By Mary E. Forsberg

In the wake of restructuring proposals made by Governor Corzine, the gasoline tax is starting to be talked about as part of a solution to New Jersey’s financial crisis. This is a welcome development. For too long, New Jersey has shied away from greater use of gas taxes and other driving-related fees, to the detriment of the state’s infrastructure and the economy it supports.

Today, New Jersey motorists pay 14.5 cents per gallon in taxes on gasoline. This is the third lowest level in the US, but it’s a false savings. Why? Because the Transportation Trust Fund the state established in 1984 to assure adequate funding for roads and mass transit is running on empty. The state needs to do more to maintain and improve its transportation system, an imperative made all the more crucial by the role that moving goods and people plays in New Jersey’s prosperity.

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