According to the results of a recent opinion survey, 58 percent of New Jersey voters agreed that the section of the state turnpike leading to the Holland Tunnel should be expanded. Just 24 percent of respondents said they oppose the work, while 18 percent said they don’t have an opinion or declined to answer. Widening the highway is a major objective of the controversial $10 million-plus Newark Bay Hudson County Extension Improvements Program under development by the turnpike authority (NJTA).
The Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey, a major business advocacy organization, sponsored the survey, which was conducted by the Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) poll. According to the FDU news release announcing the results, “Unlike most issues in New Jersey, there is little in the way of partisan divides on these transportation issues, with broad agreement across party and regional lines. ‘Transportation is one of the few non-partisan issues in New Jersey,’” commented Dan Cassino, the poll director and a professor of government and politics.
Respondents were also asked about the state’s use of Transportation Trust Fund revenue to cover NJ TRANSIT operating expenses. By an overwhelming margin (66 percent), they said they favor using the fund exclusively to pay for infrastructure and equipment.