NJTPA Update Blog
Posted: 1/17/2025 11:55:41 AM
The first revision of the State Development and Redevelopment Plan in almost a quarter century could be adopted by year’s end after public hearings throughout the state in the coming months.
Walter Lane, deputy executive director of the New Jersey Office of Planning Advocacy, presented an update on the New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan to the Board of Trustees at its meeting on Monday. The state plan is currently being updated for the first time since 2001. A preliminary draft was released last month.
Donna Rendeiro, executive director of the Office of Planning Advocacy, appeared before the Board a year ago with a presentation on the state plan.
The state plan was created by legislation in the mid-80s as a complement to the Mt. Laurel doctrine, Lane said, to protect resources and promote development and redevelopment while identifying areas in the state appropriate for growth and preservation.
The state plan is not designed to dictate to local jurisdictions but to provide guidance, Lane said. The office works with “all levels of government to promote good planning projects.”
After gathering input from other agencies and stakeholder groups last year, a draft preliminary plan was released last month for public comment. A “cross acceptance process” is now under way, according to Lane, which will include 21 meetings across each of the state’s 21 counties. Six public hearings around the state between February 12 and April 16 will follow before the state planning commission adopts the plan.
The original state plan included eight goals, which Lane said have been advanced in some shape or form. The latest version adds two goals for a total of 10:
- Economic development: Promote economic growth that benefits all residents.
- Housing: Provide adequate supply of housing for residents of all ages and incomes in communities of their choosing that meet their needs and offer ready access to the full range of supportive goods and services.
- Infrastructure: Economic opportunity thorough nation leading infrastructure.
- Revitalization and recentering: Revitalize and recenter the state’s underutilized developed areas.
- Climate change: Effectively address adverse impacts of global climate change.
- Natural and water resources; Protect, maintain, and restore natural and water resources and ecosystems.
- Pollution and Environmental Clean-Up: Protect the environment, prevent and clean up pollution.
- Historic and Scenic Resources: Protect, enhance, and improve access to areas with exceptional archaeological, historic, cultural, scenic, open space, and recreational value.
- Equity: Implement equitable planning practices to promote thriving communities for all New Jerseyans.
- Comprehensive Planning: Foster sound and integrated planning and implementation at all levels statewide.
“Over the years, the NJTPA has done a lot of things to advance these goals,” Lane said, through its various subregional, transportation, and regional planning studies. He encouraged the agency to be engaged in the process in the coming months.
The plan includes a State Policy Map, unchanged from the previous plan, which recommends where development and preservation should occur in the state. The Smart Growth Explorer will help identify areas suitable for development and areas suitable for conservation.
Lane said the final state plan hopefully will be adopted by the end of this year.
A copy of his presentation is available here.
Posted: 1/13/2025 3:36:34 PM
Governor Phil Murphy today signed legislation creating the Target Zero Commission with the goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries in New Jersey by 2040. NJTPA Executive Director David W. Behrend will serve on the 13-member commission alongside state officials, regional transportation officials, and others.
“We’ve been working with our region’s counties and municipalities to integrate the safe system approach into our planning work and to identify ways to make travel safer for everyone,” Behrend said. “I look forward to working with the Commission to further these efforts and ultimately reach our shared goal of zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries.”
Governor Murphy was joined at the bill’s signing by Arland Macasieb, a cyclist and former professional triathlete who survived a life-altering crash with a car while riding his bike on a New Jersey road in 2021. Despite ongoing medical challenges due to his injuries from the crash, Macasieb continues to advocate for legislation that increases safety for cyclists and non-motorists.
“The actions we take today will ensure that New Jersey families no longer have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to traffic fatalities. The Commission will collaborate to prioritize safety and mobility, forging a clear path to making sure everyone, whether walking, biking, driving, or using public transit, can travel safely in New Jersey,” Governor Murphy said.
Traffic deaths and injuries have sharply increased in New Jersey. From 2023 to 2024, fatalities increased 14 percent and pedestrian fatalities increased 32 percent.
The Target Zero Commission will focus on data-driven strategies that prioritize roadway design, speed management, and safety for all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. The Commission will advise the Governor, Legislature, and the DOT regarding policies, programs, research, and priorities that will aid in attaining the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities.
