March 18, 2021
By: Tyler Eckel
Program funds improvements on Thomas J. Rhodes Industrial Drive and Industrial Drive to keep trucks off residential streets.
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP (MERCER)– Assemblyman and Transportation Committee Chairman Dan Benson today announced $590,000 in Local Freight Impact Fund grants from the New Jersey Department of Transportation that will help Hamilton Township provide for the safe movement of large truck traffic away from residential areas. The grant will fund improvements to Thomas J. Rhodes Industrial Drive and Industrial Drive, two roads that are designed to divert truck traffic away from residential areas.
“The trucking and freight traffic network has been critical to New Jersey’s response to the coronavirus, moving life-saving supplies to support medical personnel and sustain the public through this crisis,” said Assemblyman Dan Benson. “However, truck traffic also poses an added risk to our communities, especially when their routes are close to residential areas. Investing in necessary improvements to heavy truck routes is key to ensuring the safety of residents and truck drivers alike. This grant also takes the burden to fund this project off the shoulders of local taxpayers who will reap the benefits of safer streets and sustained economic development.”
The Local Freight Impact Fund is a competitive program which was created as part of the Transportation Trust Fund reauthorization in October 2016. The grants awarded to Hamilton Township will fund improvements to the pavement condition in support of truck traffic on
Industrial Drive and Thomas J. Rhodes Industrial Drive, two main thoroughfares for trucks to keep them moving on appropriate roads and off of smaller, local streets.
“I am excited to announce that for the very first time Hamilton Township was awarded a Local Freight grant that will contribute to sustaining our economic growth,” said Mayor Jeff Martin. “As Hamilton continues to grow as a regional commercial hub, we are grateful for the partnership with NJDOT and Chairman Benson and thank them for working with us to improve our freight traffic infrastructure so that we can continue to support economic development while maintaining the first-rate safety of our local roadways.”
Under the program, projects fall into four categories that are eligible for funding: bridge preservation, new construction, pavement preservation, and truck safety and mobility. The grants are administered by the NJDOT Division of Local Aid and Economic Development. NJDOT staff evaluate projects using a variety of criteria including existing conditions, overall traffic volume, percentage of large truck traffic, crash frequency, and connectivity to freight nodes, among others.
