New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Acting Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti announced the launch of the department's Commitment to Communities Initiative to ensure local governments succeed in delivering transportation projects that improve the quality of life for those traveling in and through New Jersey.

“The success of the recently reauthorized Transportation Trust Fund will largely be determined by the partnership between local governments selecting the right projects and NJDOT helping them to deliver their increased capital programs,” Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “Local governments now have significantly more grant money available for projects they believe most benefit their communities. I want to help them succeed. Transparency, two-way communications and assistance in the application process will go a long way to ensure the TTF reauthorization is fruitful.”

As part of the Commitment to Communities Initiative, NJDOT will host a series of grant application workshops in advance of the opening of the grant applications solicitations for the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program and the Transportation Alternatives Set-Asides (TA-Setasides). Both of these programs are federally-funded and have awarded millions of dollars to towns in New Jersey.

“As a department, we have a responsibility to make sure counties and municipalities are effectively using the federal and state grants available for transportation safety and improvement projects,” Scaccetti said. “These workshops will help local government know about upcoming grant application opportunities, provide project eligibility requirements, and most importantly, will provide training on how to apply for these grants.”

Both programs are administered by NJDOT, in partnership with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) and the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization (SJTPO).

The grant solicitation period for SRTS and TA-Setasides opened on May 15 with applications accepted through Aug. 23. NJDOT is offering workshops across the state that will provide tips and strategies for applying for federal and state grants, and highlight successful bicycle and pedestrian projects in New Jersey.

Information on the workshops can be found at www.saferoutesnj.org.

Workshop dates and locations:

• May 21, 2018 at 10 a.m.: Edward J. Bloustein School, New Brunswick
• May 23, 2018 at 10 a.m.: Cumberland County College, Vineland
• May 30, 2018 at 10 a.m.: NJDOT Headquarters, Trenton
• June 5, 2018 at 10 a.m.: NJTPA Training Room, Newark

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is a program geared toward enabling and encouraging children to walk and bicycle to school. SRTS facilitates the planning, development and implementation of projects that improve safety and air quality, as well as reduce traffic and fuel consumption around schools. Projects should be located near K – 8 schools.

The Transportation Alternatives Set-Asides (TA-Setaside) provides federal funds for community based “non-traditional” surface transportation projects designed to strengthen the cultural, aesthetic, and environmental aspects of the nation's intermodal system.

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