NJDOT Opens Applications for $165 Million in FY24 Grants for Municipal Aid, Transit Village, Bikeways, and Safe Streets to Transit Programs

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) has announced the opening of the grant solicitation period for its Fiscal Year 2024 State Aid programs. Starting April 26, applications will be accepted for Municipal Aid, Transit Village, Bikeway, and Safe Streets to Transit programs, with a total of nearly $165 million in grants available. The application period runs through July 1, 2023, and grant awards are expected to be announced in November.

NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said, “The New Jersey Department of Transportation is committed to improving local roads and bridges by providing financial assistance, technical expertise, and training for municipal and county transportation initiatives.” She added that the grants enable cities and towns to make necessary safety and quality-of-life improvements without impacting local property taxes.

The grant cycles are designed to allow municipalities to incorporate awarded projects into their upcoming budgets, ensuring that essential infrastructure projects proceed promptly. 

The grant programs available are as follows:

• Municipal Aid: This program provides $161.25 million in funding, including an additional $10 million in Urban Aid, for local transportation projects. Municipalities are encouraged to consider projects that support walking and biking safety.

• Transit Village: Open to municipalities designated as Transit Villages, this $1 million program funds traditional and non-traditional transportation projects enhancing walking, biking, and/or transit ridership within half a mile of the transit facility.

• Bikeways: This $1 million program aims to fund bicycle projects creating new bike path mileage, with a focus on bikeways physically separated from motorized vehicular traffic.

• Safe Streets to Transit: Encouraging counties and municipalities to construct safe and accessible pedestrian linkages to transit facilities, this program offers a total of $1 million in grant awards.

An additional $21.8 million was provided in the FY 2023 State Budget to disperse among these programs, totaling $24.8 million in funds and allowing for more grants and fully funded projects.

The NJDOT Division of Local Aid and Economic Development administers the grants, with the Local Aid Resource Center serving as a central warehouse for local government managers, offering resources for the application process, raising awareness of grant cycles, and proactively communicating program information.

For more information about Local Aid programs, visit www.njdotlocalaidrc.com, call 609-649-9395, or email DOT-LocalAID.ResourceCenter@dot.nj.gov.