CINNAMINSON, NJ — Cinnaminson will receive a $245,000 grant from the state for its 2020 Road Program, Gov. Phil Murphy announced this week. The grant is part of a total of $161.25 million in municipal aid grant to be distributed statewide for 2020.
These are the first awards being made under the new Municipal Aid grant cycle that better aligns with the state’s construction season and municipal budget cycles. Cinnaminson’s application was among 542 municipalities that were awarded a grant out of 546 that submitted a total of 661 applications.
Project applications are evaluated and rated on their merits by NJDOT Local Aid staff and an independent panel of New Jersey municipal engineers review the Local Aid recommendations. This process resulted in 545 awards to 542 municipalities. To see the list of grants, click here.
Under the Municipal Aid grant program, each county is apportioned a share of the total funding based on population and the number of local centerline miles. Municipalities compete for portions of their county’s share.
NJDOT provides 75 percent of the grant amount when a town awards a contract and the remaining 25 percent upon completion of the project. Of the $161.25 million, there is $10 million allotted for municipalities qualifying for urban aid under state law, with the amounts determined by the Department of Community Affairs.
There are seven project categories within the Municipal Aid program eligible for funding: roadway preservation, roadway safety, quality of life, mobility, bikeway, pedestrian safety, and bridge preservation. The grant Cinnaminson was awarded was a Roadway Preservation Grant.
Past performance in connection with timely award of projects and construction close-out factor were part of the evaluation of the proposals. When evaluating applications, NJDOT also verifies if the municipality has adopted Complete Streets policies. Complete Streets policies, establishes guidelines that require consideration be given to pedestrians and bicyclists when local transportation projects are being planned, designed, and built.
The latest round of grants brings the total amount of grants the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) has given to local governments during the first 18 months of the Murphy Administration to $1.2 billion, according to officials.
“Our administration sought to deliver a fairer approach to how government does business and this round of grants will, in the third straight year, reach more municipalities than in the previous fiscal year,” Murphy said. “In addition, in the spring the Department of Transportation announced it was accelerating the Fiscal Year 2020 Municipal Aid grant cycle so we could make the awards months earlier than in years past to help municipalities better plan important infrastructure projects. Today, by awarding grants to 542 municipalities in the state, nearly 96 percent of all cities and towns in New Jersey will be poised to break ground as the construction season begins.”
In May, NJDOT announced an accelerated FY20 Municipal Aid grant cycle to make awards in November each year, rather than in the spring as was done in past years. The vast majority of towns and cities operate on a fiscal year running from January 1 through December 31. Knowing the amount of Municipal Aid before the fiscal year begins helps municipalities better determine which projects will move forward that year.
“Accelerating the Municipal Aid grant award cycle this year is an example of the Murphy Administration’s commitment to listening to communities and delivering on our promise,” NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “This change, along with NJDOT’s new Local Aid Resource Center, are making a real difference in providing municipalities the resources to improve safety and increase the reliability of the State’s transportation system at all levels of government.”
NJDOT also created a Local Aid Resource Center this year to support local public agencies, fulfilling a pledge to offer proactive assistance. The Resource Center assists communities with project planning, grant applications, project delivery, and guidance through the federal grant process by offering customized in-person training sessions, webinars, a library of YouTube videos, and a dedicated telephone hotline to receive technical assistance, officials said.