27:1B-21.32 - Use of reclaimed asphalt pavement by DOT

27:1B-21.32  Use of reclaimed asphalt pavement by DOT.

1. a. Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the Commissioner of Transportation shall permit for public highways under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation the use of reclaimed asphalt pavement that constitutes a maximum of 25 percent by weight of the total pavement mixture for base and intermediate pavement courses and a maximum of 15 percent by weight of the total pavement mixture for surface pavement courses.

b.The commissioner shall permit for public highways under the jurisdiction of the department the use of reclaimed asphalt pavement that constitutes from 25 to 50 percent by weight of the total pavement mixture for base and intermediate pavement courses, after an evaluation of the material properties of the reclaimed asphalt pavement in a "closed system" project.  A "closed system" project is defined as a project on which the asphalt millings from the project are recycled back into the hot mix asphalt on that same project.

c.reclaimed asphalt pavement shall not be used for open-graded and modified open-graded friction courses, or any other special purpose or premium asphalt mix required in specific projects to increase pavement skid resistance.

L.2002,c.114,s.1.
 
27:1B-22  Preparation, submission of reports.
 
22.The commissioner shall prepare and submit the following reports to the Governor, the Legislature, and the Financial Policy Review Board, established pursuant to section 6 of P.L.2006, c.3 (C.27:1B-22.2) under the terms set forth below: a Transportation Master Plan, a Statewide Capital Investment Strategy, an Annual Transportation Capital Program, a Transportation Trust Fund Authority Financial Plan, and a Five-Year Capital Plan.

a.To the end that the transportation system of the State shall be planned in an orderly and efficient manner and that the Legislature shall be advised of the nature and extent of public highways, public transportation projects and other transportation projects contemplated to be financed under this act, the department shall submit a master plan, as provided in subsection (a) of section 5 of P.L.1966, c.301 (C.27:1A-5).  Notwithstanding the provisions of that act, the plan shall be for a period of five years and shall be submitted to the Commission on Capital Budgeting and Planning, the Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee and the Chairman of the Assembly Transportation and Communications Committee, or their successors, and the Legislative Budget and Finance Officer, and the metropolitan planning organizations, on or before March 1, 2001, and at five-year intervals thereafter.  The master plan shall set the direction for the department's overall Capital Investment Strategy and subsequent annual Transportation Capital Programs submitted to the Legislature for approval pursuant to this section.  This master plan shall, to the extent practicable, conform to all federal requirements for Statewide transportation planning.

b.The Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the New Jersey Transit Corporation, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, and the South Jersey Transportation Authority, shall prepare a "Statewide Capital Investment Strategy" for at least a five-year period which shall contain, at a minimum, a statement of the goals of the department, the corporation, and the toll road authorities in major selected policy areas and the means by which the goals are to be attained during that period, using quantitative measures where appropriate.  The Statewide Capital Investment Strategy may be updated and submitted no later than March 1 of each year.  The Statewide Capital Investment Strategy shall provide for a multi-modal, intermodal, seamless, technologically advanced, and secure transportation system.  It shall recommend investment for major program categories, set overall goals for investment in the State's infrastructure, and develop program targets and performance measures.  It may rely on infrastructure management systems as developed by the department to assess bridge conditions, pavement conditions, bridge, traffic and pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and public transit facilities. With respect to pavement conditions, the department shall set as a priority the utilization of efficient cost-effective materials and treatments as  stated in section 9 of P.L.2000, c.73 (C.27:1B-21.22). In the event that there exist appropriate circumstances for the use of micro-surfacing and cold-in-place recycling, the department shall establish as a special priority the use of these materials and surface treatments.  The goals of the Capital Investment Strategy shall include, but not be limited to, reduction of vehicular and pedestrian accidents, reduction in the backlog of projects, including one-half of the structurally deficient bridge repair projects and pavement deficiencies, and an increase in lane miles of bicycle paths, with a goal of constructing an additional 1,000 lane miles of bicycle paths in five years to reduce traffic congestion and for recreational uses. The construction of bicycle and pedestrian lanes, paths and facilities shall be subject to no stricter environmental requirements than are provided pursuant to federal law and regulations for such lanes, paths and facilities, notwithstanding the provisions to the contrary of State law and regulations, including State Executive Order No. 215 of 1989.  With respect to the New Jersey Transit Corporation, the Statewide Capital Investment Strategy shall deal with the corporation's overall goal to keep the public transportation system in a state of good repair and, more specifically, in the area of bus transportation, present a strategy and a preliminary timetable for the replacement of the current diesel bus fleet with a fleet of buses which have reduced emission of air pollutants.  The corporation shall consider the feasibility of buses with improved pollution controls and that reduce particulate emissions and buses powered by fuel other than conventional diesel fuel, such as compressed natural gas vehicles, hybrid vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, biodiesel vehicles, vehicles operated on ultra low sulfur fuel, vehicles operated on any other bus fuel approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the like.  The corporation may consider as part of its strategy, cooperative efforts with bus manufacturers, and the solicitation of federal support, in developing a "clean bus" with air pollution controls superior to currently available technology.  For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007 and each fiscal year thereafter, all buses purchased by the New Jersey Transit Corporation shall be buses with improved pollution controls and that reduce particulate emissions or buses powered by fuel other than conventional diesel fuel, such as compressed natural gas vehicles, hybrid vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, biodiesel vehicles, vehicles operated on ultra low sulfur fuel, vehicles operated on any other bus fuel approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the like.  In the event that the corporation is not able to meet the bus purchase requirements set forth in this section with respect to any fiscal year, prior to the commencement of the fiscal year the board of the corporation shall by resolution submit a report to the Legislature detailing its inability to meet the requirements and the reasons therefor and shall submit the report to the Senate and General Assembly when both houses are in session, including therein a request to be exempted from the bus purchase requirements of this section with regard to the fiscal year in question.  The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly shall cause the date of submission to be entered upon the Senate Journal and the Minutes of the General Assembly.  If a joint resolution approving the exemption is passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor prior to the commencement of the fiscal year in question, the corporation shall be exempt from the requirements for that fiscal year.

