State Government Takes Steps to Expand Electric Vehicle Usage in New Jersey
New Jersey state legislature and Governor Phil Murphy have recently passed laws that will help improve electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure and accessibility. Summaries of two new pieces of legislation impacting consumers and municipal governments are provided below. New Jersey officials are working towards making EV technology an attractive option for both municipalities and private consumers!
New State Law Will Encourage Development of EV Charging Stations through Planning  
A new bill encouraging municipalities to plan for electric vehicle charging infrastructure was recently signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy. The law will require municipalities to identify existing sites of public EV charging stations and propose locations for future stations during the reexamination of its master plan. It will also amend the “Local Redevelopment Housing Law” to require that public EV charging infrastructure be considered in redevelopment plans.

A report by the New Jersey Energy Master Plan Alternative Fuels Work Group identified access to charging stations as one of the biggest barriers to advancing the use of electric vehicles. This law is one way to incrementally build out a public charging network. New Jersey’s Municipal Land Use Law requires master plan reexamination every 10 years, ensuring that municipalities will at least periodically examine the need for charging infrastructure, however, nothing in the law prevents municipalities from planning for and adding charging stations more frequently. 
 
New State Law Further Reduces the Price of Owning an EV in New Jersey
 If you are thinking about buying an electric vehicle, now might be the time! Governor Murphy recently signed a bill into law that incentivizes the purchase of EVs in New Jersey through sizable rebates. This law could dramatically impact the number of EVs on the road and convince local governments to explore expanding EV charging station infrastructure sooner rather than later.

The centerpiece of this law is a state rebate of up to $5,000 for purchasing an EV. New Jersey already waives its 7% sales tax on EV purchases. In addition to the state rebate, the federal government offers a $2,500 - $7,500 income tax credit based on the car’s battery capacity. NJ now has one of the best incentive packages in the nation to buy an electric car. The rebate will be funded using an existing clean energy charge on utility bills along with capital raised from a regional cap and trade program. Consumers who purchase an EV can expect to receive a rebate equaling $25 per mile of the eligible EVs electric power range. [1] If the car purchased has an electric power range of 200 miles or above, the consumer will receive the full $5,000 rebate.

Law Requiring NJ Employers to Provide Transportation Fringe Benefit Goes into Effect March 1 st

On March 1, 2020 a New Jersey state law will go into effect that will require employers with 20+ employees, not covered by a collective bargaining agreement, to offer the federal pre-tax transportation fringe benefit. Employers that do not provide the fringe benefit to their employees face a penalty of $100 to $250 for the first violation.

The Internal Revenue Service’s federal pre-tax transportation fringe benefit allows employees to set-aside pre-taxed wages that can be used to pay for public transit. In effect, this reduces an individual’s pre-tax income, saving them a bit of money. Employers save by reducing their payroll taxes. The fringe benefit program can cover up to $270 per month in transit costs.

South Jersey employers have an easy option to help them administer a transportation fringe-benefit program. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) provides the RideECO commuter benefit program to all employers, regardless of size, in South Jersey. RideECO has partnered with NJ TRANSIT, PATCO, SEPTA and Amtrak, ensuring the program works throughout the region and beyond. According to DVRPC, an individual can save over $900 a year by participating in the program. If you offer RideECO through pre-tax payroll deductions, your company could see FICA payroll tax savings of more than 7.65%. You can find out more and enroll in the RideECO program at https://www.rideeco.org/ .

For questions about the transportation fringe benefit law and additional ways employers can incentivize the use of sustainable commute methods, such as public transit, carpooling, vanpooling, biking and walking, contact Cross County Connection at
(856) 596-8228.
SJTPO wants your feedback
for their Coordinated Human Service Transportation Plan Update!

Come out to the Access for All Transit Plan Public Meetings and provide feedback on unmet services and recommendations to increase service quality for the transportation disadvantaged population. The Access for All Transit Plan serves as the 5 year update to SJTPO’s 2015 Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan. Meetings will be held in Cumberland and Salem Counties, with Atlantic and Cape May County meetings coming at a later date. Visit https://www.sjtpo.org/AccessforAll for more information. 
 
Next Meeting: Salem County
Thursday, February 6 th , 2020 at 6:00 PM
Salem County Agricultural Building
51 Cheney Road, Salem, NJ 08079



Ronda R. Urkowitz P.P., AICP
Executive Director
(856) 596-8228



Patrick C. Farley, AICP, PP
Program Director
(856) 596-8228 


Cross County Connection's Mission: To improve the quality of
life in southern New Jersey through transportation solutions.
 
About Us: Cross County Connection, a nonprofit organization, partners with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), NJ TRANSIT, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization (SJTPO), member organizations and the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, to provide solutions to complex transportation problems for counties, municipalities and employers in the southern New Jersey region encompassing Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties. 
This Cross County Connection Transportation Management Association publication is funded by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. The U.S. Government and NJTPA assume no liability for the contents.