Rutgers University’s Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling recently released the results of a poll regarding public support for an increase in New Jersey’s gas tax. The results are hardly shocking: nearly two-thirds of adult voters in New Jersey oppose any hike, while roughly one third supports paying more. It’s not surprising that people are reluctant to pay more for something willingly.

But what was surprising was that once people learned New Jersey’s most recent gas tax increase was 26 years ago, and that at 14.5 cents per gallon it’s the third-lowest gas tax in the nation, they were more likely to favor higher gas taxes. In other words, the more people know about New Jersey’s gas tax, the more they are inclined to support an increase.

This made us wonder if and how respondents’ answers might change if they knew even more about the desperate state of transportation funding in New Jersey. Currently, 100 percent of the dedicated revenue generated by the gas tax is going toward paying off debt, and not toward funding transportation projects. Over 11 million motorists drive over a structurally deficient bridge in New Jersey every day, and more than 40 percent of NJDOT pavement was not in acceptable condition as of last year. (Given the beating roads have taken this year, that number may have grown.)

And while the poll did not provide any insight into how high a gas tax increase was being considered, it is more important, however, that motorists are aware that even a small increase would go a long way. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett signed a new transportation funding law that gradually increases taxes on motor fuels as part of a plan to increase transportation revenues, and Delaware Governor Jack Markell also publicly announced support for a 10-cent gas tax increase to help pay for transportation projects at an average cost of $4.78 a month for Delaware drivers.

A similar 10-cent increase in the Garden State would cost the average driver even less — roughly $4.35 a month – or less than $53 per year. That’s a far cry from the more than $600 per year New Jersey drivers are currently spending on additional car maintenance directly related to the poor condition of the state’s roads. That makes for an interesting argument for Governor Christie and New Jersey’s legislators: An increased gas tax with revenue dedicated to transportation will actually help New Jersey drivers save money each year.