(The Associated Press distributed the following article on February 29.)
NEWARK, N.J. — New Jersey Transit has spent more than $4.5 million in state and federal money over the past several years for sculptures, murals and other art that brightens up its terminals.
The artwork has turned riders into critics, who’ve given the transit agency’s efforts mixed reviews.
“This issue just demonstrates Trenton’s contempt for the taxpayer,” Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan told The Sunday Star-Ledger of Newark. When talk of raising the state’s gasoline tax surfaced late last year as a way to fund transportation projects, Lonegan rallied opposition.
For most of the major projects, like the new Secaucus Junction rail station _ which has a 30-foot cattail sculpture _ and the Seventh Avenue concourse at New York Penn Station _ where two kinetic sculptures depict scenes of New Jersey _ NJ Transit used Federal Transit Administration funding for construction and aesthetic costs.
For the soon-to-open Camden-Trenton light rail line, the $525,000 spent on art came from the state and could have been spent on buses or personnel.
In either case, the spending on artwork amounted to less than half of 1 percent of the projects’ costs. And NJ Transit, which had combined capital and operating budgets last year of $2.2 billion in state and federal money, is planning fewer new stations and rail lines, projects that often entail spending for aesthetics.
“What it does is it gives a sense of delight for the customers who go through these places. When you create a high level of design, people feel more ownership of the facility, and you have less problems with graffiti and vandalism,” said Richard Sarles, NJ Transit’s assistant to the executive director.
NJ Transit’s largest art expense was $2.37 million for the first segment of the $993 million Hudson County light rail line, where each of the 16 stations in Hoboken, Jersey City and Bayonne are adorned with sculptures, tile murals and weather vanes.
Exchange Place in Jersey City features a $127,732 platform map that commuters stand on while awaiting trains.
“To me it’s no great shakes if it’s there or not,” said Barry Klusky. “I could probably do with reduced fares instead of them spending $400,000 on artwork.”
“In the mornings, you’re walking through in a hurry, and you don’t really look at it. After work, there’s more time to look at it. I kind of like it,” said Ron Kmet, a commuter from Middletown.