$752K Grant To Expand School Sidewalks Awarded To Point Pleasant

POINT PLEASANT, NJ — Point Pleasant Borough has been awarded a $752,000 grant from the state Department of Transportation to install sidewalks near Ocean Road Elementary School, borough officials announced.

The grant funding is part of the New Jersey Safe Routes to School program, which aims to "prioritize and implement opportunities for people to walk, bike, or travel by other wheeled devices."

"By focusing on improvements to support active travel by youth, we believe we can create conditions that are safe, healthy, equitable, and appealing for all," the state program's website says.

The goal is to construct and upgrade sidewalks and street crossings near Ocean Road Elementary School, which has sidewalks on some streets, but on other streets kids are forced to walk at the edge of the road, a potentially unsafe place to be.

Borough Administrator Frank Pannucci Jr. said the state received 61 applications for the program in 2024, and the application from Point Pleasant was one of 23 that were selected to receive money.

"The mayor and council had our engineer along with representatives from the Greater Mercer Transportation Authority (GMTA) walk this area last year to assess the feasibility of this plan," Pannucci said. "Not only did everyone agree this would be a huge improvement to this area, the State did as well.”

The state Department of Transportation administers this program in partnership with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Authority, and the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization.

"These organizations look to recognize the overwhelming needs of communities like ours and our desire to improve the health and safety of our children and residents of all ages who walk and bicycle in school areas," officials said.