Governor Unveils $161 million in Municipal Aid Grants

TRENTON – Gov. Phil Murphy announced the largest amount of Municipal Aid grant awards in New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) history Feb. 21.
Cape May County’s municipalities shared $2.76 million of the total.
He credited the recent gas tax increase with more than doubling the amount of funds for local road and bridge safety improvement projects, according to a release.
County municipalities, project, and grand award are:
Avalon, reconstruction of 35th Street, $160,000.
Cape May, reconstruction of Pennsylvania Avenue, $156,000.
Cape May Point, Ocean, Pavilion and Central avenues, $175,000.
Dennis Township, reconstruction of Academy Road, $170,000.
Lower Township, reconstruction of Georgia and Alabama avenues and Main Street, $175,000.
Middle Township, reconstruction of Atlantic Avenue, $190,000.
North Wildwood, reconstruction of East 17th Avenue, $175,000.
Ocean City, 12th Street paving, and safety improvement, $190,000.
Sea Isle City, resurfacing of Pleasure Avenue, $149,143.
Stone Harbor, reconstruction of 92nd Street, $180,000.
Upper Township, reconstruction of Bayview Drive, Phase 3, $175,000.
West Cape May, reconstruction of Leaming Avenue, $160,000.
West Wildwood, reconstruction of Poplar Avenue, $156,000.
Wildwood, reconstruction of Cedar Avenue, $190,000.
Wildwood Crest, reconstruction of Newark Avenue, Phase 2, $185,000.
Woodbine, reconstruction of Sumner Avenue, $175,000.
More than $161 million is being awarded in Fiscal Year 2018 to 505 New Jersey communities. Last year, $78.75 million in Municipal Aid grants were distributed to 364 municipalities.
Those grants will enable the majority of towns across the state to advance road, bridge, safety, and quality-of-life improvements without relying on local property taxes to complete the work.
“The renewal of the Transportation Trust Fund made it possible to more than double the size of the grant program from $78.75 million in 2017 to $161.25 million in 2018,” Murphy stated. “These funds are instrumental in allowing each municipality to maintain its local roads and bridges in a state of good repair. Providing Municipal Aid grants to nearly 90 percent of our towns and cities is truly historic and demonstrates our commitment to relieve pressure on local property taxpayers.”
Out of the 565 municipalities in New Jersey, 532 submitted grant applications with 505 receiving an award. There were 33 municipalities that did not submit a grant application. Those municipalities that did not receive an award may be considered for other opportunities to make transportation improvements in their communities.
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.