Garden State Times

The New Jersey Senate has passed a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senate Republican Leader Anthony M. Bucco (R-25), which mandates the Department of Transportation (DOT) to include comprehensive data on potholes in their annual report to the Governor and Legislature.

"Every day, New Jerseyans navigate a challenging network of roads that are often littered with potholes to commute across our State. With the Senate's approval of my bill, we are taking a crucial step towards improving road safety and increasing transportation transparency," said Sen. Bucco. "This legislation would require the DOT to start providing detailed information about the cost of pothole maintenance, repairs, and damage claims in their annual report to the Governor and Legislature."

Currently, the DOT is obligated to produce an annual report for the Governor and Legislature on New Jersey's roadway pavement system. This report aids in identifying, repairing, and maintaining projects completed during the fiscal year; however, it lacks detailed information about potholes.

Under Sen. Bucco's bill, S-862, additional information regarding the cost of pothole repairs would be required in their annual report. If enacted, the DOT would need to identify:

- The number of pothole repair projects throughout the state, including the cost of repairs;

- The resources allocated by the department for each maintenance and repair project; and

- An estimated timeframe to complete each project, including response times for emergency pothole repairs.

Furthermore, in consultation with the Division of Risk Management, DOT would have to conduct a lifecycle cost analysis and report on the number of pothole damage claims submitted by commuters on state roadways. All this information would be made publicly available on DOT's website.

A national study conducted in 2023 ranked New Jersey as the 9th worst state for potholes.

"Having access to pothole repair and damage claim data from the DOT would help the Legislature implement targeted solutions to improve roadways across the Garden State," Bucco concluded.

The full version of the bill is available online. For further discussions with Sen. Bucco about the bill, please contact Chris Sivel, SRO Deputy Director of Communications at [email protected].