Sweeney predicts transportation fund stalemate will last into fall
A statewide freeze on transportation projects is likely to stretch into the fall and past the November elections, dealing a blow to a state packed with commuters, Senate President Stephen Sweeney said Tuesday.
Governor Christie ordered a shutdown of most transportation projects in July after fighting the transportation issue to a stalemate with the Democratic-controlled Legislature. Talks with Christie and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto over the last week have not led to any progress, Sweeney said in an interview with The Record’s editorial board.
“The thing that concerns me is you’re losing millions of dollars every week now in wages, and contractors are shutting down,” Sweeney said. “This is probably going to put some contractors out of business.”
Christie spokesman Brian Murray reiterated that the governor is willing to find a solution and said it was Sweeney and the Senate who “dropped the ball and created this crisis” after reneging on an earlier deal.
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