Essex to receive $9.7M in grants from NJDOT

TRENTON, NJ — New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti announced Aug. 1 the release of $161.25 million in Fiscal Year 2020 County Aid grants to help make infrastructure improvements on the local level. The grants are funded through the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund, which is supported by the gas tax. Essex County will receive $9,769,002.

“Providing state funding to county and local governments so they can keep their transportation infrastructure in good working condition is of the highest importance,” said acting Gov. Sheila Oliver, who is also commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. “Gov. Murphy and I look forward to continuing to find ways to ensure our travelers and residents can rely on safe and reliable roads and bridges without further burdening local taxpayers.”

The state’s 21 counties will receive a total of $161.25 million through the County Aid program that will help maintain local roads and bridges in a state of good repair. Thousands of motorists travel daily these roads and bridges each day.

“When people ask ‘where does the money from the gas tax go?’ — this is the answer: The majority of these funds go to local government to improve their roads and bridges without burdening local property taxpayers,” NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “County Aid is just one of many programs that demonstrate the Murphy administration’s commitment to our communities by improving infrastructure throughout New Jersey at every level of government.”

County Aid funds are appropriated annually for the improvement of public roads and bridges under county jurisdiction. County Aid funds are apportioned based on population and road mileage in each county, and each county selects the projects that receive funding. Counties are required to submit eligible projects to NJDOT for approval prior to Dec. 1, 2019.

These state funds are available for eligible projects identified in each county’s Annual Transportation Program. Projects may be improvements to public roads and bridges under county jurisdiction, or other transportation related work. Murphy recently signed into law a new schedule for County Aid in which NJDOT must inform counties of their allotments for the current fiscal year by July 31 to help counties better plan future projects.

  Grants, NJDOT, Sheila Oliver