‘Transportation Matters’

When I moved to New Jersey with my family 42 years ago, I could not believe how much money people had. I grew up in New Mexico, then lived in the South, and I had never seen such opportunity to earn money as I found here. Obviously, my observations were on the mark, because our state is right at the top of the wealthiest states in the Union.
Well, many Cape May County residents aren’t feeling that way at this moment, and it is being reflected in our ongoing population decline. From a population of 102,000 in the year 2000, we are projected to fall to 79,500 by 2040. In the same period, the U.S. population will rise from 282 million to 380 million – a 22 percent decline vs. a 35 percent increase. 
Does this mean that we should become discouraged? We know for sure that life has its ups and downs. As I recall, the head of Honda stated years back, when the company was going through a hard time, the sun doesn’t always shine on the same dog all the time.  That was true for Honda, and it is currently true for Cape May County; that is life and is to be expected. However, we all know that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. It is time for us to get going.
In this light, let’s talk about our roads for a moment. My wife, Patricia, and I attended the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization (SJTPO) public gathering in Villas June 8, where officials made a presentation of their transportation plan for the next 24 years.
They entitled their plan: “Transportation Matters.”  On the one hand, I was very impressed with their professionalism and their genuine desire to hear from the public. On the other hand, I could not have been more disappointed.
Here is what we were told and what we learned from their 124-page plan. New Jersey doesn’t desire to build new roads, and that goes for the four counties for which they do planning (Cape May, Cumberland, Salem and Atlantic). The reasons our state government pushes back from enlarging our highways’ capacity to carry traffic are two:
One: environmental impact – More roads and more lanes would accommodate more cars, which would create more exhaust pollution. Two: funding – The current available money is virtually consumed in maintenance costs of existing roads and in paying off debt.
According to their projections, stated above, Cape May County’s population will fall to 79,500. While we were told at the meeting that the public comment they heard most was the need to complete Route 55, we were all but told that it won’t be built for reasons One and Two above.
Are we going to just drop our heads in disappointment and accept this? We are being starved out; the starvation process is very uncomfortable. Thriving and healthy things grow, they flourish; whereas, unhealthy things shrivel up.
Our state is in desperate need of leadership to get us back on track. Some states have forward-focused governance, and they are thriving. That is who Americans are – dreamers, strivers; that is what made our nation great; we don’t accept defeat. If we elect political leaders who tell us we can do no better, then shame on us – in so doing, we would be a discredit to our predecessors, to all those who poured their lifeblood into creating our great nation.
Where there are genuine environmental concerns, let us attack the problem the way we’ve confronted every other issue we’ve  ever had: analyze it and work through it, not throw our hands up and accept defeat, watching fellow New Jersey citizens move out for better opportunities.
 The planners could not have been more on the mark, by entitling their study: “Transportation Matters.” As a matter of fact, it matters a great deal to Cape May County’s viability.                            
Art Hall
From the Bible:  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11