New Jersey awards $35.8M in transportation alternatives grants

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The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), in partnership with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), recently awarded 32 grants totaling $35.8 million under the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TA Set-Aside) program.

The agency received 68 applications requesting approximately $82 million from municipalities in the NJTPA region, a 13-county area in northern New Jersey.

The TA Set-Asides program provides funding to build pedestrian and bicycle facilities, create safe routes to school, create trail projects, improve access to transportation, preserve historic transportation structures, and provide environmental mitigation.

Municipalities are responsible for implementing their projects.

NJDOT administers the program in partnership with NJTPA, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, and the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization.

“As part of NJDOT’s Commitment to Communities, we work with the three regional planning authorities to provide federal funding to counties and municipalities for local transportation projects that improve safety and strengthen the cultural, aesthetic, and environmental aspects of our transportation system,” NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “The grants announced today will fund projects to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists in 32 North Jersey communities without having to impact local property taxes.”

Grants are awarded every two years.

Projects in eligible communities received additional technical assistance and additional points during the scoring process.