Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-01-18
STATE MUST TAKE BRIDGES

The Perth Amboy Democratic Club could not take up a more i'm.
portant matter than that of state ownership of bridges such as the
structures that span the Rartan river at this point and at.New Bruins
wick. The EVENING NEWS made comments on this subject only
a few days ago and it is gratifying to see such an influential body as
the club mentioned getting behind the movement. With the right
kind of cooperation and agitation something ought to be accom-
rished.
If the state can spend thousands of dollars buying the Delaware
river bridges in order to free them of tolls largely for the benefit of
Pennsylvanians who desire TO escape the toll roads of their own
state and get into New jersey to enjoy the free and improved high
ways of this state, it surely ought to be able to take over important
bridges wholly within the state which are used mainly by state wide
and Interstate traffic, but which now are forced upon the local tax.
payers for maintenance.
Middlesex, being located directly in the center of the state. catch
es tn trafhe IN both directions The wear and tear on the road caused
by nonresident travel is bad enough, but when to this is added the
fact that the county is cut directly in half by the biggest river that is
wholly within the state, thereby causing the county alone TO bear the
expense of maintaining the bridges across the river, the burden of this
statewide and interstate traffic becomes unbearable.
The Middesex delegation at Trenton could not serve the comfy
IN any greater way than to concentrate its efforts on this one object
OF forcing the state to take over the bridges that span the Raritan
river. The expense that these structures are to the taxpayers of the
county is only realized when the Board Of Frccholders announce their
pies money goes. If this money were needed for the county alone
there would be no ground for faultfnding, but when the benefit is
derived largely by the state a a whole and by those outside of the
state, the unfairness of this burden is apparent.
Take the traffic across the Amboy bridge. for instance Nine
ehths Il 1t Is traffic coming from Newark or New York bound for the
Monmouth coast resorts, or vea versa. The bridge, therefore. is of
vastly more Importance TO Monmouth county than it is to MiddIesex
or course, when the bridge was built the extensive use of the automo-
BILE especially automobile trucks, was not dreamed of. The bridge
hss heVef intended o any such traffic as it is now called upon 10
bear Left to the normal traffic of this county and vicinity sucb as
used 1t when 1t was first opened, and the maintenance of the bridge
would be comparatively simple. The plankhng would have TO be re-
newed only once IN a decade instead of every year as at present. To-
day, however, the bridge is used by thousands of people who live I'M
ne cities to the north of us and who spend their money in Mer1noutbl
county, All that Middlesex gets out of it is dust and expense. !
1t is to be hoped that the Democratic Club will push this matter
and that it win be Joined by other organizations in The county in order
that the rest of the state may realize that Middlesex is thoroughly
sroused and that the limit has been reached.
Both the Amboy bridge and the bridge at New Brunswick are
included IN the state highway system and the state has funds avail
able TO act. The people are being taxed for the establishment of tbisI
system aud Middlesex demands that these expensive bridges. used so
extensively by the state a a whole and by residents outside the state
be taken over and maintained as a part of the state system as eyentu-
ally must be done.