$135K Grant Will Help Extension Of Union Trail In East Windsor: Officials

EAST WINDSOR TOWNSHIP, NJ — East Windsor Township has been awarded a $135,000 grant to extend the Union Transportation Trail, township officials announced on Monday. The grant from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission is for the planning and design of an extension, which would run from the current terminus at the Mercer/Monmouth County line near Route 539 (Old York Road) across the NJ Turnpike and extend to Airport Road near the intersection with Route 33.

The total extension would be 3.5 miles. It would commence at the point where the existing Monmouth County trail ends in the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area at the Mercer/Monmouth County line near the intersection of Old York Road and Sharon Road. The new trail extension would continue through the southeastern portion of East Windsor, following an existing off-road Jersey Central Power and Light right-of-way for a majority of the route.

The trail would then run for an about a quarter of mile on the road along Windsor Perrineville Road which has an existing shoulder and sidewalk to cross over the NJ Turnpike near Turnpike Park, and ultimately connect to Airport Road near Route 33. Additionally, short connector spurs could connect the UTT to the existing township “Turnpike Park” and Woods Road Community Park.

“We are grateful to the DVRPC and the William Penn Foundation for this grant for the Union Transportation Trail extension, which furthers an exciting regional recreational project linking Mercer County to Monmouth County, Burlington County and Ocean County, to extend a popular bicycling and hiking trail,” Mayor Janice S. Mironov said. “The proposed trail also will create a valuable and fun interconnect within East Windsor, enabling bicycling and walking across a significant land segment in the southeast quadrant of the township and connecting to several existing municipal public parks and trails.“

The project was included in the recently released Township 2016 Bicycle and Pedestrian Circulation Study, undertaken with support from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) study program.
With the extension, the UTT system would run for over 12 miles down to Ocean County/Monmouth County line near Crosswicks Creek Park. The DVRPC Regional Trails Program, administered by DVRPC with funding from the William Penn Foundation, aims to catalyze investment in the region’s multi-use trail network, the Circuit Trails, through targeted priority trail planning, design and construction projects.

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