The NJTPA Board of Trustees approved a work program for the next fiscal year, which includes two new subregional studies, an e-commerce delivery mitigation project, and continued support of planning and development around Newark Liberty International Airport Train Station.
The Board adopted the Fiscal Year 2027 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) at its March 9 meeting. The UPWP, updated annually, is a core document which summarizes and guides transportation planning activities of the NJTPA staff, member agencies, and other transportation agencies in the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) 13-county region. FY 2027 begins July 1, and this UPWP covers activities to be completed in the next one to two years and reflects the NJTPA planning goals as well as annual statewide planning priorities and federal planning factors.
Other new initiatives will include a Traffic Signal Asset Management Project and Regional Emissions Modeling. A new round of technical assistance for subregional safety projects and collaboration with NJIT to enhance the region’s transportation modeling and support ongoing work will continue.
E-commerce Delivery Mitigation
Northern New Jersey is one of the most significant concentrations of freight operations and activities in North America. The continuing growth in e-commerce deliveries has resulted in increased demand on local streets and curb space. This e-commerce delivery mitigation effort, conducted with support from NJIT and The City College of New York, will research effective strategies to address these new demands, then develop and advance a micro distribution hub concept.
Dayton Transit Redevelopment
The NJTPA will continue its work with NJIT’s Hillier School of Architecture to support ongoing planning and develop of the Dayton Neighborhood in the City of Newark in anticipation of the expansion of the Newark Liberty International Airport Train Station. Community and stakeholder engagement will continue and there will also be a special focus on transportation modeling as well as brownfields and resilience assessments.
Subregional Studies
The Hudson County School Zone Safety Study and the Monmouth County Coordinated Public Transit Human Services Transportation Plan have been selected for funding through the NJTPA’s competitive Subregional Studies Program, open to the 15 member counties and cities. Two subregional studies initiated in previous years will continue: the Middlesex County Transportation and Mobility Plan and the Passaic County Urban Core Trucking Study. The two-year studies conducted through this program refine and develop transportation improvement strategies to address regional mobility and accessibility issues.
Other activities for FY 2027 include:
- Launching a podcast to support engagement and highlight the innovative planning, meaningful investments, and regional collaboration that drive the NJTPA’s mission;
- Initiating development of the Fiscal Year 2028 through 2031 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), including working with subregions and partner agencies to develop a project pool;
- Performing an Air Quality Conformity Determination during the TIP update process;
- Implementing a grant management and compliance training program for project managers; and,
- Engaging in joint regional demographic employment forecasting with the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) and other partners.
The new work program includes several pilot programs. The Complete Streets Conceptualization Pilot launched in FY 2026 will continue and aims to develop guidelines for project identification, prioritization and selection. A Pedestrian Lighting Analysis at 26 locations will develop recommendations to address the high rate of nighttime pedestrian fatalities. And an Intersection Control Evaluation, recommended as part of the New Jersey Strategic Highway Safety Plan, at 15 locations will help to develop a performance-based approach for screening alternatives and identifying optimal geometric and traffic control solutions for high-crash intersections.
The complete FY27 UPWP is available here.