Why Green is Good for You?
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KHAN SAYS GARDEN STATE MUST LOOK TOWARD GREEN TRANSPORTATION
Vows
to Make Responsible Funding a Priority if Elected
Parsippany, October 9 –Saying that New Jersey’s transportation
system is vital to the Garden State’s economic and physical health, Dr. Wasim Khan (D-Parsippany) pledged today to make
responsible funding of a forward-looking transportation plan a priority if elected to the State Senate in November.
“Our state’s arteries are damaged and clogged. As a medical researcher, I understand clogged arteries. As an
epidemiologist, I also understand the public health impacts of our transportation system.” He explained that “Traffic
congestion is double trouble for air quality. Not only does it mean that there are a lot of vehicles on the road, but bumper-to-bumper
traffic means that each vehicle emits a lot more pollutants than when the roads are clear. That is why we have air quality
problems, and why we are seeing so many cases of asthma, especially in children.”
Khan believes that traffic
congestion could be eased considerably if more New Jerseyans were able to use public transit for their daily commute. Although
New Jersey Transit provides excellent service to New York City from many locations in New Jersey, most of the people who both
live and work in New Jersey must rely on a private automobile to get to work. “When I first started working in Nutley,
I was stunned to realize that there was simply no way to get there from Parsippany by bus.” What is needed, Khan argues,
is planning for bus routes and schedules that would make it possible for a greater number of people to ride public transit
instead of driving to work. “Every year, workers in New Jersey file state income tax returns, which capture data on
where they live and where they work. We could use those data to forecast potential ridership and to plan which new routes
would provide the most congestion relief.”
Enhancing public transportation would not only ease congestion,
it would make New Jersey more resistant to future increases in the price of fuel. “For far less than New Jersey’s
share of the cost of the continuing occupation of Iraq, we could make improvements to our transit system that would dramatically
decrease our dependence on foreign oil, and reduce New Jersey’s contribution to the problems of greenhouse gas emissions
and climate change. If elected, I will work with New Jersey’s Representatives and Senators to achieve these goals.”
A greater share of federal funding may go far toward solving the state’s transportation woes. “It is in the national
interest to conserve fossil fuels, and funding public transportation projects in New Jersey would be one of the most cost-effective
ways to do that, so it would be appropriate to seek federal funding” said Khan. “There’s certainly demand
for new transit options. Just look at the success of the new light rail systems.” Not only have the Hudson-Bergen Light
Rail and the River Line had high ridership, they have revitalized the neighborhoods along their routes. “We need to
envision the future of our transportation system, not just put patches on the past,” said Khan.
That vision
should also include concern for bicycles and pedestrians. “Bicycles are vehicles, too. And they don’t burn any
imported fuel whatsoever. All they burn is calories. So we should incorporate planning for walking and bicycling as transportation,
not just as recreation.”
Tailpipe emissions are not the only health issue related to transportation.
“The age and poor condition of much of our transportation infrastructure means that we are at risk for the sort of tragedy
that struck in Minnesota this summer.” On August 1, 2007, the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota
collapsed, leaving 13 dead and hundreds injured. Khan believes that New Jersey needs to shift funds to priority projects,
based on a safety audit of New Jersey’s bridges, roadways and rail systems. However, this must take place within a dedicated
system for transportation funding. “We can no longer continue to issue bonds whenever we need to repair something,”
said Khan.
“We need to completely overhaul how we are funding road and railway projects, but without
stressing our already overburdened taxpayers. We don’t need to add to the already high cost of living in New Jersey.
We must seek a rational approach to funding our transportation priorities, without giving up control of state-owned assets.
I look forward to tackling this tough issue when the new Senate convenes next year.”
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