LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1310

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MAY 31, 1996

      Assembly Bill No.1310 of 1996 directs the Commissioner of Transportation to develop a demonstration program, after consultation with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, that would use recycled materials to construct highway noise barriers at sites to be selected in the northern, central and southern regions of the State. In addition, the Commissioner of Transportation is to report to the Legislature within two years identifying the progress made by the Department of Transportation (DOT) in using recycled materials for noise barriers.

      The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) notes that part of the intent in promoting the use of recycled materials, in total or in part, in the construction of noise barriers is to reduce the cost of such barriers. Although the DOT generally has used $2.0 million per mile as an average cost estimate for the construction of noise barriers, OLS would estimate that noise barriers, constructed to the most reasonable extent with recycled materials, should decrease in cost to some level below $2.0 million per mile. Consequently, the "cost" of this bill is actually a savings. However, the specific savings can not be quantified until the type, amount and cost of recycled materials is decided, and the length of the demonstration program noise walls determined.

      OLS would further note that noise walls are financed as part of the DOT annual capital construction program which is supported by the Transportation Trust Fund and federal funds. Therefore, any savings that accrue to the State by the use of recycled materials in noise barriers would benefit the DOT capital program; there would be no reduced demand on the State's General Fund appropriation to the Transportation Trust Fund Account as a consequence of this bill.

The legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67.