Gov. Murphy Announces $161 Million in Grants for NJ Municipalities

November 23, 2020 by Sara Wilkerson
Gov. Murphy Announces $161 Million in Grants for NJ Municipalities
The approach to the Goethals Bridge in New York. (Photo by Dan McCue)

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy recently announced that the New Jersey Department of Transportation will be awarding $161.25 million in municipal aid grants to advance road, bridge, safety, and quality-of-life improvements. Over 540 cities and towns throughout the state will benefit from the grant funds. 

“These grants are further demonstration of the partnership between my administration and our communities to build a stronger, safer, and more modern transportation network,” said Murphy. 

“In a state as densely populated as New Jersey, where our interconnectedness is a strength, these vital investments will increase safety, foster mobility, and improve the quality-of-life for New Jerseyans statewide,” continued Murphy. 

The Municipal Aid program under NJDOT received 635 applications from 549 different municipalities, with a total of $342 million requested. Applications for the municipal grants were reviewed by state municipal engineers and NJDOT staff after the July 1, 2020 application deadline. 

For those seeking municipal aid funding, there were seven categories that they could apply for funding under: roadway preservation, roadway safety, quality of life, mobility, bikeway, pedestrian safety, and bridge preservation. 

Counties were evaluated based on their population, the number of centerline miles within county lines, as well as their past performances in connection with the timely award of projects and construction close-out factors. 

On a municipality level, municipalities compete with others in their county for shares of the grant aid. NJDOT provides 75% of the grant amount when a town awards a contract and the remaining 25% upon completion of the project. 

As part of the evaluations, NJDOT also determines if municipalities within the applying counties have adopted a Complete Streets policy, which is a policy that, according to NJDOT, “requires that future roadway improvement projects include safe accommodations for all users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, transit riders and the mobility-impaired.” 

Of the 543 municipalities receiving aid, 193 municipalities will receive allocations from the $62,643,780 that is reserved specifically for those with a Complete Streets policy. 

Besides the Complete Streets policy, municipalities can also qualify for Urban Aid within the municipal grant program as defined under state law, with the amounts determined by the Department of Community Affairs. Approximately $10 million of the total $161 million will be allocated for municipalities who qualify. 

Funding for the municipal aid program was made possible through the state’s Transportation Trust Fund, which, according to the New Jersey State League of Municipalities website, “provides the opportunity for [New Jersey] state assistance to local governments for the funding of road, bridge, and other transportation projects.” 

The TTF recently renewed its funding to aid the state government in providing the municipal grants back in 2016, doubling its funding from $78.75 million to the $161.25 million given out this year. Additionally, the TTF and NJDOT have increased the number of municipalities receiving grants from about 370 a year prior to the TTF renewal to 543 municipalities this year. 

“The Murphy administration maintains its commitment to communities by providing municipalities the resources to make important safety, infrastructure, and quality-of-life improvements without burdening local property taxpayers,” NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti stated. 

“We were pleased to award grants to nearly every municipality in New Jersey,” added Gutierrez-Scaccetti. 

A+
a-
  • funding
  • infrastructure
  • New Jersey
  • NJDOT
  • Phil Murphy
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    State News

    July 1, 2025
    by Dan McCue
    Allred Launches Senate Bid Aiming for Cornyn Seat

    WASHINGTON — Former Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, the former professional football player who ran a spirited but ultimately unsuccessful bid... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Former Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, the former professional football player who ran a spirited but ultimately unsuccessful bid to oust Sen. Ted Cruz last year, launched a new Senate campaign Tuesday, hoping to claim the seat currently held by Republican John Cornyn. Allred, who... Read More

    June 10, 2025
    by Katelyn Sims
    Lawmakers Fear ‘Chaos’ Caused by Tariffs Will ‘Decimate’ Retirees’ Savings

    WASHINGTON — Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., have written a letter to Trump administration officials expressing their... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., have written a letter to Trump administration officials expressing their fear that the “economic chaos” stemming from the president’s tariff policy will “decimate retirees’ savings.” Compounding their concerns, they wrote, is the administration’s taking a “wrecking... Read More

    April 13, 2025
    by Beth McCue
    Colorado Warms to Geothermal Energy, Awards $14.4M in Project Funding

    DENVER, Colo. — “The heat beneath our feet.” That’s how Colorado Gov. Jared Polis referred to geothermal energy when he... Read More

    DENVER, Colo. — “The heat beneath our feet.” That’s how Colorado Gov. Jared Polis referred to geothermal energy when he made his recent announcement of $14.4 million in funding to support geothermal heating projects in his state. The funding from the Geothermal Energy Grant Program and Geothermal... Read More

    Supreme Court Rejects Republican-led Effort to Halt Climate Change Lawsuits in Democratic-led states

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a lawsuit from Republican attorneys general in 19 states aimed at blocking climate change suits... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a lawsuit from Republican attorneys general in 19 states aimed at blocking climate change suits against the oil and gas industry from Democratic-led states. The justices acted on an unusual Republican effort to file suit in the Supreme Court over the... Read More

    Trump's Celebration of American Greatness Puts a Spotlight on a Little-Known Panel of Experts

    Within hours of taking office, President Donald Trump outlined in one of his many executive orders a mission to celebrate... Read More

    Within hours of taking office, President Donald Trump outlined in one of his many executive orders a mission to celebrate American greatness and to recognize those who have made contributions throughout history. He jumpstarted the effort by ordering the name of North America’s tallest peak to be changed... Read More

    Georgia Islanders Rushed to Rescue Survivors After Dock Walkway Collapsed Killing Seven

    SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Orange life jackets bobbed in the water, where bystanders rushed to form a human chain for passing... Read More

    SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Orange life jackets bobbed in the water, where bystanders rushed to form a human chain for passing survivors to safety. Others shouldered the task of wrapping bodies in blankets and carrying them to shore. The frantic scene after an aluminum gangway collapsed Saturday at a... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top