Authority currently has $10.0 billion currently outstanding
New York, October 14, 2015 --
Moody's Rating
Issue: Turnpike Revenue Bonds, Series 2015E; Rating:
A3; Sale Amount: $750,000,000; Expected
Sale Date: 11-02-2015; Rating Description:
Revenue: Government Enterprise
Opinion
Moody's Investors Service has assigned an A3 rating to the New Jersey
Turnpike Authority's (NJTA) $750 million Turnpike Revenue Bonds,
Series 2015E. Moody's maintains an A3 rating on the NJTA's outstanding
bonds and the rating outlook remains positive.
SUMMARY RATING RATIONALE
The A3 rating reflects essentially inelastic demand for the authority's
toll roads despite large rate increases, the economic recession
and weather events (Hurricane Sandy) as well as the essential inter-
and intra-state service they provide. The NJTA benefits
from a very strong market position with revenues from the two major highway
arteries through the State of New Jersey (A2, negative outlook),
which are parts of critical transportation routes for the Eastern Seaboard
and the New York City metropolitan area.
The NJTA rating faces some long term risks due to the state's current
economic and fiscal situation. A continued slow economic recovery
and high unemployment in New Jersey could contribute to lower traffic
and revenue and lower debt service coverage ratios (DSCRs) than currently
forecasted. The ability of the governor to veto all board decisions,
and pre-approve toll rate increases, exposes the authority's
credit to political influence which could compete with bondholder protection.
The authority's limited autonomy and the siphoning of enterprise revenues
for non-turnpike system purposes remain a credit concern,
though a five-year executed agreement with the state caps the authority's
contributions until 2016. However, additional contributions
could be required in the future, particularly given the State of
New Jersey's currently weak financial condition. The deepening
fiscal challenges for the state increases the likelihood and magnitude
of assistance the NJTA would have to provide to the state at its own expense.
OUTLOOK
The positive outlook is based on Moody's expectation that the NJTA will
continue to deliver the 2009 to 2018 capital program projects on time
and within budget. Upward pressure on the rating is dependent on
many factors including successful capital program delivery; meeting
debt service coverage projections (which will decline from current levels,
but are projected to remain above 1.40 times for senior and 1.20
times according to Moody's DSCR calculation which includes state payments);
transaction growth near or above 1.0%; adherence to
board-set financial policies, and a limitation on the amount
contributed to the state through funding agreements. Within the
next 18 months we expect the CIP to be nearing full commitment of funds
and also have a better understanding of the authority's future contributions
to the state.
What could change the rating -- UP
• Delivery of capital projects on-time and within budget
• Maintenance of DSCRs that exceed forecasted levels. Demonstrated
commitment to financial policies and clarity regarding state payments
that keep debt service coverage above 1.40 times for senior debt
or 1.20 times based on Moody's net revenue calculation, which
includes state payments, once all planned debt is issued
• A build-up of financial liquidity above 400 days cash on
hand
• Improvement of the trajectory of the state's fiscal position
What could change the rating --DOWN
• Lower than 1.4 times DSCR for senior bond or below 1.0
times based on Moody's net revenue calculation which includes payments
to the state (including feeder road payments, TTF, TCP payments
and any other payments) would likely result in a rating downgrade.
• Decreases in transactions due to a slowdown in the state economic
recovery or shifts in user behavior
• Additional exposure to variable rate debt and interest rate derivatives,
and the attendant interest rate, basis, counterparty and termination
risks
• Escalation of capital construction costs that result in increased
debt
OBLIGOR PROFILE
The authority is a body corporate and politic of the State organized and
existing by virtue of the
Act and is a public instrumentality exercising essential governmental
functions. The Authority is
empowered to acquire, construct, maintain, repair,
and operate projects at locations established by law, to fix and
establish tolls for the use of the Turnpike System, and to issue
revenue bonds for its purposes. The turnpike system consists of
the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway. The turnpike
is a limited access toll road that serves as part of the I-95 corridor
linking the major economic centers of the East Coast. It connects
to a major seaport in Newark and Elizabeth, a major airport in Newark,
and the major metropolitan areas surrounding Philadelphia, New York
City, and other employment centers in the state. The Parkway
is a 173-mile limited access toll road with connections in the
south to Route 9 near
Cape May, New Jersey and in the north to the New York State Thruway
at the New York-New Jersey
Border.
LEGAL SECURITY
First lien on net system revenues for the senior lien bonds. The
general resolution requires a debt service reserve sized at maximum annual
interest. Currently the debt service reserve requirement is 100%
cash funded and if all sureties are included the reserve is greater than
current maximum annual debt service; however, two of the surety
providers had their credit ratings withdrawn after strong credit distress.
The rate covenant in the general resolution requires net revenue to be
the greater of the sum of aggregate debt service, maintenance reserve
payments, special project reserve payments, and payments to
the charges fund, or 1.2 times the sum of aggregate debt
service (including net swap payments and unhedged variable rate payments
calculated at the maximum rate).
USE OF PROCEEDS
Proceeds from the Series 2015 E Bonds will be used to pay construction
costs of various projects which are part of the authority's $7
billion capital improvement program for the Turnpike System, make
a deposit into the debt reserve fund, and pay the costs of issuance
of the Series 2015 E Bonds
PRINCIPAL METHODOLOGY
The principal methodology used in this rating was Government Owned Toll
Roads published in October 2012. Please see the Credit Policy page
on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For ratings issued on a program, series or category/class of debt,
this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation
to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series
or category/class of debt or pursuant to a program for which the ratings
are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's
rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider,
this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation
to the rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular
rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the
support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings,
this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation
to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive
rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt,
in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed
prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would
have affected the rating. For further information please see the
ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.
Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit
rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating
review.
Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to
the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued
the rating.
Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.
Kurt Krummenacker
VP - Senior Credit Officer
Public Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Chee Mee Hu
MD - Project Finance
Public Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Moody's assigns A3 to New Jersey Turnpike Authority's Series 2015E revenue bonds; outlook remains positive