Deputy Director Steven Shaw told the board the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) unanimously adopted its long‑range plan, called “Connecting Communities,” and approved the FY2026–2029 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). He said the TIP covers transit, bicycle, pedestrian, road, bridge and freight projects and that the region’s plan represents about $16.3 billion over the timeframe.

Shaw said 17 Morris County projects are included in the TIP and that those projects total more than $586 million in infrastructure investments. He also said the county will circulate the draft Morris County Local Safety Action Plan — a planning document funded by the NJTPA that identifies short‑ and long‑term recommendations and possible municipal priorities — for review and likely adoption at a future meeting.

Shaw cautioned that the action plan is a planning tool and does not guarantee that referenced projects will be built; the document identifies intersections and road segments for further study and public engagement. He highlighted that federal grant programs such as the USDOT Safe Streets and Roads for All program could provide funding opportunities over a multi‑year period.

The board was advised it will receive a link to the draft Local Safety Action Plan for review and that the administration expects to present a brief overview and a formal adoption request at a future meeting. The transcript records the county staff urging municipalities to treat the plan as a planning resource and noting that crash‑data interpretation requires care because individual fatal accidents can skew results.