Municipalities applied for over $20 million in grant funding for Safe Routes to School (SRTS) and the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) in 2014, and the recipients of the grants have been announced. In actuality, over $23 million in grant funding was awarded to 52 municipalities – 28 TAP grant recipients totaling $17 million and 24 SRTS grant recipients totaling $6 million. These federally funded programs are administered by NJDOT in partnership with the three Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) in New Jersey – North Jersey Transportation Authority (NJTPA), Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) and South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization (SJTPO).
The following municipalities will be receiving SRTS GRANTS in order to improve bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and enable and encourage children in grades K-8 to walk and bike to school:
Sponsor |
Municipality |
Project Name |
Award Amount |
Garfield City |
Garfield City |
Garfield School Safety Project (Phase 2) |
$455,000 |
River Edge Borough |
River Edge Borough |
River Edge School Safety Improvements |
$315,000 |
Oakland Borough |
Oakland Borough |
Oakland School Safety Project at Heights
|
$290,000 |
Englewood City |
Englewood City |
Tenafly Road and Durie Avenue Intersection
|
$241,000 |
Tenafly Borough |
Tenafly Borough |
Stillman School Sidewalk and Parking
|
$146,000 |
Maplewood Township |
Maplewood Township |
Clinton Elementary School Traffic Circulation
|
$350,000 |
Metuchen Borough |
Metuchen Borough |
Crosswalk Lighting Improvements |
$192,000 |
Highland Park
|
Highland Park
|
Highland Park Bartle School Safe Routes to
|
$69,000 |
Middlesex Borough |
Middlesex Borough |
Middlesex Boro Safe Routes to Parker School, Hazlewood School, Watchung/Von E Mauger School |
$330,000 |
Manasquan Borough |
Manasquan Borough |
Pedestrian Sidewalk Improvements |
$225,000 |
Chatham Township |
Chatham Township |
Lafayette Avenue and Spring Street Sidewalk Improvements |
$578,000 |
Mine Hill Township |
Mine Hill Township |
Route 46 Sidewalk Improvements |
$332,000 |
Wharton Borough |
Wharton Borough |
Borough of Wharton Safe Routes to School Final Phase |
$100,000 |
Island Heights
|
Island Heights
|
Sidewalks Within 750 feet of the Island Heights
|
$125,000 |
Franklin Borough |
Franklin Borough |
Sidewalk Improvements to County Route 631 |
$330,000 |
Linden City |
Linden City |
Linden School Safety Project |
$200,000 |
Fanwood Borough |
Fanwood Borough |
Fanwood Borough Safe Routes to Schools |
$200,000 |
Southampton Township |
Southampton Township |
Pedestrian Infrastructure Upgrades (Access & Safety) Campus – Schools 1,2,3 |
$92,000 |
Camden City |
Camden City |
Morgan Village Safe Routes to School Project |
$317,200 |
Collingswood Borough |
Collingswood Borough |
Collingswood Safe Routes to School and Traffic Calming |
$241,000 |
Princeton |
Princeton |
Pedestrian Upgrades to Two Harrison Street Traffic Signals |
$300,000 |
Hightstown Borough |
Hightstown Borough |
Improvements to Stockton Street and Joseph Street |
$275,000 |
Vineland City |
Vineland City |
Sabater Elementary Safe Routes to School 2014, Phase 2 |
$275,000.00 |
Cape May City |
Cape May City |
Cape May Bikeway Network Expansion |
$350,000.00 |
The following TAP GRANT recipients were awarded for “non-traditional” projects designed to strengthen the cultural, aesthetic and environmental aspects of the intermodal system:
Sponsor |
Municipality |
Project Name |
Award Amount |
River Edge Borough |
River Edge Borough |
Kinderkamack Road Regional Revitalization Project (Phase 3) including River Edge Road |
$800,000 |
Garfield City |
Garfield City |
Garfield Neighborhood Revitalization Streetscape and Pedestrian Safety Project (Phase 1) |
$800,000 |
Bloomfield Township |
Bloomfield Township |
Lackawanna Transit Station Improvement Project |
$240,000 |
Orange City Township |
Orange City Township |
Highland Avenue Station Rehabilitation Project |
$614,000 |
Essex County |
Maplewood Township,
|
Irvington Avenue Streetscape Improvements |
$850,000 |
South Orange Village
|
South Orange Village
|
South Orange River Greenway and Bicycle Trail (Phase IV) |
$1,000,000 |
Hoboken City |
Hoboken City |
Hoboken Bicycle Network Implementation |
$530,000 |
Lambertville City |
Lambertville City |
Bike Lambertville |
$150,000 |
Flemington Borough |
Flemington Borough |
Main Street Sidewalk and Streetscape
|
$1,000,000 |
Woodbridge Township |
Woodbridge Township |
Woodbridge Bicycle Connect – Woodbridge
|
$688,000 |
Denville Township |
Denville Township |
Broadway Streetscaping Project: Phase II |
$541,000 |
Morris County Park
|
Morristown |
Patriots’ Path on Great Morristown Greenway |
$669,000 |
South Toms River
|
South Toms River
|
Barnegat Branch Trail Extension |
$239,000 |
Barnegat Township |
Barnegat Township |
Barnegat Bike Path Historical Rail
|
$248,000 |
Passaic County |
Little Falls Township,
|
