Program provides funds to improve local roads and bridges with heavy truck traffic

(Trenton) – The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced the grant solicitation period for the Fiscal Year 2024 Local Freight Impact Fund program is open, with applications being accepted through December 13, 2023.

“These Local Freight Impact Fund grants allow counties and municipalities to make critical improvements to truck routes that are essential in supporting a strong state and regional economy,” NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “New Jersey roads and bridges carry a tremendous amount of commercial truck traffic every day, and NJDOT is committed to investing in a safe and equitable transportation system that can handle the load.”

The Local Freight Impact Fund (LFIF) is a competitive $30.1 million program, which was created as part of the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) reauthorization in October 2016. The program helps New Jersey’s municipalities and counties fund projects that emphasize and enhance the safe movement of large truck traffic, renew aging structures that carry large truck traffic, promote economic development, and support new transportation opportunities. Project eligibility has been expanded this year to include projects that address pedestrian safety.

Under the program, projects that fall into five categories are eligible for funding:

• Pavement Preservation - to improve pavement conditions in support of freight travel on municipal/county transportation infrastructure.
• Truck Safety and Mobility - to improve large truck access, routing and mobility along the municipal/county roadway system.
• Bridge Preservation - to improve bridge ratings/conditions in support of freight travel on municipal/county transportation infrastructure.
• New Construction - to promote new construction in support of freight travel on municipal/county transportation infrastructure.
• Pedestrian Safety - to improve pedestrian access to freight networks, address pedestrian safety, and promote equity for those without the option to drive.

The grants are administered by the NJDOT Division of Local Aid and Economic Development. NJDOT staff evaluate projects using a variety of criteria including: existing conditions, overall traffic volume, percentage of large truck traffic, crash frequency, connectivity to freight nodes, among others.

For more information about the Local Freight Impact Fund program or other Local Aid programs go to www.njdotlocalaidrc.com; email DOT-LocalAID.ResourceCenter@dot.nj.gov or call 609.649.9395. For NJDOT news follow us on Twitter @NewJerseyDOT and on the NJDOT Facebook page.