ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority has awarded Essex County $14.8 million in federal grants to make safety improvements at 31 intersections in Montclair, Orange, East Orange, Newark, Belleville, Irvington, Bloomfield and Maplewood.
“We want everyone to feel safe on our roads whether they’re walking, driving, visiting our local businesses or using public transit,” said Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. , who serves as secretary of the NJTPA board of trustees. “These grants will help us improve safety at some of our most heavily trafficked intersections for pedestrians.”
The improvements will be completed as part of two separate projects.
Traffic signal upgrades, pedestrian countdown signals, high visibility crosswalks and left-turn lanes will be installed, where feasible, at 11 intersections along Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair and nine intersections along Park Avenue in Orange, East Orange and Newark. New traffic signals will be installed on Bloomfield Avenue at Midland Avenue and Seymour Street, and on Park Avenue at Cleveland Street and Mt. Prospect Street. The grant for this project is $9,685,049.
Traffic signal upgrades, pedestrian countdown signals, high visibility crosswalks and left-turn lanes will be installed, where feasible, at 11 intersections on five county roads: Franklin Avenue in Belleville, Springfield Avenue in Irvington, Bloomfield Avenue in Bloomfield, Broadway in Newark and Valley Street in Maplewood. New traffic signals will be installed on Springfield Avenue at Smith and Orange streets, on Broadway at Kearny and Carteret streets, and on Valley Street at Pierson Road. The grant for this project is $5,089,005.
The projects are among 14 throughout the region that the NJTPA board of trustees approved at its Jan. 22 meeting. The Essex County projects are part of the NJTPA’s Local Safety Program, which provides federal funds for cost-effective solutions that can make an immediate impact on their target areas.
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