November 7, 2007
The Honorable Jon Corzine
Governor of New Jersey
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625-0001
Dear Governor Corzine:
New Jersey Future applauds Governor Corzine’s bold leadership on the issue of global warming. Reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions could transform New Jersey into a national model of sustainability and prosperity, if a broad implementation strategy is adopted. Because the transportation sector accounts for so much of New Jersey’s greenhouse gases, the implementation strategy should include measures aimed at changing travel behavior, which in turn requires shaping development patterns so that people don’t need to drive as far – or even necessarily get in the car at all – for their daily activities.
The transportation sector accounts for more than one-third of New Jersey’s greenhouse gas emissions and more than 70 percent of our petroleum consumption. A new report from the Urban Land Institute documents how travel and development patterns impact our carbon footprint. Annual vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per person in New Jersey have increased by 23 percent over the past 25 years. Sprawl development is a key factor in this rate of growth: on average New Jerseyans living in compact Hudson County drive only one-fourth as much as those in the low-density northwestern counties. If sprawling development continues to fuel growth in driving in New Jersey, the projected 59 percent increase in the total miles driven between 2005 and 2030 will overwhelm expected gains from vehicle efficiency and low-carbon fuels.
Based on two decades of experience in promoting smart growth, New Jersey Future recommends a far-reaching agenda of planning, regulation and spending to realize sustainable transportation and land use. The Governor must coordinate this effort across state agencies to ensure multiple priorities are aligned, including the need for workforce and affordable housing, natural resource preservation, enhanced mobility, urban revitalization and economic growth:
1. Adopt measurable targets for “green” travel behavior, including a reduction in VMT and an increase in transit ridership.
2. Create opportunities to live and work near key train stations and bus stops by targeting state investment and prioritizing permit review. Encourage employer location at transit nodes.
3. Offer tangible incentives for municipalities to plan and zone for compact, mixed-use development by redirecting existing state spending, as envisioned in the New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan. Consider amending the Municipal Land Use Law to ensure local land use plans reinforce state goals and targets.
4. Make driving more expensive (and raise needed revenues) by increasing the gas tax.
5. Use the State Plan as a framework to coordinate state agency regulations.
We thank you for your personal leadership on this important issue. Please feel free to contact us at 609-393-0008 or tjover@njfuture.org or csturm@njfuture.org if you have any comments or if you would like to discuss our more detailed policy recommendations.
Sincerely,
Josephine (Teri) Jover
Interim Executive Director
And
Chris Sturm
Senior Director of State Policy
