TRENTON –– The state Department of Transportation (DOT), announced Dec. 27 that it would award $78.75 million in Municipal Aid to fund street improvement, rehabilitation and safety projects in 438 New Jersey towns. In Cape May County, 11 local towns will split $1.3 million.

“The municipal aid program enables the State of New Jersey to provide municipalities direct property tax relief, create jobs and improve the condition of the local roadway networks,” said DOT Commissioner Kris Kolluri.

According to the DOT, each county is allotted a specific funding amount based on its population and road mileage and distributes funds to towns based on field investigations and engineering evaluations of proposed projects.

Local municipalities included in the program as well as the approved projects and the amount of funding include:

• Wildwood, Poplar Avenue, $145,000
• West Wildwood, Bay Avenue, $140,000
• Upper Township, Peach Orchard Road, $140,000
• Ocean City, Asbury Avenue, $140,000
• Lower Township, Crawford Avenue, $140,000
• Sea Isle City, Pleasure Avenue, $140,000
• Wildwood Crest, Seaview Avenue, $140,000
• Woodbine, Franklin and Clay streets, $140,000
• Cape May, Cape May Avenue, $140,000
• Middle Township, N. Boyd Street, $97,000
• Dennis Township, Hagan Road, $11,000

Andrew Previti, of Walker, Previti and Hollmes Associates, is the municipal engineer for both Dennis Township and Sea Isle City.

He explained that the towns must now design their projects and put them out to bid.

“Once the contracts are awarded, we can ask the state for 75 percent of the grant money,” Previti said. “The rest would be given when the projects are completed.”

In Sea Isle City, Previti said the aid would help pay for the resurfacing of Pleasure Avenue from 79th to 85th streets. It also includes adding handicapped access at those intersections where it is not already available.

Previti said the Dennis Township application was part of a “safe streets” program.

“It includes adding signage on Hagan Road near the elementary school in an effort to slow drivers down,” he said.

The road has a 35-mile-per-hour speed limit, but residents and officials often complain that motorists travel much faster than that, which puts school students in danger.

According to the DOT press release, Municipal Aid grants provide funding to municipalities that would otherwise devote local tax revenue to road improvement projects.

The release said municipalities maintain over 25,000 miles, or approximately 70 percent, of New Jersey's 36,000 miles of roadway.

The department said it encourages municipalities to apply for the grant program, which covers road resurfacing, rehabilitation, reconstruction and signalization among other projects.

The Municipal Aid program is popular and competitive, the department said. This year, it will fund 440 of the 835 grant requests received. Funding for this program is limited to $78.75 million and the DOT received over $237 million in requests.

Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com