Under the law, the Commission is directed to propose an action plan within one year of the bill’s signing, with a chance for the public to provide feedback on the proposed plan. The Commission will also collect traffic safety data for the public, including data on dangerous intersections and crash demographics. Additionally, the Commission will provide data and resources to local municipalities to assist them in developing their own Target Zero plans.
“I share Governor Murphy’s vision that a stronger New Jersey includes making sure that everyone, whether walking, biking, driving or using public transit, can travel safely,” said DOT Commissioner Fran O’Connor, who serves on the NJTPA Board of Trustees. “The New Jersey Department of Transportation takes the responsibility of improving roadway safety very seriously and is committed to eliminating roadway fatalities. This commission will explore new ideas and technologies to create actionable strategies to address critical roadways safety issues in New Jersey.”
Click here to read the full press release from the Governor's Office.
Posted: 1/13/2025 9:35:59 AM
How do you see yourself getting around in the future? Would you consider driving an electric vehicle or riding in a self-driving car or shuttle? Are there regional transportation projects that you want prioritized for funding?
These are some of the questions we will be asking the public as it drafts its next long range transportation plan, Connecting Communities. The plan will detail new programs and recommend policies and transportation investments for the next 25 years.
The NJTPA region includes 13 counties in northern and central New Jersey and is home to 7 million people, with the population expected to hit 7.8 million in 2050. The NJTPA works with local partners and state agencies to approve more than $3 billion in transportation investments annually. In order for the region to be eligible to receive federal transportation funds for programs and projects, the NJTPA must adopt a long-range transportation plan every four years.
“Connecting Communities will help us set a vision for the future of our region’s transportation network and prioritize regionally significant projects,” said NJTPA Chair John P. Kelly, an Ocean County Commissioner. “It’s important that our region’s residents share their thoughts and ideas with us so that this plan meets the needs of the communities and people we serve.”
Public input plays a critical role in the plan. The feedback we gather through an online survey and events will be considered and incorporated into the plan, which the NJTPA Board of Trustees is expected to adopt in September. Everyone who lives in the region is encouraged to participate.
The survey launched today and is available in six languages – English, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Chinese and Korean. There is also an interactive activity for kids and teens to share their ideas about the future of transportation. Virtual public outreach will begin later this month with a Let’s Talk Transportation event on January 28 at 11:30 a.m. focused on creating a safe biking and walking transportation network.
We will also be conducting pop-up outreach at events throughout the region this spring. To share your ideas, interests, and concerns about the future of transportation in northern and central New Jersey, please take the NJTPA’s brief survey and sign up for virtual events at the Connecting Communities website: njtpa.org/connecting.
Posted: 1/8/2025 2:20:29 PM
New Jersey communities can apply for free professional planning assistance to prepare plans for redeveloping or improving areas anchored by transit bus, rail, light rail, or ferry terminals, stations and stops. Applications are due on February 3, 2025.
The assistance is provided through the Transit Hub Planning Program, a partnership between the Center for Community Planning, the American Planning Association New Jersey Chapter (APA-NJ) and the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA).
The program recruits volunteer planners in the state to provide technical planning services for up to two community groups or municipalities. Applicants are selected on a competitive basis.
Project teams help communities identify practical and implementable strategies that can improve access to the transit service, increase economic activity in the hub area, create improved public spaces and promote a more vibrant and connected community. The team will also prepare recommendations for advancing the elements of the plan after the study is complete, which may include guidance for completing an application to New Jersey’s Transit Village Program administered by NJ TRANSIT and the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT).
Participating municipalities or organizations must make staff available to support the work and be available for discussions with agencies at the municipal, county, regional, and state levels.
For information on applying download the Call for Project Proposals. Further information on the program and on past projects is available at https://www.njtpa.org/TransitHubProgram.aspx (NJTPA) or njplanning.org/about/community-planning-assistance-program (APA-NJ).
Posted: 12/24/2024 12:51:20 PM
The Metropolitan Area Planning (MAP) Forum’s annual meeting, held virtually December 6, featured presentations about a study to reconnect neighborhoods divided by the Cross Bronx Expressway, the future energy demand of freight systems in the region, and local opportunities during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The MAP Forum consists of 10 Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) and Council of Governments across Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Reimagining the Cross Bronx
Rochelle Brahalla, Senior Project Manager for the New York City Department of Transportation, presented short-, mid-, and long-term concepts within the draft vision for the Cross Bronx Expressway, including capping the highway. The study was funded with $2 million through the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program.
