TRENTON, NJ — A $1.73 billion contract awarded by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority is facing backlash from State Senator Douglas Steinhardt, who is raising alarms over national security and data privacy due to the winning bidder’s ties to Communist China.
Key Points
- NJ Turnpike Authority awarded $1.73B toll system contract to TransCore, tied to Singapore Technologies Engineering.
- Steinhardt warns the deal gives foreign powers access to sensitive EZPass data and transportation networks.
- A Newark-based company bid nearly $250 million less but was passed over.
In a letter dated Monday, Steinhardt demanded a Senate hearing into the September 2024 award to TransCore, a company owned by Singapore Technologies Engineering, which he said has known affiliations with the Chinese government. The contract grants the firm control over the state’s EZPass tolling system and related infrastructure.
“This decision effectively granted TransCore—and its affiliates with ties to Communist China—full access to the NJ EZPass tolling system,” Steinhardt wrote. He warned of “the possibility that foreign governments could use this access to track government personnel, monitor military movements, and observe sensitive commercial or logistical patterns.”
Contract scrutiny escalates
Steinhardt said the $1.73 billion deal was awarded despite a competing bid from Newark-based Conduent that was nearly $250 million lower. He claimed Senator Michael Testa had previously requested more information on the contract, which he said had never been fully disclosed.
He expressed frustration over what he called the legislature’s failure to respond to security threats tied to hostile foreign powers, citing four bills he introduced that remain inactive. The proposed legislation would protect critical technology, infrastructure, and food production systems from foreign interference.
Lawmaker calls for legislative action
In his letter to Senate President Nicholas Scutari, Steinhardt urged legislative leaders to hold hearings on the TransCore contract and its national security implications. He cited the risk to more than nine million residents and millions of visitors whose movements could now be “tracked, collected, and exploited by foreign interests.”
“I urge you, as Senate President, to use your authority to convene a Senate hearing into the awarding of the TransCore contract,” Steinhardt wrote.
He concluded with an appeal for bipartisan cooperation, calling on lawmakers “to show courage and join me in examining this transaction and what it means for the future of our state and country.”
Steinhardt’s warning over the toll contract raises fresh concerns about foreign access to New Jersey’s critical transportation data.