East Brunswick Bike Path Costs Balloon To $3.5M, Mayor Calls Project 'Bridge to Nowhere’

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ – The cost of a bike path connecting Crystal Springs to the Community Arts Center has increased significantly, Mayor Brad Cohen informed the council and the community.

The township was initially awarded a federal grant of $500,000 to do a bike path that would connect Crystal Springs to the Community Arts Center.

However, between engineering costs, Department of Environmental Protection costs, and the federal government's requirements for the township, the costs increased to $2.5 million.

Recently, the federal government informed the township that the estimated cost has now ballooned to $3.5 million, leaving the township scrambling to find the $1 million to cover the shortfall, the mayor said.

“As a municipality, we have never raised taxes that much. So we are right now looking to see if we can get the state or the county to contribute towards the difference. At this point, if we cannot come up with something to bridge that gap, I do not think we should burden the taxpayers with it,” Cohen said, calling the project “the bridge to nowhere.”

"I'm hoping that we can get the money from other sources.”

Municipal taxes have been under 1 percent since Cohen took office. This amounts to $350,000-$400,000 in any year. The increase can be seen in the current budget and covers all municipal expenses.

Councilman James Wendell, who has been on the council for the past 15 years, said it was a shame the federal government couldn’t push the project past the finish line.

“It's sad to hear that the federal government, the state government are spending money to get approvals, but they're limited by their own agencies,” Wendell said.

Cohen agreed, saying, “It's sad that something that reasonably could have been done for half a million dollars is now ballooned.”

Have a correction or a news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com