A new report released last week by the Campaign finds that demand by New Jersey cities and towns for bicycle and pedestrian funding far exceeds available monies. The study, Skimping on Sidewalks, confirms the long-held belief of bike/ped advocates that the public wants better bicycling and walking infrastructure and that more public funding should be devoted to these types of projects.

Skimping on Sidewalks analyzes several years of applications and approvals for New Jersey’s Bikeways and Safe Streets to School local aid funding programs, as well as for the federal Transportation Enhancements program.

From 2003 through 2005, municipalities submitted almost 1,000 applications for $194 million in state Bikeways and Safe Streets to School funding. Yet NJDOT approved only one-fourth of those applications, and granted just over $31 million in funding.

The two most recent years of applications for federal Transportation Enhancements funding reveals a similar shortfall for that program. While municipalities submitted 367 applications for funding totaling nearly $200 million, NJDOT approved only 46 projects, for just over $18 million.

NJDOT officials acknowledged the need for more bicycle and pedestrian funding. Spokesman Marc Lavorgna told the Press of Atlantic City, "The needs outweigh the resources. We would love to fund them all if we could." And the 2003 Blue Ribbon Commission headed by NJDOT Commissioner Jack Lettiere called for increasing annual funding for both state programs to $40 million.

But it will be up to the state legislature to make that happen when it works to renew the trust fund. On that point, Assembly Transportation Committee Chairman John S. Wisniewski noted, "New Jersey is becoming the national leader in smart transportation planning, but we will need more resources to deliver on that promise. Our Transportation Trust Fund must be replenished so that the needs of our communities, including bike and walkways, can be met. There needs to be a stable source of State funding so that these projects can get done without having to increase local property taxes."

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