The NJ Bike and Walk Coalition manages the Montclair Bike Depot at NJ TRANSIT’s Bay St Station.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is now accepting applications for State Aid grants to counties and municipalities for traditional and nontraditional transportation initiatives.
SafeRoutesNJ has done a nice summary of the State Aid categories that can fund bike and pedestrian improvements.
Applications are due February 3, 2017.
Local Aid and Infrastructure Program
All municipalities in New Jersey are eligible to apply for this popular program. NJDOT would like to see 10 percent of these funds go for bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements. Nearly of all these funds normally go to resurfacing or reconstructing local streets. I suspect that bike and pedestrian projects have a decent shot at being funded. Even if your municipality is determined to supplement their paving budget, it doesn’t hurt to ask for the inclusion of painting bike lanes.
Many towns will apply, but only a select few will be chosen. When Governor Whitman first rolled out this program in 2000, this was a $7 million dollar fund. Now the program limps along at about $1 million. Our advice to municipalities is to apply for a project that has regional significance (such as a piece of the Circuit Trails).
Hey Collingswood, Riverside, Burlington City and West Windsor Township: NJDOT has got a pot of money just for you! These are (or were) proactive enough to qualify for Transit Village designation. Do you want a high quality bike parking facility at your train station? How about bike lanes or traffic calming?
Not to be confused with Transit Village. The criteria is similar but this funding is restricted to pedestrian improvements. Any municipality can apply for this. It is also over subscribed/under funded. Traffic calming projects are great candidates if you are thinking on the multimodal level.
Special Consideration for Complete Streets Compliance:
Municipalities that have an adopted complete streets resolution and evidence of an implementation plan get special consideration for the Bikeways and Safe Streets to Transit programs.