New Jersey § 5:10a-70

§ 5:10a-70.

The Legislature finds and declares that: a. Every day, residents of New Jersey confront congestion in some part of their day

as they commute to work, recreate, or travel for family business. As our State continues to grow and prosper, we can only expect more cars, trucks,

and buses on our roads. Meanwhile, the number of riders on our trains and buses is also increasing along

with the number of pedestrians and bicyclists. b. Our ability to deal with these demands at all levels of government is limited without

a sound framework for developing responses to congestion and aging infrastructure

problems and providing adequate funding to implement strategic solutions. c. Sections 69 through 81 of P.L.2015, c. 19 ( C.5:10A-69 through C.5:10A-81 ) develops the concept of a transportation planning district, which permits the assessment

of fees on future development to ensure that adequate transportation infrastructure

is put into place to accommodate the vehicular and pedestrian traffic caused by future

development. d. Existing financial resources and existing mechanisms for securing financial commitments

for transportation improvements are inadequate to meet transportation improvement

needs which are the result of new development in growth areas and, therefore, it is

appropriate for the State to make special provisions for the financing of needed transportation

improvements in the Meadowlands District, including the assessment of fees on new

developments which are responsible for the travel demand burdens on the transportation

system. Creation of a transportation planning district provides a mechanism through which

the State, counties, and municipalities, and the Meadowlands Regional Commission,

as well as the private sector, will have the means to work together to respond to

transportation needs on a regional basis as determined by travel conditions or transportation

needs in developed areas rather than upon preexisting boundaries. The Meadowlands Regional Commission and the Meadowlands Transportation Planning

Board shall oversee the development of a district-wide transportation plan through

a consultative planning process which relies upon the participation of public and

private sector interests. e. In assessing development fees under sections 69 through 81 of P.L.2015, c. 19 ( C.5:10A-69 through C.5:10A-81 ), the commission recognizes that: (1) those fees supplement, but do not replace,

the public investment needed in the transportation system; (2) the costs of remedying

pre-existing problems shall not be charged to a new development; (3) the fee charged

to any particular development shall be reasonably related to the impact of that development

on the transportation system of the district and shall not exceed the development's

fair share of the cost of the improvements and related allowable administrative costs;

and (4) no development shall be subject to any assessment or fees for transportation

improvements by the State, a county, or a municipality, except as provided pursuant

to sections 69 through 81 of P.L.2015, c. 19 ( C.5:10A-69 through C.5:10A-81 ). In determining the basis for assessing development fees, the commission shall develop

reasonable formulas that rely on established planning models. f. The creation of a transportation planning district shall be accompanied by the

development of strategies to improve regional comprehensive planning, to encourage

transportation-efficient land uses, to reduce automobile dependency, to improve pedestrian

and bicyclist safety, and to encourage alternatives to peak-hour automobile trips.