State officials have announced that 95 percent of New Jersey municipalities will receive Municipal Aid grant awards totaling $161.25 million this year.
A total of 537 municipalities across the state are receiving grants to advance road, bridge, safety and quality-of-life improvements in an effort to continue the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) Commitment to Communities’ efforts, according to a press release.
“Supporting New Jersey’s communities through funding for infrastructure maintenance and renewal is a core component of good government, and stands at the top of this Administration’s priorities,” Gov. Phil Murphy said.
“The Murphy Administration maintains its commitment to communities by providing municipalities the resources to make important safety, infrastructure and quality-of-life improvements without burdening local property taxpayers,” DOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said.
The following municipalities will receive funding, according to the announcement:
• Allentown, improvements to Pondview Drive, $225,000
• Colts Neck, improvements to Bucks Mill Road, Phase II, $290,000
• Englishtown, Hamilton Street reconstruction, $150,000
• Farmingdale, 2019 road improvement program, $225,000
• Freehold Borough, Bannard Street road improvements, $250,000
• Freehold Township, Iron Bridge Road, Phase I, $240,000
• Howell, Howell Road, $250,000
• Jackson, improvements to Brewers Bridge Road, Phase III, $375,000
• Manalapan, resurfacing of Gordons Corner Road, FY2019, $225,000
• Marlboro, 2019 road improvement program, $300,000
• Millstone Township, improvements to Disbrow Hill Road, Phase II, $225,000
• Upper Freehold Township, Jonathan Holmes Road, Phase II, $225,000
Local legislators Assemblyman Ron Dancer and Assemblyman Rob Clifton said 13 municipalities in the 12th Legislative District will receive more than $3.1 million.
“The roads have taken a beating from another unpredictable New Jersey winter,” said Dancer (R-Monmouth, Ocean, Middlesex, Burlington). “This is welcome news. The badly needed state investment will help maintain the roads without burdening local property taxpayers with another costly expense.”
“Local commuters and families will benefit from these important road projects,” said Clifton (R-Monmouth, Ocean, Middlesex, Burlington). “The improvements will increase safety, patch potholes, enhance drainage and pave roads traveled daily by people in our district.”
The competitive Municipal Aid grant program attracted 681 applications from 544 municipalities with a total of $377 million in work. Project applications are evaluated and rated on their merits by an independent panel of New Jersey municipal engineers with the support of the DOT, according to the press release.
This process resulted in 538 awards to 537 municipalities. The 2016 Transportation Trust Fund renewal has made it possible to continue to award more than double the dollar value for the second straight year ($78.75 million to $161.25 million) and increase the number of recipients, according to the press release.
Applicants for Municipal Aid grants this year were submitted to the DOT by October 2018. Within the Municipal Aid program there are seven project categories eligible for funding: Road Preservation; Road Safety; Quality of Life; Mobility; Bikeway; Pedestrian Safety; and Bridge Preservation, according to the press release.
