(The following article by Larry Higgs was posted on the Asbury Park Press website on December 21.)
NEW YORK — A transportation report has found that between 1997 and 2004 the number of New Jersey residents riding the train or bus to work grew faster than those commuting by car.
The report — by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, a nonprofit advocacy group — found that more than one in 10 state residents are taking transit to work, and that mass transit use is growing at twice the rate of driving. From 1997 to 2004, the number of miles traveled by transit — including commuter rail, light rail and buses — grew 30 percent. The number of miles driven by car and truck grew 15 percent during that period.
“Ten percent is an important benchmark for New Jersey, making it the leading transit riding state after New York,” said Jon Orcutt, Tri-State’s executive director.
However, driving is still king, with 95 percent of all types of trips being made by private car. With that, congestion is worsening as drivers are spending longer time in traffic. It also found that conditions of the roads are worsening.
While Tri-State also covers transportation issues in New York and Connecticut, New Jersey was selected for this first report because the state has the best story to tell, said Damien Newton, Tri-State’s New Jersey coordinator.
“The key thing is that 10 percent commute by transit, that is very high for any state,” he said. “New Jersey’s put a lot into transit, mostly in rail, but also on bus and we’re seeing the payoff.”
Douglas Bowen, president of the New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers, said the important issue is offering a choice to the traveling public.
“It’s certainly good news, and it positions New Jersey well, should there be rather dramatic energy changes occurring in the near future,” Bowen said. “Is the job done? Of course not, and from our vantage, we’re not just talking about commuters.”
The report analyzed U.S. Census data and used some research done by Tri-State, which intends to repeat the exercise every two years to more accurately measure progress made in transportation.
Transportation Commissioner Kris Kolluri said the findings show that the state’s investment strategy has been on the right track.
“It confirms what we had felt all along. We don’t have room to combat congestion on the highway and mass transit is an important solution,” Kolluri said. “We see it as a validation of our strategy.”
Kolluri cautioned that no sole type of transportation alone will be the silver bullet that solves congestion.
“I don’t think any one particular mode will be the ideal solution, but in a complex state like New Jersey, we have to make sure that all the modes are well connected,” Kolluri said.
Tri-State’s report found that:
The state has grown economically without corresponding increases in mileage driven, meaning that economic growth in the state is becoming more “transportation efficient.”
Little or no progress has been made on reducing roadway deaths in the state, with total traffic fatalities averaging about 740 and not dropping below 720 annual deaths.
Some improvement has been made in road and bridge conditions between 1997 and 2004, but they have begun to deteriorate again in recent years. New Jersey has the nation’s highest percentage of road miles in “poor” condition at 13.5 percent.
Drivers are using more gas as residents trade cars for sport-utility vehicles and light trucks. This trend may be moderating as gas prices increase.
Transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions also are growing at a rapid rate.
Bus and light rail reliability — measured by how frequently light rail trains and buses break down — has deteriorated although the fleet is newer.
Bowen said Tri-State is to be commended for doing the work and compiling this data.
Newton said the report’s findings make the case for continued transportation investment and for new funding sources.
“For suburban commuters, transit is getting better about that,” Newton said. “In outlying areas, they talk about upgrading bus service and working into the suburbs that way.”
Newton also praised the DOT’s buy-in to the fix-it-first philosophy of repairing and upgrading existing roads and bridges before spending money to expand the system. Despite that, the age of the state’s infrastructure and traffic volume continues to degrade roads and bridges, he said.
“They put more money in to it and they need to keep doing that,” he said.
The biggest issue is funding and finding a stable source of revenue when the current Transportation Trust Fund runs out of money for projects in four years.
“At some point, we need a sustained funding source for transportation,” Newton said.
Kolluri said that issue has led the state treasurer to study public-private partnerships including leasing of the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway to private operators and conversion of some interstates to toll roads to provide transportation funding.