A capacity audience of nearly 800 in Trenton applauded as the Governor declared that the spending program is “part of our strategic future” to create jobs and improve New Jersey’s suffering economy. If approved by the Legislature for the 2010 fiscal year, the proposal would represent $300 million, or 9 percent, more than spending for the year.

In the plan, $2.2 billion would be used for roads, bridges and other driving-related projects, including safety. NJ Transit would get $1.4 billion for signal upgrades, train and bus station improvements among other projects.

The Alliance event attracted a “who’s-who” of transportation officials as speakers in the program moderated by Susan Bass Levin, Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Reports on the status of stimulus funding for transportation and other federal issues were given by New Jersey U.S. Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez.

Other speakers included Chairman Anthony Coscia of the Port Authority; State Transportation Commissioner Stephen Dilts; NJ Transit Executive Director Richard Salres; John Matheussen, CEO of the Delaware River Port Authority, and Assemblyman John Wisniewski, Chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee.