Would you be in favor of raising the gas tax in New Jersey, if the money only went to replenish the nearly bankrupt Transportation Trust Fund and used to repair the state's crumbling roads and bridges?

A new survey finds many Garden State residents would support the idea.

“When we asked people if they are willing spend more on their gas tax as long as that money is dedicated and we make sure there’s no waste, abuse or diversion, 63 percent of people are willing to support an increase in the gas tax,” said Cathleen Lewis, the director of Public Affairs for AAA Northeast.

She said the survey also found that 71percent of people support a Constitutional Amendment "to dedicate all of the money to the Transportation Trust Fund."

Lewis said a majority of New Jerseyans are not confidant that gas tax money is being spent correctly right now.

“When we asked people if they believe that all the money from the gas tax is dedicated to the Transportation Trust Fund, 57 percent say that it’s not,” she said.

Lewis said people over the last two years have seen their roadway conditions worsen, they have seen their commutes worsen, and they understand there’s a price to that.

“We, in New Jersey pay on average $600 more in road repairs every year than people in other parts of the country because our roads are so bad, so people are feeling this effect in their wallets, so it’s not surprising there is conditional support for the idea of hiking the gas tax,” she said. “People are saying if you do this right and you dedicate the money to transportation I’m willing to pay more at the pump.”

Without swift action, the NJ Transportation Trust Fund will go broke by the beginning of July.

More From WPG Talk Radio 95.5 FM