Guttenberg Mayor David Delle Donne this week announced that Guttenberg has received a $110,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation under the Safe Streets to Schools Program, formerly known as the Local Pedestrian Safety Program.
“We are extremely happy to receive this grant, considering the fact that it is a highly competitive grant application,” said Delle Donna. According to Jack Lettiere, Commissioner of the Department of Transportation, this year’s solicitation for funding resulted in 252 applications received statewide, totaling $42 million for the $6 million available from the Transportation Fund. Guttenberg was one of only 45 Safe Streets to Schools Projects to receive an award.
Projects were selected based on a competitive application process that centered on creating safer walkways and crosswalks, as well as making any transportation safety improvement that would increase motorist awareness of children and the routes they use to reach school. Of New Jersey’s 1.38 million school children, 577,000 do not take a bus to school, but instead walk, ride their bikes or rely on parents for rides according to the D.O.T.
The Guttenberg project will involve the installation of flashing school advance signs and textured bituminous pavement crosswalks at 68th and 67th streets at Palisade Avenue, and at 68th and 69th Streets at Hudson Avenue surrounding the Anna L. Klein School, the town’s only school. In addition, speed bumps are scheduled to be installed within the same area.
Delle Donna extended the town’s appreciation to State Senator Bernard Kenny, Jr., Assembly Speaker Albio Sires and Hudson County Freeholder Chairman Silverio Vega for their assistance in procuring grants for Guttenberg. In addition, he pointed out that Gov. James McGreevey and D.O.T. Commissioner Jack Lettiere “have been very good to the small town of Guttenberg.”
“So far, just this year alone, we have received over $1 million to improve the quality of life in Guttenberg,” said Delle Donna, “and that’s money not coming out of municipal tax dollars.” That figure includes $425,000 from the state and $250,000 from County CDBG for the Boulevard East Project; $25,000 from N.J. Department of Community Affairs for ADA compliance; $17,000 UEZ Administration Budget and $146,000 for project funding; $18.477 for the Guttenberg Municipal Alliance Against Drugs and Alcohol; $9,149 Department of Agriculture funding for the summer lunch program; $4,000 from N.J. Board of Public Utilities for purchase of an Alternative Fuel Grant vehicle; and the $110,00 school safety grant announced this week.