The pre-application process for the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TA Set-Aside) Program is open through September.
Funded through the Federal Highway Administration’s Federal Aid Program, the TA Set-Aside Program is administered by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) in partnership with the NJTPA and the state’s other two metropolitan planning organizations. Anyone interested in applying for funding must schedule a pre-application meeting.
The program has been used to fund streetscape improvements, rails-to-trails, and Morris Canal Greenway segments, among other things.
Sascha Frimpong, Director of Local Project Development at the NJTPA, gave an overview of the program at the May 18 Morris Canal Working Group meeting, encouraging members to begin preparing applications.
The TA Set-Aside Program provides funding for a number of different activities, such as:
- Design and construction of on- and off-road trail facilities for pedestrians, bicycles, and other nonmotorized forms of transportation;
- Construction of overlooks, scenic turnouts, and viewing areas;
- Rehabilitation and historic preservation of historic transportation facilities, including canals and buildings;
- Conversion of abandoned railroad corridors for trails for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other nonmotorized transportation;
- 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; and,
- Reduce vehicle-caused wildlife mortality or restore and maintain connectivity among wildlife habitats.
With the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) approved, it’s very likely that additional funding is coming into the program, Frimpong said, although at this point, it’s unclear how much. The NJDOT would like to open another solicitation this calendar year. Applicants must have maps, brief descriptions and cost estimates for projects completed prior to scheduling a meeting.
Any projects moving forward also should be submitted to the public in some type of forum. That could be a public meeting, discussion at a local council meeting or public event, or with a community interest group, so feedback is received.