Trenton continues to shrink auto fleet

The state hopes auctions of the vehicles will yield $500,000.Gov. Jon S. Corzine on Friday praised the elimination of 445 cars from the state’s fleet of passenger vehicles, cutting expenses for upkeep and eliminating more sources of pollution.

“We have a fundamental and ongoing obligation to run government efficiently and economically,” Corzine said in a statement.

The state said it recalled the high-mileage, underused autos, pushing the fleet size down to 9,671 so far this year in a move that is expected to save the state some $1.1 million on fuel and maintenance. The state hopes auctioning of the vehicles will yield $500,000. The next monthly auction is set for Saturday at the Distribution Center in Trenton, on Stuyvesant Avenue. Some 120 vehicles will be up for auction this month.

An auction of 835 vehicles in 2006 generated more than $1 million for the state. The state’s fleet was last at this level in 2004. The vehicles being retired and auctioned off were selected by the Department of Treasury’s Motor Pool from across multiple state agencies.

Email João-Pierre S. Ruth at [email protected]