation, he said.
”They’re all in the process of being reviewed to ultimately develop a plan that will address the governor’s goal of reducing the state’s debt while at the same time freezing spending and providing for the state’s long-term needs,” he said.
The township’s resolution also calls on the state to develop “universally applicable criteria for roads to be excluded from the New Jersey Access Network.”
After a federal court ruling last year allowed 102-inch-wide and double-trailer trucks with no New Jersey destination or origin to enter the network, the state created new rules for the network, which includes state and county roadways.
Recently, the township’s requests to the state Department of Transportation to exclude Routes 206 and 27 from the access network were rejected. A separate request was made for language changes in the regulations defining “reasonable access” and the different criteria for exclusions, but those regulations went into effect as planned on Jan. 22.
