(Trenton) – The Murphy Administration today announced the grant solicitation period for the Fiscal Year 2025 Local Freight Impact Fund program is open, with applications being accepted through January 8, 2025.
“The Local Freight Impact Fund provides counties and municipalities with funding to improve truck routes used to move goods across New Jersey and keep our economy strong,” NJDOT Commissioner Francis O’Connor said. “The Murphy Administration is committed to investing the money needed to ensure our local roads and bridges carrying commercial truck traffic are safe, efficient, and strong enough to handle the load.”
The Local Freight Impact Fund (LFIF) is a competitive $28 million program that 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 pavement preservation projects.
Under the program, projects that fall into six categories are eligible for funding:
• Roadway 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.
• Pavement Preservation (New this year) - to renew the road surface and correct irregularities while preserving and protecting the underlying pavement structure
This is a competitive grant program. Projects submitted for consideration must meet the following eligibility criteria:
• Projects must be within the jurisdiction of the applicant’s municipality and/or county unless filed jointly with an adjacent municipality and/or county.
• Applicants must demonstrate that the project will provide access to a port, warehouse distribution center or any other freight node by providing a narrative and a map supporting their request.
• Projects must have a minimum 10% large truck volume within the project limits. A traffic study must be submitted to support this information.
Starting in Fiscal Year 2023, following federal and state guidance, equity was incorporated into all State Aid programs to promote an equitable delivery of government benefits. Additional points will be added to projects in areas where vulnerable populations exist.
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 X (Twitter) @NewJerseyDOT, on the NJDOT Facebook page, or Instagram @NewJersey.DOT.