Morris Canal Greenway Browertown Road
|
$450,000 |
Passaic City |
Passaic City |
Market Streetscape Enhancement Project |
$750,000 |
Haledon Borough |
Haledon Borough |
Belmont Avenue Streetscape (Phase 3) |
$620,000 |
South Bound Brook
|
South Bound Brook
|
Historic Canal Bridge Pathway |
$400,000 |
City of Plainfield |
City of Plainfield |
FY’ 2014 Transportation Alternatives Program
|
$594,000 |
Burlington County |
Bordentown Township,Fieldsboro Borough,Florence Township,Mansfield Township |
Delaware River Heritage Trail, Route 130 Bypass, Fieldsboro to Florence Connector Train |
$750,000 |
Delaware River Port Authority |
Camden City |
Benjamin Franklin Bridge South Walkway Bicycle & Pedestrian Ramp Project |
$800,000 |
Pennsauken Township |
Merchantville Borough,Pennsauken Township |
Pennsauken-Merchantville Multi-Use Trail |
$755,000 |
Wenonah Borough |
Wenonah Borough |
Multi-Modal Transportation Improvements to Mantua Ave, from Monroe Ave to Marion Ave |
$900,000 |
Hightstown Borough |
Hightstown Borough |
Peddie Lake Dam Pedestrian Bridge |
$331,000 |
Atlantic City |
Atlantic City |
Atlantic Avenue Improvement Project |
$996,000 |
Somers Point City |
Somers Point City |
Somers Point Bikeway Extension Phase II |
$171,000 |
Egg Harbor City |
Egg Harbor City |
Atlantic Avenue Transit Path Extension |
$296,000 |
Millville City |
Millville City |
Maruice River Bikeway Trail – PHASE V |
$517,000 |
How can schools and municipalities qualify for SRTS grants?
The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program funds projects that 1) enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school, 2) make bicycling and walking a safer and more appealing transportation alternative, and 3) facilitate the development of projects that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution near New Jersey’s primary and middle schools. Although projects can benefit all types of schools, the focus should be on schools with children in grades K-8 and on projects located within two miles of a school.
Any New Jersey county, municipality, school, or school district can apply for funds; however they must demonstrate an ability to meet the conditions of the program. One important requirement is that a full-time employee of the grant recipient must agree to be responsible for the project. The funds will be provided on a reimbursement basis only, so it is critical to ensure money is available for the initial project investment prior to reimbursement. Extra consideration will be given to projects in disadvantaged communities and/or communities with a Complete Streets Policy or School Wellness Policy that supports walking and biking to school. More details about 2015 SRTS grant opportunities and the requirements for applications will be posted soon so check our website frequently at wwwsaferoutesnj.org/funding.
What is a TAP Grant?
TAP funding includes much of what was formally Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School (SRTS) and Recreation Trails funds. The NJDOT and New Jersey’s three MPOs have decided to maintain separate SRTS and Rec Trails programs and solicit applications for all other qualifying projects under TAP.
Any New Jersey local government, school, regional transportation authority, transit agency, natural resource/public land agency and tribal government can apply for funds. Unfortunately, nonprofit organizations are NOT eligible as direct recipients. However, nonprofit organizations may partner with a local public agency that will assume responsibility and administration for the grant. TAP categories can include the following:
- Facilities for bikes and pedestrians
- Landscaping
- Historic preservation and rehabilitation of historic transportation buildings, structures and facilities.
- Preservation of abandoned railroad corridors (including conversion to pedestrian and bike trails)
- Environmental mitigation to address water pollution
- Mitigation to reduce wildlife mortality
- Scenic or historic highway programs, including the provision of tourist and welcome center facilities as well as scenic turnouts, overlooks, and viewing areas,
Previously eligible activities and projects NOT included under TAP are:
- Pedestrian and bicycle safety and education programs
- Acquisition of scenic or historic easements and site
- Establishment of transportation museums
Congratulations to all 2014 grant recipients! A special congratulations to those communities who received Safe Routes to School grants, and thank you for your commitment to safety and making walking and bicycling to school a priority for your community!!
If your application was not funded during this round or if you missed last year’s deadline, there will be future opportunities to apply for SRTS and TAP funding, so please check our website frequently for information on funding at http://www.saferoutesnj.org/funding or sign up to receive our emails and we’ll keep you posted on grants as they become available.