Data: NJ spends more in highways than nation
New Jersey may spend more heavily on infrastructure than much of the rest of the country, the money mostly goes to debt.
Federal data analyzed by The Associated Press show total infrastructure spending in 2013 was $841 per capita in New Jersey, compared with a national rate of $496.
The state received a 7 percent increase in funding from the Highway Trust Fund for the period from 2008 to 2013, but that amounts to a decrease of 1.2 percent when adjusted for inflation. With nearly $16 billion in debt, New Jersey’s interest payments alone contribute to the state’s high infrastructure costs.
How to pay for transportation improvements in the state has dominated headlines ahead of budget season, but an agreement on how to pay for the cash infusion to keep the state’s fund solvent have so far eluded lawmakers and Gov. Chris Christie.
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