Mercer County Gets $2.3M Grant To Add More Bike Routes

PRINCETON, NJ — Mercer County recently received a $2.365 million federal grant to help create more bicycle routes in the county.

The Regional Transportation Alternatives Program grant was issued by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). It will be used to design and construct the Mercer County Great Western Bikeway, a bicycle route along County Route 546 — variously known as Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Pennington-Lawrenceville Road and Franklin Corner Road — and several of its approaches that seeks to maximize connectivity to the existing trail and bike network in the County.

"This project will provide bicycle access to many neighborhoods and recreational facilities in Ewing, Hopewell Township, Pennington and Lawrence," County Executive Brian M. Hughes said. "We’ve seen the creation of numerous walking and biking trails in Mercer County, such as the immensely popular Lawrence-Hopewell Trail, and this bikeway will further expand people’s ability to forgo their cars and safely get around."

The improvements to County Routes 546, 611 (Scotch Road), 624 (Pennington-Rocky Hill Road) and 640 (North Main Street in Pennington) – which may include on-road bicycle lane markings, two-way cycletracks or multi-use paths adjacent to the roadway — will provide access among Pennington Borough, Ewing Town Center, Ewing Public Library, the Village of Lawrenceville, Brandon Farms, the D&R Canal and Washington Crossing state parks, Mercer Meadows, and the Twin Pines soccer complex, as well as the Johnson Trolley Line Trail, which provides connections to the Lawrence-Hopewell Trail and Lawrence Township’s Village Park.

The county is currently looking to authorize a contract for the design phase of the project.

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