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GMTMA Announces Bookmark Contest Winners
Greater Mercer TMA sponsored a Safe Routes to School Bookmark Design Contest with the theme “If I could/walk bike anywhere in the world, it would be...”. The contest was open to all 3rd through 5th graders in Mercer and Ocean County, NJ. We applaud all the students that participated in the contest for their creative entries.
The Mercer County winners are:
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Amolika Bhatia, 3rd Grade, Lawrenceville Elementary School
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MacKenzie Menchu, 5th Grade, Lawrence Intermediate School
The Ocean County winners are:
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Autumn Mummolo, 4th Grade, Ocean Road Elementary School
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Reese Larew, 4th Grade, Cedar Creek Elementary School
These selected student’s bookmarks will be printed and distributed to each student’s school, local libraries and at community events.
This year an additional bookmark was selected for recognition, Oliver Olsen's bookmark was selected for Best Message “I Would Go Anywhere I Can Help.” Oliver will receive a certificate and a $25 donation in his name to The B.E.A.T Center Food Bank.
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New! Interactive Trails Map
The Greater Mercer Trails Plan study, conducted to support the development of a network of multi-use (biking and walking) trails and paths in the Greater Mercer area, now has an interactive map to make it easier to see both proposed and existing (off-road and on-road) facilities.
The interactive map, Trails Plan, and Design Guide can all be found on GMTMA website’s Trails Page.
We’d like the opportunity to present the Trails Plan to your group. Please contact us to present (virtually) the Greater Mercer Trails Plan to your Municipality’s planning board or council, business or organization.
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Mercer Team's Project Moves to Limited Launch
Last September we announced that Mercer County was one of five projects selected by the National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM) for a Community Mobility Planning Grant. We’re pleased to have our project now selected to move on to the limited launch phase where we will test out individual aspects of the plan. Our project was to develop solutions to address the mobility challenges experienced by low-income residents for whom a lack of transportation limited employment opportunities to the East Windsor and 8A Warehouse district.
Since then team members, that include: Greater Mercer TMA, Mercer County Planning, TRADE, DVRPC, NJ Transit, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, RISE Community Services, and the East Trenton Collaborative have met, discussed, and developed transportation solutions that would offer residents in Trenton and East Windsor/Hightstown improved access to jobs. Using a design thinking process, which provided framework for the grant, our proposed solution is an adapted and enhanced version of an existing dynamic rideshare application, Waze Carpool. With subsidies and incentives, and the ability to restrict trip origins and destinations to the targeted areas, the proposed program would be able to provide an affordable ride between work and home.
GMTMA presented the WAZE project via Zoom on April 30th. To view the Mercer Team presentation, click here.
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Bike Month Campaign Raises $600 for Food Banks in Mercer and Ocean County
Greater Mercer TMA partnered with Keep Middlesex Moving and RideWise for a Bike Month event this May. The three TMAs asked residents in Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset, and Ocean County to pledge to ride their bike, send biking photos, or stories during the month of May. For every pledge, photo and story, the TMAs would donate food to a local Food Bank. The response from participants in every county was outstanding. As a result, Greater Mercer TMA will donate a total of $600 to the following food banks: Rise NJ and Mercer Street Friends in Mercer County and the B.E.A.T Center in Ocean County.
Greater Mercer TMA would like to thank everyone who participated and shared the information for the campaign.
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It Pay$ to Plug In Electric Vehicle Chargers Funding
In celebration of Earth Day and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP) 50th Celebration, the NJDEP announced that it will dedicate ~$7.6 M to electric vehicle charging infrastructure prioritizing fast chargers using VW settlement funds and other funding sources as they become available. The program is designed to expand the network of electric vehicle infrastructure and provides grant funds to offset the cost of purchasing and installing electric vehicle stations. The grant application is open to businesses, governments, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions. Private residential units are not eligible for grants. Charging Stations for multi-family residences, including apartments, condominiums, and townhouse are eligible for grants. Applications are due by June 22, 2020.
The NJDEP made an interactive mapping tool available to help inform the placement of electric vehicle fast charging stations. Grant applicants can use the map to evaluate potential location for new public chargers. The mapping tool is available here.
For more eligibility criteria, grant application instructions, and other information, click here.
Grant Application Form available here.
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