The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) Board of Trustees today approved three key documents that will guide the agency’s work over the next several years — Connecting Communities: The NJTPA Long Range Transportation Plan, Fiscal Year 2026-2029 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Air Quality Conformity Determination.
Connecting Communitiespresents a 25-year vision for the future of transportation in northern and central New Jersey. The plan envisions a resilient, modern multimodal transportation system that meets the needs of all users –getting people and goods to their destinations safely, easily and reliably.
“Connecting Communities underscores the vital role our transportation network plays in keeping people, families and businesses connected, whether commuting to work or school, visiting loved ones, or making a quick trip to the store,” said Ocean County Commissioner John P. Kelly, Chair of the NJTPA Board of Trustees. “This plan emphasizes the need to improve safety and accessibility, address congestion, strengthen our regional economy and ensure our transportation network is maintained in a state of good repair.”
Connecting Communities was developed with extensive public engagement. More than 4,000 people provided input through online surveys, virtual events and pop-up outreach across the NJTPA’s 13-county region. Many of the plan’s goals and recommendations reflect what the public shared. Residents want safer streets designed for all users, with an emphasis on improving pedestrian and bicycle safety, and they want reliable public transit that helps get them to where they need to go.
The FY 2026-2029 TIP is the short-term implementation of Connecting Communities. It is a fiscally constrained list of projects and programs undergoing various stages of work, including preliminary engineering, final design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction. This TIP invests a record amount in the region — $16.3 billion over four years.
In FY 2026, this includes $1.6 billion for New Jersey Department of Transportation road, bridge and infrastructure improvements; $1.4 billion for NJ TRANSIT system upgrades; and $350 million in federal funding for the Gateway Development Commission’s Hudson Tunnel Project.
“Thanks to the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re making unprecedented investments in our region,” said Middlesex County Commissioner Charles Kenny, First Vice Chair of the NJTPA Board of Trustees. “This funding program is aligned with the work of the State’s Vision Zero Commission, ensuring that our roads are safe for pedestrians and drivers; and providing reliable mobility options to support ongoing economic development.”
In his remarks to the Board, Chairman Kelly noted that the TIP funds 323 projects and programs across the region, including those led by NJTPA’s county and city subregions. For example, the TIP includes $16.2 million for an Ocean County-led project to improve operations and address congestion in the area of Garden State Parkway Interchange 83 in Toms River, including work at the intersection of County Route 571 (Indian Head Road) and U.S. Route 9 (Lakewood Avenue).
Finally, the Board also approved the Air Quality Conformity Determination for both Connecting Communities and the TIP. This analysis confirmed that the projects and programs in the plan and TIP meet federal air quality standards and do not worsen air quality in the region.
All the documents, as well as a summary of public comments, are available at njtpa.org/publiccomment.