Orange awarded $312,000 state grant to repave Berkeley Avenue

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) last week granted Orange $312,000 to resurface Berkley Avenue between Highland Avenue and Tremont Avenue. The Municipal Aid grant is part of a fund totaling $78.75 million, enabling 370 cities and towns to advance street improvement, rehabilitation and safety projects without burdening local property taxpayers. Of the 370 municipalities receiving grants, Orange ranked as the 16th highest.
The highly competitive award is part of New Jersey's $200 million Local Aid program administered by the NJDOT. The Department received 677 applications requesting more than $246 million for the FY 11 municipal aid grants. 

"The competition was fierce and we were impressed by the quality of the applications," NJDOT Commissioner James Simpson said.
Under the Municipal Aid grant program, each county is apportioned a share of the total funding based on population, the number of local road miles and other factors, and municipalities compete for portions of their county's share. NJDOT provides 75 percent of the grant amount when a town awards a contract and the remaining 25 percent upon completion of the project.

"This announcement is great news for hundreds of municipalities as they work to stretch their resources, control spending and reduce the property tax burden on residents," said William G. Dressel Jr., executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities.

"With an extremely tight budget and a backlog of streets in need of resurfacing, we need every cent we can get from the State of New Jersey. I hope when Governor Christie announces his budget for the coming fiscal year that he increases the funds available for local aid such as this," said Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., Orange Mayor and Chair of the League of Municipalities Committee on Management Reform.