NJDOT Announces $18.7 million in Federal Grants to Improve Local Transportation
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside grants will help municipalities in North Jersey
(Trenton) – The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), in partnership with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) and the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization (SJTPO), today announced eight grants totaling $18.7 million as part of the 2024 Regional Transportation Alternatives Program (RTA Set Aside).
“The New Jersey Department of Transportation is committed to advancing Governor Murphy’s vision of a safe transportation system that accommodates all users – whether they are pedestrians, bicyclists, or mobility-impaired,” NJDOT Commissioner Fran O’Connor said. “These grants use federal funding for larger pedestrian safety and bikeway projects that will improve the quality of life for all.”
The competitive RTA Set Aside program was initiated by NJDOT to provide funding opportunities for projects that cost more than $1.5 million and would have difficulty securing funding through other competitive Local Aid programs. The RTA Set Aside Program uses federal funds for non-traditional surface transportation projects. NJDOT has chosen to focus on projects that design and build pedestrian, bicycle, and other non motorized facilities; convert abandoned rail facilities to trails; construction of scenic overlooks; streetscaping projects; preservation of historic transportation structures; environmental mitigation related to stormwater management; and projects that reduce wildlife collisions or maintain connectivity for animal habit.
The eight grants totaling $18.7 million include funding for one NJTPA project totaling $1.5 million; five DVRPC projects totaling $12.25 million; and two SJTPO projects totaling $4.97 million. For a list of the grants, click here.
The RTA Set Aside Program is a partnership with New Jersey’s three Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) – NJTPA, DVRPC, and SJTPO. The NJTPA is a 13-county region in northern New Jersey, which includes Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren counties; the DVRPC is a nine-county region, which includes five counties in Pennsylvania and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer counties in New Jersey; and SJTPO is a four-county region in southern New Jersey, which includes Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem counties.
Projects were assessed by a selection committee comprised of representatives from NJDOT Local Aid, NJDOT Bureau of Environmental Program Resources, NJTPA, DVRPC and SJTPO. Each individual municipality is responsible for implementing their Transportation Alternative Set-Aside projects. For further details on a specific project, we recommend reaching out to the municipality.
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For more information about Local Aid programs go to www.njdotlocalaidrc.com; email DOT [email protected] or call 609.649.9395. For real-time travel information, check NJDOT's traffic information website www.511nj.org, and for NJDOT news follow us on X (Twitter) @NewJerseyDOT, on the NJDOT Facebook page, or Instagram @NewJersey.DOT.