DOT Grant to Begin Smoothing Homestead Road Travels

Hillsborough will receive $205,000 from the New Jersey epartment of Transportation to undertake the first phase of a resurfacing project on Homestead Road, the office of Gov. Chris Christie announced.

The grant is one of 15 made to Somerset County municipalities, totaling $3,143,843, out of 406 Local Aid grants statewide worth $86.5 million.

The bulk of the Local Aid grants will be awarded under the Municipal Aid program, with 377 grants totaling $76.2 million. Another 29 Transportation Enhancement grants for quality-of-life, bicycle and pedestrian safety projects totaling $10.3 million were also announced. Both grant programs are competitive, with applications rated on their merits by NJDOT and other transportation officials.

“These grants enable municipalities to stretch their resources and advance important roadway projects and other safety and quality-of-life improvements that benefit all who share the road, including pedestrians and bicyclists,” said NJDOT Commissioner James Simpson.  “The Christie Administration supports the Local Aid program because it helps relieve pressure on local property taxpayers.” 

A total of 660 applications were submitted for this round of state-funded Municipal Aid grants.  The DOT encouraged municipalities to submit applications for bikeway, pedestrian safety and streetscape projects, and 6 percent of the projects selected for funding represented such types of projects, with the remaining 94 percent of the grants going toward traditional road improvement projects.

The federally funded Transportation Enhancement program supports projects that preserve and protect natural and cultural resources and promote alternatives to driving.  The successful applications advance quality-of-life, bikeway and pedestrian safety projects.  A total of 149 TE grant applications were received.  

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.  Municipalities compete for portions of their county’s share.  NJDOT provides 75 percent of the grant amount when a town awards a contract and the remaining 25 percent upon completion of the project.