3 Rest Areas To Close As Gov. Murphy Makes Decision On NJ Gas Tax

NEW JERSEY – Two major decisions were made for New Jersey motorists just in time for Labor Day weekend.

The Murphy administration has decided not to raise the gas tax - a decision made as part of an annual review that determines whether the state is receiving enough revenue to pay for major projects.

And three service areas on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway will close to the public shortly after Labor Day – and remain shut until just before Memorial Day 2020 – as work begins on the next phase of service area improvements.

One of them will be the Fored River Rest Area, which will be completely replaced. Read more: Forked River Service Plaza To Close For Months

Other closings are as follows:

• The Vince Lombardi Service Area (on the Turnpike between the Eastern and Western Spurs in Ridgefield Borough) will be partially closed on or about Sept. 6th. The existing facility will be demolished and a new one constructed. Limited services will be available during the closure. Portable restrooms and food trucks will be provided, and the commuter and truck parking lots will remain open. There will be no gasoline or diesel sales.
• The Richard Stockton Service Area (on the southbound Turnpike in Hamilton between exits 7A and 7) will close on or about Sept. 9th. The existing facility will be extensively remodeled and enlarged. All services will be suspended and this location will be off-limits to the public during construction. There will be no food, fuel, restrooms, or parking for passenger or commercial vehicles.

“I realize that these service area closures cause a temporary inconvenience for our customers, but as anyone who has visited one of our new facilities can tell you, it will be worth the wait,” said New Jersey Turnpike Authority Executive Director John M. Keller. “The new service area facilities are bright, comfortable places with the amenities you need to refresh and refuel during your travels. I’m sure you’ll be happy with the result when the new Vince Lombardi, Richard Stockton, and Forked River facilities open next spring.”

State Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio, meanwhile, announced on Wednesday that New Jersey’s current tax rate on gasoline and diesel fuel will remain stable for the coming year at 41.4 cents and 48.4 cents per gallon, respectively.

As required by law, the Department of the Treasury conducted a detailed review of fuel consumption data and the treasurer consulted with the legislative budget and finance officer before making the decision, according to a department release.

The law requires a steady stream of revenue to support the state’s Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) program, which pays for major capital transportation projects.

New Jersey’s TTF program is required to provide $16 billion over eight years to support critical infrastructure improvements to the state’s roadways and bridges. In order to ensure the state has the funds necessary to support these projects, the law dictates that the tax rate must be adjusted accordingly to generate roughly $2 billion per year, according to the release.

“We’re pleased that fuel consumption levels, coupled with our realistic projections last year, have allowed us to avoid an increase in the gas tax rate for this year,” said Muoio. “This dedicated revenue stream has enabled us to disburse billions in funding across the state to bolster our transportation infrastructure and keep New Jersey moving forward.”

Since the 2016 law was enacted, the state has disbursed a total of $4.34 billion for local, county, and state projects, including NJ Transit, with $2.73 billion of that funding being disbursed since the Murphy Administration took office in January 2018.