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Montclair board advances grant applications after NEPA clearance; staff seeks county cooperation for bike links
Summary
The board received three grant updates: SS4A environmental clearance (allowing fall demonstration projects), a bikeways application to close a north–south loop that may require county cooperation, and a transit‑village bid to improve access to Bay Street Station. Staff emphasized grants are reimbursement‑based and require upfront capital planning.
Staff told the board that the SS4A environmental review (NEPA) was approved, which opens the second tranche of grant funds but came too late for demonstration projects this school year. Staff said outreach and demonstration installations (for example, a Cedar and High demonstration near Nishuane School) are planned for the fall once local engagement can be completed.
Board members then reviewed three state grant opportunities with June 30 application deadlines: a bikeways grant (to extend bike facilities along Harrison Avenue, Cedar Avenue and municipal stretches of Orange Road to close a north‑south network), a Transit Village proposal to improve access to Bay Street Station (Pine Street improvements from Bloomfield to Glen Ridge, including a two‑part design for protected lanes and bike boulevard elements), and a municipal/local aid application for Park Street corridor improvements (including bike facilities, high‑visibility crosswalks and neighborhood traffic circles). Staff cautioned that applying for improvements on county roads requires a county resolution consenting to include the county segment; using the town’s application for county road improvements uses the municipality’s single application and is a trade‑off versus applying for purely municipal segments.
Members discussed operational concerns around parking, train‑peak queuing near Bay Street Station and fire station access where cars queue to pick up riders. Staff repeatedly noted that these grants are reimbursement‑based: the township must put capital into its budget in advance and will be reimbursed if and when the grant awards are made. "All of these grants are reimbursement based," a staff member said, urging the board to stage capital planning across multiple years so money is available when awards are announced.
Why it matters: The grants could fund multimodal network connections (bicycle access to the station, corridor safety upgrades) and demonstration projects that change how residents move around town, but they require near‑term application decisions and multi‑year capital planning.
What’s next: Staff will finalize and submit the June 30 grant applications, continue outreach for SS4A demos for the fall, and seek county cooperation where county road segments are proposed for improvement.
