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Transportation & Infrastructure
- Apply federal funds effectively and intelligently.
- Return our roads to the condition they were once in.
- Implement common sense engineering solutions to create efficient transportation systems.
- Ensure that the Turnpike and Parkway tolls are not increased.
- Make it possible to take a train to Newark airport from any place in Northern NJ.
When I drive the roads in New Jersey's 8th congressional district, I feel like I am driving in a third world country. Our infrastructure is deplorable. I have seen the Willowbrook Route 23 intersection in Wayne rebuilt three times, and each time it gets worse. The Grove Street/Van Houten Street exit from Route 46 in Clifton has been under construction for at least 3 years, and I cannot see where the money is going aside from some nice retaining walls for the adjoining homes.
The goods news is that sufficient funds are available to seriously improve our infrastructure. The bad news is that we have had these funds for years and they have been so poorly managed that we have very little to show for it. In a real world, business environment, this would never be acceptable, but for some reason we continue to elect and re-elect the same ineffective politicians.
We must implement federal funds effectively in developing public transportation as well. We have a multi-million dollar Seacaucus connection with no reliable connection to Newark airport. The Montclair branch does not run trains on weekends. All other service is sporadic, and there is no coordination between busses and trains. I cannot take a bus from my home in Montclair to my business in Paterson without going to New York or Newark. We keep hearing about a light rail system, but have not gotten one. It is our congressman's responsibility to work to improve our district's transportation.
With better management of the funds we have, we could develop a hub spoke system connecting all Americans to major airports and train lines. We could make flight delays a thing of the past by implementing efficient, updated flight systems. We could coordinate all forms of public transportation and use digital signals to tell riders when the next train or bus will come.
There are many other small changes that could make life easier. For example, the technology exists for a traffic light to automatically sense oncoming traffic. Think of how many times you have waited at a traffic light when there is no car going the other way. Think of the gas we waste as we sit waiting. A good transportation system will save the taxpayers' time and money and cut energy use, which will reduce global warming gases.
The problems we face are not insurmountable. We can make drastic improvements simply by managing our resources better and by implementing some of the common sense solutions that already exist. As a business owner and engineer, I possess the managerial skills and the problem solving ability needed to fix our transportation systems.
Further Reading:
Congress Should Free Essential Bridge Repairs from Davis-Bacon Restrictions
FAA Safety & Modernization Programs Face Meltdown as NJ Senators Play Politics
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