The draft vision identified 13 potential locations for caps along the Cross Bronx. Some locations that Brahalla highlighted would create open space, improve noise pollution and restore pedestrian connections while reducing vehicle-pedestrian conflicts. Other locations where the highway could be capped would connect two neighborhoods with new park space, expand a playground, and provide direct access to a subway line. Where caps might not be feasible, she said new, wider pedestrian bridges could make walking and biking more pleasurable across the highway.
To learn more, visit
Reimagine the Cross Bronx.
Energy Demand and Freight
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has a goal of reaching net zero emissions for all of its facilities and operations by 2050, according to Stephan Pezdek, Freight Planning Manager at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. To do so, he said, the Port Authority will need to greatly expand measures to cleanly power not only ships, trucks and other vehicles involved in moving freight but its offices, computer systems, and other operations throughout the network. The agency is looking to electrify where it can and explore the use of alternative fuels such as ammonia for powering ships and more.
“A lot of things we see on a regular basis, like long-haul trucks and short-haul deliveries, have bigger emissions footprint than maritime and rail operations,” Pezdek said. Fuel is a large portion of all these operating modes and total operating costs. Investment in production and delivery of next-generation fuels are vital for freight, he said, and currently they’re at a competitive disadvantage locally to creating these without local product and distribution. “This is part of larger supply chain throughout the world that needs to be built up.”
But there are great opportunities for development and growth. “This all sounds doom and gloom but the good thing is we’ve been working at this effort the last 18 months,” Pezdek said. In November, the Port Authority brought together different players from around the world, including fuel providers, the those involved in storage, bunker, and delivery vessels, and more. “Everyone agreed this is a major problem. They’re all starting to strategize as to how to move the effort forward. It takes a lot of understanding, investment, and coordination. Right now, we’re in the process of next steps.”
Prep for World Cup 2026
Zoe Baldwin, vice president, state programs, for the Regional Plan Association (RPA), discussed ways in which municipalities and MPOs can capitalize on the 2026 World Cup, which will feature a record 48 teams, and eight matches played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, including the final.
In her presentation, “Regional Opportunities for FIFA World Cup 2026,” Baldwin implored local and county governments to begin discussions, if they haven’t already, about how to capitalize on events and other benefits for their communities that will outlast the tournament.
Unlike other high-profile events, the World Cup final will draw people beyond just those going to the five-week extravaganza and will be a major happening for people who live here. These events can be used to make the region a “better, cleaner, and greener place to live, work, relax and have fun.”
MPOs could be convening with board members to get an idea of what people are thinking about. “Having these conversations now is very important given the short time available,” she said. There are actions that MPOs can take to facilitate conversations about the broader World Cup event:
- Grant Prioritization: Consider prioritizing parklet, planning, and placemaking grants for communities hosting local events to help them get long-term improvements.
- Street closures: Consider liaising with the Department of Transportation and your members to ensure an easy application and permit process. She suggested using these events to have a broader conversation about placemaking.
- Shuttles: Consider whether there is a role for TMAs and where shuttles could facilitate pedestrian-friendly areas. It’s not just the Meadowlands, Baldwin said, as teams will have training facilities and practices around the region. “These are just more opportunities. People like to visit those facilities around the area and everyone’s going to be soccer mad.”
A recording of the MAP Forum’s annual meeting can be accessed here:
https://youtu.be/HsHWyXlBmJc
Posted: 12/17/2024 11:04:34 AM
Download a full size calendar here. 
Posted: 12/17/2024 9:44:56 AM
The New Jersey Department of Transportation, in partnership with NJTPA, is accepting applications for Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program funding. Pre-application meetings are required and must be scheduled by April 11, 2025. This program provides federal funds for non-traditional transportation related projects designed to strengthen the cultural, aesthetic and environmental aspects of the nation’s surface transportation network. Municipal and county governments, regional transportation authorities, transit agencies, natural resource or public land agencies, tribal governments and other local or regional governmental entities responsible for transportation oversight are invited to submit applications.
The program makes available design assistance of up to $750,000 for consultant engineering services for grant recipients. Projects must fall into one of the following seven categories to be considered for funding:
- Design and construction of on-road and off-road trail facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorized forms of vehicles.
