HOBOKEN AND BEYOND — Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, U.S. Rep. Alibio Sires, and other local officials held a press conference on Monday to discuss the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act,” or MAP-21, the surface transportation bill that was passed by the Senate last Wednesday in a 74 to 22 vote. Officials called upon the House of Representatives to move on the bill, which seeks to create or maintain 2.8 million jobs, lower mass transit commuting costs, and repair major roads and bridges.
The conference was held along the waterfront in the Hoboken Train Station. Forbes.com recently named Hoboken a top public transportation city in the country.
Officials are hoping the bill, which is fully paid for, will be passed by Congress and signed by President Obama by March 31, when the surface transportation extension expires. The surface transportation program provides funding to transportation projects and facilities.
“We have some of the most crumbling infrastructure in America,” said LaHood. “It needs to be fixed up.”
According to officials, New Jersey will receive a 14 percent increase in transit funding, if the bill is signed into law. The bill will also create 54,000 jobs in New Jersey.
“Secretary LaHood will tell you that President Obama is eager to sign the bill,” said Lautenberg, later adding, “Let’s not allow the House Tea Party to hold jobs hostage.”
Sires said that he was “not optimistic” the bill would be passed before March 31st. –Stephen LaMarca
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