Snow removal is eating up funds on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.
The toll roads have spent $14.5 million on snow and salt this month. That compares to $24.7 million for all of 2013. There were 66 snow or ice events in 2013 compared to 29 in 2012.
State Transportation Commissioner James Simpson tells The Star-Ledger of Newark there's no substitute for safety.
Despite the weather, traffic on New Jersey's two major toll roads was up less than a percentage point in 2013.
"Our revenue was positively impacted by an improving economy this year and relatively low gas prices," NJ Turnpike Chief financial officer Donna Manuelli told the paper.
The turnpike had $1 billion in toll revenues for the year. The parkway had $407 million.
With months left of winter the cost of snow removal will likley go up.
