SENATE RESOLUTION No. 35

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED MAY 2, 1996

 

 

By Senators CONNORS and CIESLA

 

 

A Senate Resolution urging the New Jersey Highway Authority to prioritize the construction of local lanes on the Garden State Parkway in Ocean County.

 

Whereas, In 1950, Ocean County's year-round population stood at approximately 56,000 residents, and in the year 2000, it is expected that Ocean County's 33 municipalities will be home to about 500,000 citizens; and

Whereas, The more than 433,000 current citizens of Ocean County are captive motorists to the Garden State Parkway (hereinafter GSP) because of unprecedented growth, and stringent environmental regulations in place in the Pinelands and CAFRA areas make any new major highway construction unlikely at best; and

Whereas, State Highway Route No. 9, which was built in the 1920's, now has nightmare traffic gridlock and bottlenecks at intersections because volume greatly exceeds design capabilities; and

Whereas, The State of New Jersey has failed miserably over the last 50 years to provide necessary highway funds for upgrading the Route 9 corridor; and

Whereas, Upgrading Route 9 today would be a monumental task involving a quagmire of environmental regulations and perhaps billions of precious transportation funding dollars to acquire property and right-of-ways; and

Whereas, Any proposal to modernize or dualize the Route 9 corridor would also profoundly and irrevocably impact "Main Street" in at least 12 communities and countless businesses and commercial sites; and

Whereas, When the ground was first broken for the GSP in the early 1950's, it was impossible to envision the growth and profound changes that have occurred in Ocean County and the entire South Jersey region over this half century; and

Whereas, Today, a half century later, the GSP carries millions of vehicles to the New Jersey Shore, to Atlantic City casino's, and to workplaces in Northern New Jersey and New York; and

Whereas, It is evident that the GSP has evolved into a vital transportation artery for the tourism industry and for the corporate and business centers of the Northern New Jersey/New York metropolitan area, and is the destination of tens of thousands of workers commuting daily from Ocean County's bedroom communities; and

Whereas, The GSP at the dawn of the 21st Century is not a highway of convenience for the people of Southern Ocean County, but a necessity where motorists have no other viable highway alternative; and

Whereas, Long overdue improvements to the GSP are also vital for emergency situations and evacuations during coastal storms, floods, and forest fires in the Pinelands; and

Whereas, The upgrading of the GSP will dramatically reduce the chronic traffic problem along Route 9 and alleviate the terrible loss of human life and injuries; and

Whereas, Research conducted by the Office of Legislative Services has determined that of the 90 existing interchanges along the GSP, 71 are toll free; and

Whereas, Not only are about 80% of the GSP interchanges toll free, but motorists in many counties, such as in Middlesex County, pay fewer tolls; and

Whereas, An estimated 45% of GSP motorists enter and exit to their workplace along a 13-mile section financed by federal funds, whereby tolls are prohibited; and

Whereas, While motorists in the Northern New Jersey/New York metropolitan area may pay tolls when commuting to work via the GSP, it is reasonable to assume that they will drive shorter distances and might be subject to a limited number of toll barriers; and

Whereas, Conversely, thousands of Ocean County citizens pass through numerous toll barriers to commute to their workplace in Northern New Jersey/New York metropolitan area each day and pay their fair share and more in GSP tolls; and

Whereas, The citizens and taxpayers of Ocean County are demanding the elimination of tolls and are vigorously opposed to the installation of new tolls or toll barriers along the GSP; and

Whereas, Additional tolls or increased tolls could drive hundreds of hardworking commuters back onto Route 9 to avoid increased costs which would exacerbate the chronic traffic congestion on Route 9; and

Whereas, Increased or new tolls would be bad public policy and ultimately prove to be counterproductive to building a better future for our communities; and

Whereas, The citizens of Ocean County respectfully, urge the State of New Jersey to launch priority planning to forge a viable solution to meet the highway transportation infrastructure needs of Ocean County as we move into the 21st Century; and

Whereas, The residents of Ocean County believe strongly that the New Jersey Highway Authority and the Department of Transportation have a compelling responsibility to fund the GSP modernization for enhanced interchanges and local lanes; now, therefore,

 

    Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

 

    1. The members of this House strongly urge the New Jersey Highway Authority, in conjunction with the Department of Transportation, to launch priority planning to develop a blueprint for bringing Ocean County's transportation system into the 21st Century.

 

    2. The members of this House call upon the Governor, the Commissioner of Transportation, and the members of the New Jersey Highway Authority, in full partnership and cooperation with the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the 33 communities of Ocean County, to launch negotiations and intensive planning strategies to prioritize the construction of local lanes on the Garden State Parkway (hereinafter GSP) traversing the entire length of Ocean County, connecting with existing local traffic lanes in Monmouth County, and extending southward into Atlantic County or beyond, pursuant to the needs of that county based upon decisions of its officials.

 

    3. The members of this House also call upon these officials to incorporate into this modernization plan the design and construction of all partial interchanges along the GSP throughout Ocean County, including, but not limited to, interchanges at South Toms River, Lacey Township, Waretown (Ocean Township), Barnegat Township, Manahawkin (Stafford Township), and the proposed Berkeley Township link, as well as others in northern Ocean County as determined by local officials.

 

    4. Authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the President of the Senate and attested thereto by the Secretary thereof, shall be forwarded to the Governor, the Commissioner of Transportation, and the members of the New Jersey Highway Authority.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This resolution strongly urges the New Jersey Highway Authority, in conjunction with the Department of Transportation, to launch priority planning to develop a blueprint to bring Ocean County's transportation system into the 21st Century and therefore calls upon the Governor, the Department of Transportation and the New Jersey Highway Authority, in full partnership and cooperation with the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the 33 communities of Ocean County, to launch negotiations and intensive planning strategies to prioritize the construction of local lanes on the Garden State Parkway (hereinafter GSP) traversing the entire length of Ocean County, connecting with existing local traffic lanes in Monmouth County, and extending southward into Atlantic County or beyond, pursuant to the needs of that county based upon decisions of its officials.

    The resolution also calls upon these officials to incorporate into this modernization plan the design and construction of all partial interchanges along the GSP throughout Ocean County, including, but not limited to, interchanges at South Toms River, Lacey Township, Waretown (Ocean Township), Barnegat Township, Manahawkin (Stafford Township), and the proposed Berkeley Township link, as well as others in northern Ocean County as determined by local officials.

    The GSP, because of environmental and economic factors must, by necessity, be made to assume an even larger transportation role for the 21st Century throughout Ocean County. Although envisioned 50 years ago as a way to open up South Jersey for tourism, the GSP is today the only viable north/south highway with the infrastructure and capabilities for expansion to fulfill the transportation needs of the fastest growing region of New Jersey as we move into the 21st Century.

 

 

                             

 

Urges New Jersey Highway Authority to prioritize construction of local lanes on Garden State Parkway in Ocean County.