FREEHOLD BOROUGH – Freehold Borough was recently awarded a $400,000 grant from state offices to improve safety and accessibility for its local bus station.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that $1.8 million in grants was awarded to seven municipal projects through the Safe Streets to Transit Program (SSTT). Out of the seven municipalities, Freehold Borough received the largest individual grant of $400,000.
“Considering the size of our state, and our population, we must strive to reduce congestion on our roadways,” Governor Phil Murphy said. “As part of the effort to encourage people to consider alternate forms of transportation, we must ensure getting to transit facilities is safe and accessible for everyone.”
“Pedestrian safety to and from transit facilities is the main focus of the Safe Streets to Transit Program,” NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez- Scaccetti said. “The grants announced today will help seven municipalities fund projects providing sidewalks and safe and convenient ways to cross streets near transit stations, which promotes walking as part of a healthy lifestyle.”
The purpose of the Safe Streets to Transit Program is that it “provides funding to counties and
municipalities to improve the overall safety and accessibility for mass transit riders walking to transit facilities.”
A grant from the Safe Streets to Transit program will go towards improvements that may include:
- Intersection safety improvements that eliminate pedestrian barriers
- Constructing new sidewalks, curb ramps, sidewalk widening and major reconstruction
- Safety enhancements for pedestrian access to transit stops
- Traffic control devices that benefit pedestrians
- Traffic calming measures
- Pedestrian signals and push buttons at key intersections
- Pedestrian oriented lighting
- Major sidewalk reconstruction
Although Borough officials have yet to announce specific details on what projects they plan to do, it’s a possibility the grant may be used to improve access to the Borough’s bus station which is located in between West Main, Throckmorton and Broad streets.
The Safe Streets to Transit program is one of many grants Freehold Borough has received in the past couple months. Not long ago the Borough received a $250,000 grant from Monmouth County for improvements to Liberty Street Park and a $889,000 grant from the state towards improvements at the Freehold Public Library.
