The state's fleet of 500 snow plows and salt spreaders will be equipped with special GPS tracking devices, allowing the trucks to be monitored in real time from a command center in Woodbridge.
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A fleet of dump trucks from George Harms Construction Company plow the northbound lanes of Rt. 34 in Wall Township last winter.TRENTON — It was an epic blizzard that hit the day after Christmas, with up to 2 1/2 feet of snow burying New Jersey’s roads for days.
And the flurry of criticism came quickly for Gov. Chris Christie, who was vacationing in Florida while people were trying to dig out from mounds of snow in whiteout conditions.
Now, the governor is gearing up for the next round against Mother Nature.
The state is spending more than $17 million this year to attack snowstorms with military precision.
Its fleet of 500 snow plows and salt spreaders will be equipped with special GPS tracking devices, allowing the trucks to be monitored in real time from a command center in Woodbridge decked out with flat-screen monitors and consoles reminiscent of the White House situation room.
"We’ll be able to know if the plows are up or down, if the truck is moving or stationary, if the spreader has spreading salt or has run out." said Joe Dee, a spokesman for the Department of Transportation.
"Last year there were storms of historic proportions," Dee said. "Those kinds of storms are difficult to handle regardless of whether we had these devices or not, but they certainly they will help."
The DOT will also provide GPS-enabled cellphones for the roughly 1,500 privately owned trucks recruited to help plow the roads during snowstorms, Dee said.
In a separate initiative, New Jersey is requesting bids from contractors to upgrade the 38 stations that track rainfall and snowfall on roads across the state. Christie also got rid of a $10 million cap on snow removal before he signed the state budget this year, clearing the way for much more firepower in the event of a blizzard.
Steve Chizmar, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania transportation department, said officials there can track their snow plows using special radio transmitters since last year. The technology has been helpful but the state hopes to upgrade it, Chizmar said.
"It’s also a safety issue," he said. "If we see one truck that’s not moving we know it’s a problem."
Related coverage:
• Gov. Christie to sign letter in Monmouth County requesting aid from FEMA
• Acting Gov. Sweeney asks Christie official to apply for federal disaster aid following snowstorm
• N.J. towns awaiting federal money struggle with cost of blizzard cleanup
• Jersey City continues plowing after blizzard, hopes for FEMA support
