The Aubrey Group sourced the US Department of Transportation Safe Streets & Roads for All (SS4A) grant program in April 2023 and presented it to the Township Manager in our monthly research memorandum. The Township Manager and Director of Planning and Community Development, Janice Talley, as well as the Council were interested in applying to prioritize their Vision Zero goals. The Aubrey Group coordinated the project launch with Director Talleyalong with Council members. Director Talley and the Council members then connected The Aubrey Group with members of the Montclair Vision Zero task force, NJ Bike & Walkways Coalition, and Bike and Walk Montclair. The Aubrey Group arranged an application committee and scheduled weekly meetings until the deadline.

SS4A grants support planning, infrastructure, behavioral, and operational initiatives to prevent death and serious injury on roads and streets involving all roadway users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation, personal conveyance, and micromobility users; motorists; and commercial vehicle operators. SS4A provides funding for two main types of grants: Planning and Demonstration Grants for comprehensive safety action plans, including supplemental safety planning and/or safety demonstration activities; and Implementation Grants. Planning and Demonstration Grants are used to develop, complete, or supplement a comprehensive safety action plan, as well as carry out demonstration activities that inform an Action Plan. Implementation Grants are used to implement strategies or projects that are consistent with an existing Action Plan.

As a first-time applicant, the Township pursued an Action Plan grant. Essex County had just secured an Action Plan grant in funding rounds prior, and our goal was to apply for a Supplemental Action Plan to complement the County’s efforts. As such, coordination with Essex County and the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) was essential. The Aubrey Group reached out to Commissioners and NJTPA representatives to secure Letters of Support and application feedback. After many meetings with the stakeholders and township staff, The Aubrey Group crafted the proposal.

Our application was to supplement the Essex County Action Plan through data-driven project selections, public engagement, considering equity and underserved communities, and conducting demonstration projects to produce proofs-of-concept for innovative safety improvements. Each of these projects, chosen through stakeholder engagement and collaboration, will enable Montclair to conduct detailed, localized safety analysis. This will allow them to rigorously collect and maintain data related to each demonstration, including both quantitative data on traffic safety metrics and community feedback.

This data was shared with Essex County throughout the process, culminating in a Final Project Report that will inform the County’s Action Plan and produce proofs-of-concept that can be applied to both the County and Township.

More than nine meetings were held with stakeholders. The application was prepared and reviewed by the application committee. It was submitted in July and awarded in December 2023.

About the Client: The Township of Montclair (pop. 40,000) is located in Essex County, NJ, about 12 miles from Manhattan. Montclair has a strong and unique identity as an excellent place to live and to raise a family., It is as a center for the arts and culture, and as a great place to build a thriving business. When other municipalities across New Jersey and New York look seek to revitalize their downtowns, they often point to Montclair as an example of what they aspire to become.