Route 9 Corridor Towns Get DOT Grants

Freehold and several other towns along Route 9 were among 59 municipalities throughout the state to split close to $3 million dollars in grants from the New Jersey Department of Transportation. 

Area towns including Manalapan, Marlboro, as well as Howell received grants totaling $255,788 in "Safe Corridor" grants.

"Safety is the New Jersey Department of Transportation's top priority, and these grants support safety through local law enforcement and capital improvement projects," Commissioner James Simpson said. "The funding helps local governments achieve their objectives without burdening local property taxpayers."

In a press release from the DOT, the Safe Corridor funding is "allocated based on crash data, with higher amounts of funding going to areas demonstrating the greatest need for continued enhanced enforcement measures." Money from the grant can be used to buy equipment including police cars, radar, hardware and software as well as to pay salaries. 

Along the Route 9 corridor Old Bridge received the most money from the department totalling $109,542.63. Howell received $84,697.91 while Freehold Township received $71,710.89. Rounding out the Monmouth County portion was Manalapan with $55,147.75 and Marlboro with $41,219.65. Just south of the Monmouth County border Lakewood received $49,124.79.

Since the program was started in 2003 14 10-mile stretches of highways with a "history of high crash rates," have benefitted from the grant according to the press release. "Grants are supported by fines which are doubled in designated Safe Corridors for a variety of moving violations, including speeding."

Other roads included in the program for 2012 are Route 1, Route 22, Route 40, Route 46, Route 47, Route 73 and Route 206.