By charles w. kim
Staff Writer
TRENTON — There will be some $1 million in transportation funding coming to Assembly District 14.
Assembly members Gary Guear and Linda Greenstein, both Democrats from the 14th district, announced this week that approximately $1 million has been earmarked from the 2003 Transportation Trust Fund to repair roads in Mercer and Middlesex County.
"The constant, dense traffic on New Jersey roadways takes a toll on municipal roads on a daily basis," Greenstein said in a press release announcing the funding.
The package includes $185,000 to reconstruct Ridge Road in South Brunswick, and $250,000 to place a traffic signal at the intersection of Perrineville and Union Valley roads in Monroe Township.
The money will also help fund other projects in Cranbury and Hamilton as well.
"Gov. McGreevey and I are pleased to continue funding local projects that help preserve the existing transportation system and contribute to the social and economic well being of municipalities," state transportation commissioner James Fox said in the release.
The municipal transportation funding is calculated based on a town’s location and road mileage, according to the release.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) Municipal Aid Program allows municipalities to apply for some $67.5 million in funding for transportation projects.
According to the release, a panel of engineers choose the projects to fund after looking at the conditions of the roadway, the amount of traffic it carries and the role it plays in the regional transportation network.
"Many of these municipal roads and bridges are critical to the state’s overall transportation system," Greenstein said.
State Sen. Peter Inverso (R-14th District) said in a separate release that he was pleased that the money would be coming to reconstruct areas in the district.
He also said that he was able to secure funding for projects in West Windsor, Jamesburg and Cranbury through the grants offered by the Transportation Trust Fund.
"These DOT grants will give our municipal officials the funds they need to make these improvements a top priority," Inverso said.
According to the release, Inverso, Guear and Greenstein were able to obtain a $120,000 grant for the borough of Jamesburg.
"Municipal roads and bridges are the backbone of our transportation system which takes New Jerseyans to and from their homes each day," Guear said.
"Each of these transportation projects will have a long-term, positive impact upon the citizens of the district," Inverso said.

