Morris County Invites Public Input on Transportation Future
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority Developing Long-Range Plan
Morris County is teaming up with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) to help shape the region’s transportation future through Connecting Communities, a comprehensive long-range plan, encouraging residents to participate by providing input on priorities and projects that will influence transportation investments and policies for the next 25 years.
“The NJTPA has been a critical partner in advancing key transportation initiatives throughout Morris County,” said Commissioner Deputy Director Stephen H. Shaw, Secretary of the NJTPA Board of Trustees. “From bridge improvements to safety enhancements and trail projects, these efforts have had a direct impact on our communities. Public feedback is essential to ensure this long-range plan addresses the region’s future needs.”
The NJTPA oversees transportation planning for 13 northern and central New Jersey counties that are home to more than 7 million residents, with population anticipated to grow to 7.8 million by 2050. To maintain eligibility for federal transportation funding, the NJTPA must adopt a long-range transportation plan every four years.
Public input is a vital component of Connecting Communities. The feedback the NJTPA gathers 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 NJTPA region is encouraged to participate.
The survey was launched today and is available in six languages – English, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Chinese and Korean. 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.
Residents can share their ideas, interests, and concerns about the future of transportation in northern and central New Jersey by completing NJTPA’s brief survey and sign up for virtual events at the Connecting Communities website: njtpa.org/connecting.
The NJTPA will also be conducting pop-up outreach at events throughout the region this spring.
Through partnerships with local governments and state agencies, the NJTPA administers over $3 billion in transportation investments annually. Recent projects in Morris County include:
- Bridge Replacement Studies: NJTPA-funded studies recommended replacements for key bridges, including the East Main Street Bridge in Rockaway Borough, Martin Luther King Avenue Bridge in Morristown, and Valley Road Bridge in Long Hill Township. These projects have advanced through engineering, design, and construction phases. A study is currently underway in Denville to evaluate options for the Lenape Island Road Bridge.
- Safety Projects: The NJTPA has approved funding for safety projects in the county, including $2.9 million in improvements for the following intersections that are currently in design: Morris Street (CR 510) and Ridgedale Avenue in Morristown; East Main Street/Mendham Road (CR 510) from Heritage Manor Drive to Cold Hill Road in Mendham Borough & Mendham Township; and South Morris Street (CR 643) from Park Avenue to Millbrook Avenue in Dover.
- Freight and Rail Realignment: A study supported by the NJTPA recommended realigning the Dover and Rockaway Railroad to improve safety by eliminating ungated crossings.
- Trail Development: The NJTPA continues to fund expansions of the Morris Canal Greenway, enhancing recreational access while preserving local history. Federal funds secured through the NJTPA also helped to build the Pompton Valley Rail Trail, which will officially open this spring between Pequannock Township in Morris County and Wayne Township in Passaic County.
About the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
The NJTPA is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for 13 northern New Jersey counties. Under federal legislation, MPOs provide a forum where local officials, public transportation providers and state agency representatives can come together and cooperatively plan to meet the region’s current and future transportation needs. It establishes the region’s eligibility to receive federal tax dollars for transportation projects.
The NJTPA Board consists of one local elected official from each of the 13 counties in the region (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren), and the cities of Newark and Jersey City. The Board also includes a Governor’s Representative, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the Executive Director of NJ Transit, the Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and a Citizen’s Representative appointed by the Governor.
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