(On behalf of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority)
Contact: Melissa Hayes, Senior Director of Communications & External Affairs
mhayes@njtpa.org or (972) 639-8438

How do you see yourself getting around in the future? Would you consider driving an electric vehicle or riding in a self-driving car or shuttle? Are there regional transportation projects that you want prioritized for funding?

These are some of the questions the public will be asked as Ocean County works with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) on the region's next long range transportation plan, Connecting Communities. The plan will detail new programs and recommend policies and transportation investments for the next 25 years, including projects in Ocean County.

The NJTPA region includes 13 counties in northern and central New Jersey and is home to 7 million people, with the population expected to hit 7.8 million in 2050. The NJTPA works with local partners and state agencies to provide more than $3 billion in transportation investments annually. In order for the region to be eligible to receive federal transportation funds for programs and projects, the NJTPA must adopt a long-range transportation plan every four years.

"Connecting Communities will help us set a vision for the future of our region's transportation network and prioritize regionally significant projects," said Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners John P. Kelly, Chair of the NJTPA Board of Trustees. "It's important that residents from the region, including our residents here in Ocean County, share their thoughts and ideas with us, so that this plan meets the needs of the communities we serve."

Ocean County has more than 618 County road miles and more than 250 County bridges and culverts.

The NJTPA has approved funding for a number of projects in Ocean County, including a study underway in Lakewood to explore ways to mitigate congestion on Kennedy Boulevard (County Route 6) and County Line Road (County Route 526). The NJTPA also funded a study that explored options for replacing or rehabilitating the Chadwick Beach Island Bridge over Barnegat Bay in Toms River Township. That study recommended a bridge replacement, and the NJTPA is providing federal funding for design, right-of-way acquisition and construction of a new bridge.

Public input plays a critical role in the plan. The feedback the NJTPA gathers through an online survey and events will be considered and incorporated into the plan, which the NJTPA Board of Trustees is expected to adopt in September. Everyone who lives in the NJTPA region is encouraged to participate.

The survey launched today and is available in six languages – English, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Chinese and Korean. Virtual public outreach will begin later this month with a Let's Talk Transportation event scheduled for 11:30 a.m., Jan. 28 focusing on creating a safe biking and walking transportation network.

The NJTPA will also be conducting pop-up outreach at events throughout the region this spring. To share your ideas, interests, and concerns about the future of transportation in northern and central New Jersey, please take the NJTPA's brief survey and sign up for virtual events at the Connecting Communities website: www.njtpa.org/connecting.


The NJTPA is the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for 13 northern New Jersey counties. Under federal legislation, MPOs provide a forum where local officials, public transportation providers and state agency representatives can come together and cooperatively plan to meet the region's current and future transportation needs. It establishes the region's eligibility to receive federal tax dollars for transportation projects.

The NJTPA Board consists of one local elected official from each of the 13 counties in the region (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren), and the cities of Newark and Jersey City. The Board also includes a Governor's Representative, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the Executive Director of NJ Transit, the Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and a Citizen's Representative appointed by the Governor.