Snow eating up funds on NJ Turnpike, GSP

WOODBRIDGE, N.J. (AP) - Snow removal is eating up funds on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.

The toll roads have spent $14.5 million on snow and salt this month. That compares to $24.7 million for all of 2013. There were 66 snow or ice events in 2013 compared to 29 in 2012.

State Transportation Commissioner James Simpson tells The Star-Ledger of Newark (https://bit.ly/1k6OXOB ) there’s no substitute for safety.

Despite the weather, traffic on New Jersey’s two major toll roads was up less than a percentage point in 2013.

The turnpike had $1 billion in toll revenues for the year. The parkway had $407 million.

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Information from: The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger, https://www.nj.com