- Conversion and use of abandoned railroad corridors for trails for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorized transportation users.
- Construction of scenic turnouts, overlooks, and viewing areas.
- Historic preservation and rehabilitation of historic transportation facilities both land and water such as building structures and canals.
- Community improvement activities, specifically streetscaping and corridor landscaping.
- Environmental mitigation to address stormwater management, control, and water pollution prevention or abatement related to highway construction or due to highway runoff.
- Reduce vehicle-caused wildlife mortality or restore and maintain connectivity among terrestrial or aquatic habitats.
Among its objectives, the program seeks to encourage walking, bicycling, and rolling as an alternative mode of transportation; make active transportation a more attractive option to get around, and provide benefits to vulnerable members of your community, including low-income residents, minorities, those with limited English proficiency, persons with disabilities, children and older adults. For more information, visit the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program page.
Posted: 12/12/2024 12:52:38 PM
This year’s round of Vibrant Places Program (VPP) will aim to connect communities through underutilized green spaces near commercial areas in Paterson and the revitalization of railroad underpasses in New Brunswick.
The NJTPA funds technical assistance for placemaking projects through the Vibrant Places Program, conducted in partnership with Rutgers University’s Voorhees Transportation Center.
The Vibrant Places team will work in partnership with coLAB Arts in New Brunswick to develop a placemaking plan to revitalize the network of Amtrak rail underpasses that connect downtown with the Esperanza neighborhood.
Working with local organizations like the Esperanza Neighborhood Project, the study will develop strategies to enhance the underpasses, transforming them into welcoming gateways that create a sense of place and civic pride, while connecting the area’s downtown and largely Latin community. The vision plan will be used to inform future improvements and guide implementation funding.
The Vibrant Places team will also work with the City of Paterson and the County of Passaic to connect green spaces and create a sense of place along south Paterson’s commercial district.
The team will seek to enhance underused parks to better support nearby businesses and enhance the natural environment for residents. A set of design recommendations for each park will be developed through in-person and online engagement along with community input via pop-up events, visioning sessions, and stakeholder engagement.
Vibrant Places is among the NJTPA’s Municipal Programs offerings. Placemaking is the application of community planning that integrates arts, culture, and other community assets to attract investment and strengthen the local economy. It links job creation to specific places by enhancing public spaces, streets, and other community amenities.
Previous VPP projects include the Springwood Avenue Heritage Walk in Asbury Park, which this year won the Outstanding Community Engagement Award from the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association, and Prospect Park drafted a Vision Plan outlining strategies to transform North 8th Street into a pedestrian-friendly and economically vibrant neighborhood that meets the community’s needs.
Solicitations for the VPP program are conducted annually, with the next round expected in summer 2025. To learn more, visit the Vibrant Communities Technical Assistance page.
Posted: 12/3/2024 3:59:16 PM
The NJTPA hosted the biannual meeting of the Morris Canal Working Group (MCGW) on Dec. 2, with various reports and updates about efforts along the 111-mile Morris Canal Greenway.
Joe Macasek and Tim Roth of the Canal Society of New Jersey (CSNJ) provided updates on various projects during presentations at the virtual meeting.
The restoration of Lock 2 East has been completed. Mechanical parts for the lock have been installed and furnishings and exhibits for the Lock Tender’s House are planned as part of the final phase. Inclined Plane 2 East in Ledgewood is one of the most easily accessed points of the canal, Macasek said, with a restoration project completed. A pending interpretive sign project by the Canal Society will feature seven new panels and a park sign. Future work is planned to create a circular pathway.
Cooperation And Connectivity
Macasek described Boonton as among the best partnerships, featuring many pieces of the greenway. It’s “one of the best examples of cooperative effort and connectivity,” he said. The greenway trail in Boonton will be at the center of a greenway trail plan that will connect historic assets, including the Arch bridge, a railroad trestle that will be acquired by the town and made into a pedestrian walkway.
Restoration of the Arch Bridge, at the north end of the site, was completed this summer and will provide additional access to the Boonton Iron Works property. Restoration included a new pathway laid across the top of the bridge that has been standing since 1866, new rails and a new surface. It’s an important connection between the upper part of the site and the Iron Works and the inclined plane at the lower part of the site, Macasek said. CSNJ’s final sign project of the year will provide interpretive signage to tell people why the bridge is there.
