U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-NJ) announced last week that $$25,073,671 of federal transportation funding has been granted for 11 projects across the state. The City of Vineland’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program was awarded $20 million, by far the greatest portion of the funds available from this round, according to Menendez’s office.
“I want to thank all the members of our congressional delegation who helped support our grant application to improve safety on Chestnut Avenue between Main Road and Delsea Drive,” said Vineland Mayor Anthony Fanucci. “The work required is substantial, which without this grant would place a severe financial burden on Vineland taxpayers. Although final details for the project are still being considered, there is no doubt that this investment will improve traffic, biking, and pedestrian safety along this portion of Chestnut Avenue which saw over 660 accidents in the period between 2012-2016. It will also provide opportunities for good paying construction jobs for Vineland residents and beyond.”
The funding is being awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program that is part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that passed Congress in 2021.
“This investment in street and roadway improvements will mean enhanced safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists across our state,” said Sen. Menendez. “It is one of the reasons I was proud to support the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which has already brought millions of dollars and thousands of jobs to New Jersey to improve ferry operations, expand airport facilities and technologies, and repair and replace some of the region’s most critical, but aging, infrastructure.”
Millions of dollars from the IIJA have already flowed to the state since it was signed into law in November 2021.
Recently, Sens. Menendez and Booker announced more than $13 million for projects at the Atlantic City International Airport and for base improvements for the 177th Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard. Ultimately, New Jersey stands to receive billions of dollars from the IIJA to help the state repair roads and highways, expand mass transit, build the Gateway Project, replace water and sewer pipes and increase broadband internet access.
