Urge New Jersey Budget Leaders to Support Trails!

With the approach of spring comes big decisions regarding the state budget—and the New Jersey State Legislature needs to hear that the Circuit Trails are important to you. To ensure these projects get the state support they need, send the letter before the hearings take place beginning next week on March 22nd. Help make sure that Circuit Trails’ projects in New Jersey get the support they need by contacting your legislator today!

As it stands, state funding and policies do not go far enough to ensure that we will meet our 500-mile goal by 2025. The New Jersey Department of Transportation's (NJDOT) current Bikeway Grant Program aims to reach 1,000 miles of bikeways across the state, but at the program's current rate of funding, this will take 1,000 years! This program only funds $1 million a year statewide for bike projects of any kind, this often means a maximum of three projects in all our 565 municipalities are funded and many projects must be put on hold.

To change that, the Circuit Trails Coalition needs your help in calling for the New Jersey Legislature to make the following recommendation as they consider this year's budget: To complete 500 miles of Circuit Trails by 2025 and accommodate the active transportation needs of the state, we are asking for an increase in NJDOT Bikeway Grant funding to $30 million per year.

The increased funding will allow for 40 miles of trails to be constructed in South Jersey, helping to complete the priority Circuit Trails projects below:

Significant corridors of the Delaware River Heritage Trail between Trenton and Camden

• Lawrence Hopewell Trail in Mercer County
• Union Transportation Trail in Mercer County
• The Rancocas Creek Greenway in Burlington County
• The Link Trail in Camden County
• Burlington-Camden Trail in Camden County
• Elephant Swamp Trail in Gloucester County

The New Jersey State Legislature will be hearing testimony from the public during virtual meetings on March 22 and 23. Please contact info@circuittrails.org if you are interested in testifying. We will work with you to prepare your statement.

To ensure that Circuit projects get the state support they need to be completed by 2025, please take a moment to enter your address to contact your legislator.