The New Jersey Department of Transportation recently awarded $161.25 million to 541 cities and towns statewide through the Municipal Aid grant program for fiscal year 2022.
The department provides 75 percent of a grant amount when a municipality awards a contract and provides the remaining 25 percent upon completion of the project.
Grants were awarded in seven project categories: bikeway, bridge preservation, mobility, pedestrian safety, quality of life, roadway preservation, and roadway safety.
Municipalities compete for portions of their county’s share of funds. Each county is apportioned a share of the total funding based on population and the number of local centerline miles.
A total of $10 million was allotted for municipalities qualifying for Urban Aid, with the Department of Community Affairs determining the amounts.
The program received 625 applications from 547 municipalities seeking $363 million through July 1. The department and an independent panel of New Jersey municipal engineers reviewed the applications.
Past performance in connection with the timely award of projects and construction close-out factors were considered during the evaluation process.
Municipalities were required to adopt a Complete Streets policy that establishes guidelines for when local transportation projects are being planned, designed, and built to consider pedestrians and bicyclists.