2024 Municipal Transportation Forum Held at County College of Morris

Second Annual Avenues in Motion Forum Focused on Transportation Safety

Morris County Commissioner Deputy Director Stephen Shaw provided opening remarks at the second annual Avenues in Motion Municipal Transportation Forum held this week at the County College of Morris.

The forum addressed transportation safety at the local level, inviting experts and agency representatives to collaborate with municipal officials and others involved in municipal transportation projects and decision-making on how to implement improvements, generate community buy-in and support, and ultimately make streets safer for all users.

Deputy Director Shaw, who also serves as Secretary of the North Jersey Transportation Authority (NJTPA), presented some updates on NJTPA programs and initiatives.

“The NJTPA sponsors and conducts studies, assists county planning agencies, and monitors compliance with national air quality goals. Our Long Range 2050 plan will enable us to handle the unprecedented funding that we have flowing through NJTPA with the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Believe it or not, that $1.2 trillion-dollar program will be at the midpoint this May, and discussions are taking place now about reauthorization,” said Deputy Director Shaw.

The themes inherent to NJTPA Plan 2050 -- Transportation, People, and Opportunity-- signify the goal of investing wisely to improve the roads, rails, and other infrastructure. These themes shape investments to meet the needs of transportation users and support a thriving, sustainable regional economy that benefits all.

The NJTPA Board of Trustees adopted Plan 2050 on September 13, 2021, under the leadership of then-NJTPA Chair and County Commissioner Kathy DeFillippo. DeFillippo retired in 2022 and was recently honored with the 2024 Alex Decroce Public Service Award at the annual Morris County Chamber Legislative Luncheon.

The NJTPA is the federally authorized Metropolitan Planning Organization for seven million people in the 13-county northern New Jersey region. The region has 384 of the state's 564 municipalities. Each year, the NJTPA oversees more than $3 billion in transportation improvement projects and provides a forum for interagency cooperation and public input.

The 2024 Municipal Transportation Forum also included a panel about improving safety through strategic partnerships to implement low or no-cost initiatives that involve the community in placemaking projects to promote safe streets. This was followed by a conversation about a national framework called the “Safe System Approach” that has been supported by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Deputy Director Shaw thanked Dan Callas, President of Avenues in Motion, for the invitation to speak at today’s forum!