Macasek described the Canal Society’s 2024 Greenway signage projects:
- JFK Park, Dover: Site of Dover Canal Basin
- Lock and New Streets, Newark: Site of Lock 16 East
- Canal Park, Ledgewood: Sites of Locks 9, 10, and 11 East
- Grace Lord Park, Boonton: Arch Bridge Restoration
- Griffith Park, Powerville: Site of inclined Planes 2 and 3 East
An ongoing restoration of the Collins House, associated with the inclined plane in Bloomfield, has progressed and will create a Morris Canal Greenway Visitor Center. “It gets us some visitor nodes along the greenway,” Macasek said.
Warren County portion of Morris Canal Greenway
Warren County recently acquired a site in Rockport, Mansfield Township, near a state game farm. The goal is to develop it into a greenway trail and then connect it to make one trail through Rockport. Initial efforts began last month with a trail surveying expedition. That involved “plunging into the woods,” looking at where the towpath is and devise a plan to develop a trail. Winter is a good time of year to start new trails because the brush is less thick and much less maintenance work is required, which typically takes up the warmer months.
The Museum at Meadow Breeze Park is a cooperative effort between Washington Township and the Warren County Parks Foundation, using many exhibits that are now at the Warren Heritage Museum at Bread Lock Park. The project is “moving at lightning speed,” Roth said, and is likely to open in 2025. “Hopefully, it will get this site more on the map.”
Like the Collins House in Bloomfield, the museum is not a direct canal asset and may not be entirely about the Morris Canal but a significant portion of it is.
Roth reported that the Warren Heritage Museum, and its monthly tours, remains closed after a huge storm in July 2023 undermined the vehicular bridge from Route 519. He hopes to report some progress on this at the MCWG’s spring meeting in May.
Morris Canal Greenway on AllTrails
Steve Krinsky reported that there are now 18 Morris Canal Greenway entries on the All Trails app. The trails are at least 1 mile or more in length though in some cases that includes out and back. Krinsky said his group of volunteers plans to hike and update map information on another half-dozen Greenway trails in the next few months.
A recording of the complete MCWG meeting is available here.
Posted: 11/26/2024 1:03:14 PM
Somerset County’s updated circulation plan, Keep Somerset Moving: Transportation Plan 2045 was approved by the county Planning Board October 15, 2024. Developed through the NJTPA Subregional Studies Program, the plan seeks to improve mobility and travel in the county and provides a process for identifying and selecting priority transportation improvements.
The plan was based on an “inclusive and collaborative community and stakeholder engagement effort.” This included a dedicated website; social media posts; virtual focus groups and open houses; a survey and interactive mapping tool; and participation in community events. In all, there were over 1,000 survey responses and other engagements with the public to gather input on the plan.
The plan identifies safety as the highest priority for roadway planning with a particular focus on improving safety and conditions in minority and low-income communities. It also recognizes the need to locate affordable housing units in areas with safe and accessible multimodal transportation options.
Among the key recommendations of the plan:
- Forty-two roadway and bridge projects consisting of seven roadway corridors, one intersection, two highway interchanges, and 32 bridge projects.
- Continue to implement a comprehensive project development process structured to develop multimodal projects that address a diversity of needs and achieve multiple plan goals.
- Review and update the County Complete Streets Policy based on Complete + Green Streets guidance.
- Support attainment of 100 percent Complete Streets Policy adoption by the municipalities.
- Work with the municipal partners to review and update their municipal circulation elements and assure compatibility with land use, housing, and affordable housing elements.
- Ensuring access and connectivity to safe multimodal systems and consistency with the County Investment Framework and sewer service area are key factors when selecting sites for affordable housing projects.
- Strengthen the connections between land use and transportation planning through innovative zoning, access management, redevelopment, and other methods at the municipal level.
- Support the NJTPA’s effort to prepare Safety Action Plans.
- Take a lead role in the advancement of electric vehicles and connected and automated vehicle implementation strategies.
- Implement the recommendations Walk/Bike/ Hike Study along with the regional trail projects from the County Preservation Master Plan.
- Initiate targeted planning studies include on key roadways and transit systems.
The approved plan is available on the NJTPA website.