800 Construction Workers Idled by N.J. Transportation Trust Fund Stalemate

Road and rail construction projects across New Jersey remain stalled as Gov. Chris Christie and state legislators continue a standoff over how to replenish the state's nearly bankrupt Transportation Trust Fund.

According to Robert Briant of the Utilities and Transportation Contractor's Association of New Jersey, 800 workers have already been laid off due to the work shutdown.

That number could grow to 1,700 by the end of this week, says Alison Premo Black, chief economist with American Road & Transportation Builders Association. The layoffs are particularly painful because they come at the height of construction season, when many workers are counting on employment. Black authored a report that found it would cost $39 million just to stop — then later restart — the hundreds of affected projects. 

"It's extremely poor timing that the legislature in New Jersey can't come up with a solution to fix this problem, and they are putting thousands of jobs at risk," Black said.

And even when restarted, the shutdown will have a ripple effect. Tom Wright is the head of theRegional Plan Association. He said because the costs of labor and materials only go up, delaying projects — even briefly — means that they'll ultimately be more expensive. 

"The cost of construction has been far outpacing inflation for a generation now," he said. "Part of the whole urgency about getting these projects done is that they don't become cheaper over time...And the more maintenance gets deferred, the more repairs need to be done."

Another complication: the workforce might not be there when you need them. "Contractors will move on to the next project," Wright said. "People are going to go work on other things, and these projects are going to get put to the back of the line."

"None of this is good," he added. "There's not a single silver lining in this."

Read the full report at WNYC News.