Somerset County Recieves $3.3 Million Grant From Christie Administration

According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation:

The Christie Administration today announced that Somerset County and seven municipalities within the county were awarded $3,259,571 in Local Aid grants to advance street, safety, and quality-of-life improvements without burdening local property taxpayers.

Somerset County will receive $2.9 million in County Aid, and Branchburg, Bridgewater, Bound Brook, Green Brook, Hillsborough, Montgomery, and Somerville will receive Safe Corridor grants worth a combined total of approximately $369,700.

“The Christie Administration understands the importance of Local Aid in helping counties and municipalities improve roads and bridges, without burdening local property taxpayers,” NJDOT Commissioner Jamie Fox said. “Maintaining New Jersey’s roads and bridges in a state of good repair is a priority for the Administration, and these grants help communities do just that.”

The Somerset County grants are part of a package of 79 grants worth $89.8 million announced today under three Local Aid Programs—County Aid, Safe Corridors, and Local Bridges, Future Needs. All of the grants are being funded through the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund and are administered by the NJDOT Division of Local Aid and Economic Development.

County Aid

County Aid funds are appropriated by the Legislature annually for the improvement of public roads and bridges under county jurisdiction. Public transportation and other transportation projects also are included. County Aid funds are apportioned based on population and centerline miles in each county, and each county selects the projects that receive funding. The FY 2015 apportionmentincluded an additional $4 million of supplementary County Aid for a total County Aid allotment of $82.8 million.

Safe Corridors

The Safe Corridor grant program dates to 2003 and targets resources to 14 ten-mile segments along highways that have a history of high crash rates. Grants are supported by fines, which are doubled in designated Safe Corridors for a variety of moving violations, including speeding.

FY 14 Safe Corridors funding is being allocated based on crash data, with higher amounts of funding going to areas demonstrating the greatest need for continued enhanced enforcement measures.

Segments of Route 1, Route 9, Route 22, Route 40, Route 46, Route 47, Route 73 and Route 206 are receiving FY 14 funding.

Grants can be used by municipalities to purchase enforcement equipment including police vehicles, radar equipment, computer hardware and software, and to pay salaries. Here is the complete list of grant recipients, amounts, and Safe Corridor segments for which grants are being awarded.

Local Bridges, Future Needs Program

The Local Bridges, Future Needs Program provides $1 million to each of the 21 counties for the improvement of county bridges and includes an additional $4 million that is awarded on a competitive basis.

The Local Bridges, Future Needs Program grants are supporting projects in Avalon and Sea Isle City (Cape May County); Mount Olive and Hanover (Morris County); Manalapan (Monmouth County); and Paramus (Bergen County). Recipients are receiving grants ranging from $300,000 to $1,000,000.