In the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2007 and in each fiscal year thereafter, in the year prior to the year in which final engineering is anticipated to start on any project which extends the reach of the New Jersey Transit rail or light rail system, the New Jersey Transit Corporation shall be required to identify and include in the annual Statewide Capital Investment Strategy the required State financial assistance to support operation of the incremental service for the first three years and the projected fare box recovery ratio at the commencement of the fourth year of operation of each project.

The Statewide Capital Investment Strategy shall also detail the planned investment of capital funds for public transportation projects of companies other than the New Jersey Transit Corporation engaged in the business of providing motor bus transportation.  The Statewide Capital Investment Strategy shall demonstrate that such investment adequately addresses the finding in section 2 of P.L.1979, c.150 (C.27:25-2) that in the provision of public transportation services it is desirable to encourage to the maximum extent feasible the participation of private enterprise.

c.On or before March 1 of each year, the commissioner shall submit a report of general project categories and proposed projects thereunder to be financed in the ensuing fiscal year, including therewith a description of the projects, the county or counties within which they are to be located, a distinction between State and local projects, and the amount estimated to be expended on each project. This report shall be known as the "Annual Transportation Capital Program" for the upcoming fiscal year.  It shall include proposed projects of both the Department of Transportation and the New Jersey Transit Corporation.  The program shall be consistent with, and reflective of, the goals and priorities of the Capital Investment Strategy and the program shall include an explanation which demonstrates how it is consistent with, and reflective of, the goals and priorities.

d.On or before March 1 of each year, the commissioner shall also submit a "Transportation Trust Fund Authority Financial Plan" designed to implement the financing of the proposed projects.  The financial plan shall contain an enumeration of the bonds, notes or other obligations of the authority which the authority intends to issue, including the amounts thereof and the conditions therefor. The financial plan shall set forth a complete operating and financial statement covering the authority's proposed operations during the ensuing fiscal year, including amounts of income from all sources, including but not limited to the proceeds of bonds, notes or other obligations to be issued, as well as interest earned.  In addition, the plan shall contain proposed amounts to be appropriated and expended, as well as amounts for which the department anticipates to obligate during the ensuing fiscal year for any future expenditures.

e.The Statewide Capital Investment Strategy, the Annual Transportation Capital Program, and the Transportation Trust Fund Authority Financial Plan shall be submitted to the Senate and General Assembly.  Within 45 days of the receipt thereof, the Senate or the General Assembly may object in writing to the commissioner in regard to any project or projects in the Annual Transportation Capital Program it disapproves or which it is of the opinion should be modified or added to or any additional or alternative projects considered or in regard to any element of the financial plan.  The commissioner shall consider the objections and recommendations and resubmit the report within 10 days, containing therein any modifications based upon the commissioner's consideration of the objections or recommendations.

f.In order that the Legislature shall be advised of the nature and extent of public highways, public transportation projects, and other transportation projects contemplated to be financed under this act, the commissioner shall submit annually, together with the Annual Transportation Capital Program, a Five-Year Capital Plan, which shall set forth projects and programs anticipated to be funded over the five-year period. The Five-Year Capital Plan shall, to the extent practicable, conform to all federal requirements for Statewide transportation capital programming.

L.1984,c.73,s.22; amended 1987, c.460, s.5; 1995, c.108, s.8; 2000, c.73, s.22; 2006, c.3, s.5.