Princeton Opposes Plan To Expand Portion Of New Jersey Turnpike

PRINCETON, NJ – The Mayor and Council on Monday passed a resolution opposing the expansion of a portion of the New Jersey Turnpike.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) is pursuing the Newark Bay - Hudson County Extension Improvements Program and other expansions across New Jersey, which also involves the widening of the I-95 turnpike.

In 2022, the NJTA estimated the cost of the Turnpike Extension expansion to be around $5 billion or more for the new construction of an expanded Newark Bay Bridge.

The Princeton Environmental Commission (PEC) recommended that the Municipality oppose the expansion of the turnpike as studies have shown that highway widening can worsen congestion and lead to increased traffic volume, leading to environmental pollution.

“The data pretty clearly show that in general, widening roads does not decrease traffic, it just brings more cars,” Councilwoman Eve Niedergang said.

The Councilwoman suggested that instead of spending billions of dollars on expanding the turnpike, the government should put the money towards supporting public transit.

In their memo to the Council, the PEC said the expansion of the turnpike will see a surge in traffic, that “will exacerbate roadway pollution, including air pollution from gas powered vehicles that emit harmful pollutants and Greenhouse Gasses, such as particulate matter (PM 2.5) and ground-level ozone, that have been found to disproportionately impact vulnerable citizens and those living in overburdened communities.”

Through Executive Order 274, New Jersey committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030. However, the project flies in the face of the climate policy as an uptick in greenhouse gases will impact air quality in Black and brown communities, state climate activists have warned.

“In an era when we're trying to be less car-dependent, it would seem to me that the turnpike would be in play, and if it's going to cost a kazillion dollars, just to make more traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike... I don't think it's a good idea,” Councilman Leighton Newlin said.

The resolution passed by the Council calls for:

• NJTA to immediately halt any expansion of the I-95 Turnpike
• All current and future NJTA projects to undergo a comprehensive analysis of their climate, economic, and public health impacts, and provide ample opportunities for public input, to assess their effects on local communities before initiation and continuation. Projects found to harm any, especially overburdened communities, should be rejected
• The State of New Jersey and the NJDOT to incentivize, support, and prioritize statewide investments in public transportation, repair projects, railways, safe streets, bikeways, and walkways which alleviate traffic and advance New Jersey’s transportation infrastructure with the goal of protecting the health and safety of its residents, businesses, and institutions

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