Municipal aid applications for NJDOT being accepted for nearly $165 million in FY21 grants

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is now accepting grant applications for its Fiscal Year 2021 state aid programs, including municipal aid as well as the Transit Village, Bikeway and Safe Streets to Transit programs.

Applications will be accepted April 13 through July 1.

“Municipal aid grants provide funding to our cities and towns to make needed road, bridge, safety and quality-of-life improvements on local roads,” said NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “These grants, along with funds provided through our Transit Village, Bikeway and Safe Streets to Transit programs, help maintain the state’s comprehensive transportation network in a state of good repair and demonstrate the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Commitment to Communities.”

In 2019, NJDOT shifted the grant cycle to better allow municipalities to incorporate awarded projects into upcoming municipal budgets. This provides more certainty for local governments and helps get important infrastructure projects to construction sooner. Grant awards are expected to be announced in November.

The following is a brief description of each grant program:

• Municipal Aid - This $151.25 million program has been a significant resource in funding local transportation projects. All municipalities are eligible. The department says it continues to encourage municipalities to consider using the Municipal Aid Program to fund projects that support walking and biking in their communities, especially now that additional funds are available. An additional $10 million is provided in Urban Aid for a total of $161.25 million.
• Transit Village - This program will award grants totaling $1 million for traditional and non-traditional transportation projects that enhance walking, biking and/or transit ridership within a half mile of the transit facility. Only New Jersey municipalities that have been designated as Transit Villages by the Commissioner of Transportation and the inter-agency Transit Village Task Force are eligible to apply.
• Bikeways - This $1 million program is intended to fund bicycle projects that create new bike path mileage. It is available to all counties and municipalities. The department continues to work toward the goal of achieving 1,000 miles of dedicated bikeways in New Jersey. Special consideration will be given to bikeways that are physically separated from motorized vehicular traffic by an open space or barrier, but on-road bike lanes and other bike routes and facilities are also eligible for funding.
• Safe Streets to Transit - The intent of this program is to encourage counties and municipalities to construct safe and accessible pedestrian linkages to transit facilities, in order to promote increased usage of transit by all segments of the population. A total of $1 million is available for grant awards.

The grants are administered by the NJDOT Division of Local Aid and Economic Development. The Local Aid Resource Center, created last year, provides one-stop shopping for local government managers by providing hands-on resources for the application process, raising awareness of grant cycles and proactively communicating program information.