New Jersey awards $3.8 million for transit-oriented developments
(The Center Square) – New Jersey is seeking to encourage residents to use mass transportation by dishing out more than $3.8 million in municipal grants. The grants will be used to advance transit-oriented development projects.
State officials say the fiscal 2022 grants – awarded to 14 municipalities in nine counties – in total represent the largest grant funding awarded the Transit Village Program in a single year.
In an announcement, New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ Transit Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said communities can use the money “to fund projects that promote economic growth near rail and bus stations.” Typically, $1 million is available annually for the grant program.
“Making our state more pedestrian-friendly and accessible via public transit, this funding enables important transit village initiatives that will help protect the environment and envision better ways to design more convenient and walkable communities,” Assemblyman Daniel Benson, D-Mercer/Middlesex, said in a statement.
Grants range from $16,000 for bike safety improvements at the Metuchen NJ Transit station to $450,000 to replace antiquated traffic lights at an intersection in Elizabeth to $650,000 for the third phase of the village green pedestrian safety project in Summit.
Under the multi-agency Transit Village program, municipalities develop mixed-use redevelopment plans. The grants are supposed to help the municipalities lessen their reliance on local property taxes for the projects.
Disclaimer: This content is distributed by The Center Square
