(Trenton) – Governor Phil Murphy today announced $2.6 million in FY2025 Transit Village grants to assist eight municipalities advance development projects that will improve the quality-of-life in five counties.
The Transit Village Program is a multi-agency smart growth initiative, in which municipalities that have transit facilities within their borders can seek to be designated as a Transit Village by developing plans for dense, mixed-use redevelopment that includes housing near their transit facility. The facility can service commuter rail, bus, ferry, or light rail. The initiative creates incentives to revitalize areas around transit stations to create attractive, vibrant, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods where people can live, shop, work and play without relying on automobiles.
“Investing in transit-oriented development revitalizes commuter hubs, promotes walkable neighborhoods, and generates economic growth,” said Governor Murphy. “These Transit Village grants will bolster communities by funding projects near transit facilities. By investing in transit-oriented projects, we will advance the revitalization of neighborhoods and improve quality of life, creating new job opportunities for families and commuters.”
“The New Jersey Department of Transportation and NJ TRANSIT are committed to working together to develop the public transportation system of the future,” NJDOT Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Chair Fran O’Connor said. “Under Governor Murphy and the Legislature’s leadership, the extra funds allocated to the Transit Village program will help modernize and redevelop areas within walking distance of our transit facilities to better serve New Jersey residents and visitors.”
Traditionally, there is $1 million available each year for Transit Village grants. This year, an additional $16 million was appropriated for Grants-in-Aid programs, specifically for the Transit Village Program, the Safe Streets to Transit Program, and for Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities/Accommodations. Of the $16 million, $1.6 million was provided for the Transit Village Program.
There are 35 municipalities in the Transit Village program. Among the benefits of the Transit Village designation are coordination among the state agencies that make up the Transit Village Task Force, priority funding and technical assistance from some state agencies, and enhanced eligibility for grants.
Each municipality with a Transit Village designation may submit one application for funding. Applications must be for projects located within one-half mile of the transit facility. The projects are awarded on a competitive basis taking into consideration proximity to a transit facility, walkability, bicycling, project need and equity criteria to benefit low-income and minority populations. Click here to see a list of the eight municipalities receiving FY2025 Transit Village grants totaling $2.6 million.
The Transit Village Program, as well as other Local Aid state-funded grant programs, benefits residents by enabling local governments to significantly reduce or eliminate reliance on local property tax dollars to support their projects. For NJDOT news follow us on X (Twitter) @NewJerseyDOT, on the NJDOT Facebook page, or Instagram @NewJersey.DOT.