U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) announced today that the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) and New Jersey Department of Transportation are allocating $2,700,000 in federal grants to critical local projects in Paterson, Passaic City, and Clifton. The funds come from the federal Transportation Alternatives Program.

“These grants will help local communities make long-awaited upgrades to bolster the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. Most importantly, these federal dollars will make our busy neighborhoods more livable, increase access to business districts and local green space, and increase property values. This is tremendous news for these Passaic County cities, as well as Elmwood Park,” said Rep. Pascrell, New Jersey’s only member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees revenue to the federal Highway Trust Fund. “Whether they are traveling for work, heading home, or visiting one of our great cities here in North Jersey, pedestrians deserve to feel safe. As always, I will continue fighting to ensure federal dollars are reinvested in our aging infrastructure here in the Garden State.”

Clifton - $880,000

Main Avenue Streetscape Improvements

Clifton will replace deteriorating sidewalks; construct ADA-compliant curbs; install brick pavers, lighting, benches, and bicycle racks near community centers; plant trees along roads; and establish a wayfinding system to identify points of interest and public transit.

Paterson – $820,000

Great Falls-Hinchliffe Bike-Ped Connection Phase 1

Paterson will use these federal funds to restore curbing, sidewalks, and ramps; create shared road markings; make green infrastructure improvements; and add wayfinding signage leading from the Garret Mountain Reservation to the Great Falls.

City of Passaic – 1,000,000

Transformative Railroad Project

The City of Passaic will convert 2,000 square feet of decommissioned railway into an off-road pedestrian and bicycle greenway, which would connect Dundee Island Park and Pulaski Park. Storm water retention and rain gardens will also be installed.

Elmwood Park - $690,000

Mola Boulevard Improvement Project

This streetscape project will make pedestrian safety improvements between Broadway and Philip Avenue. This includes sidewalk improvements, pedestrian and vehicle signage, lighting and plantings.

As a former longtime member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Rep. Pascrell regularly works with the Department of Transportation to ensure New Jersey gets its fair share of federal funding. In 2018, Rep. Pascrell was able to secure $6.2 million federal dollars for roadway improvements and safety upgrades in North Jersey. He has also been at the forefront of the fight to fund the Gateway Tunnel project, for which Rep. Pascrell helped secure $248 million in August of 2020.