The Jersey City Independent "

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Within the $787 billion stimulus bill that became law earlier this year, Congress provided states and Metropolitan Planning Organizations with $26.6 billion in flexible funds for transportation projects. The first half of the funding was to be committed within 120 days, which happens to be today, June 29.

Smart Growth America, in conjunction with state coalition partners, celebrated the 120-day mark by releasing a report detailing how well each state is handling its transportation stimulus money. Despite finding flaws around much of the country, with nearly one-third of the money — $6.6 billion — going towards building new roads, the report finds New Jersey at the top of the heap for smart use of the funds.

The state is one of 11 that has allocated zero dollars to building new road capacity — almost all of the $461.5 million it has been allocated has gone to “system preservation.” Good thing, since a 2007 report found New Jersey had the highest percentage of roads not considered in “good” condition in the United States, at 90 percent. We’d venture to guess that that percentage inches a few points higher in urban areas like Jersey City — a fact that our drivers can attest to.

The advocacy group did find one flaw with New Jersey’s spend — only 4.2 percent of it has gone to public transportation and other “non-motorized” projects. The District of Columbia ranked the highest in this category, at 41.5 percent. But considering the incredibly poor state of our roads, and the fairly robust transit infrastructure that already exists, this is a case of spending where the need is probably the highest.

Read the full report here.