SOUTH RIVER–The Borough Council approved a resolution supporting an application to Sustainable Jersey’s Complete Streets Technical Assistance Grant Program.
“We are seeking technical assistance to implement numerous ‘proof of concept’ efforts for the complete streets vision we have just begun pushing in the borough. Our hope is to implement small-scale projects to support bicyclists and improve pedestrian life and safety for residents,” Borough Administrator Jack Layne Jr. said.
The council approved the resolution on Aug. 13.
The Complete Streets Technical Assistance Grant Program does not provide funding directly to the municipality but the municipality can receive the value of technical assistance that will not generally exceed $10,000, according to Layne.
Layne said similar programs have been proven effective in other municipalities. This includes experimenting with a pilot program for bike paths, improving crosswalk visibility, and using street paint to narrow roads to make them feel less comfortable to speed upon.
The borough submitted its application in late July and applicants will be contacted by mid-August of this year regarding the status of their applications, according to Layne.
In other news, the council also approved a resolution authorizing CME Associates to provide engineering services for Willett Avenue Phase II, costing $94,737, to provide improvements closer to the intersection of Johnson Place, according to Layne.
“We are taking seriously paving of roads in the borough. We’ve paved seven roads using borough funds over the past two years. We also look for additional funding whenever possible, which means asking for assistance from the state,” Layne said. “The project consisted of the reconstruction of Willett Avenue from Kamm Avenue to the railroad tracks and the replacement of existing and/or the installation of new [Americans with Disabilities Act] ADA accessible curb ramps within the project limits.”
Layne said the borough is in discussions with PSE&G, which has ripped up many of its roads this year to perform maintenance work. The borough is requiring the company to leave roads in as good or better shape as they found them in, so the borough anticipates additional paving in the coming months, he said.
Willett Avenue Phase II is anticipated to begin in the spring of 2019, according to Layne.
Layne said the borough is funding Willett Avenue Phase II’s improvements by the Trust Fund Grant that was awarded by the New Jersey Department of Transportation to the borough.
For more information, visit www.southrivernj.org/municipal_court_main.html.
Contact Vashti Harris at vharris@newspapermediagroup.com.
