Right now, there’s a time-sensitive opportunity to ask the Board members of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) to increase the amount of federal funding allocated to Circuit Trails and other bicycle/pedestrian projects across southern New Jersey. With 26 miles of New Jersey’s Circuit Trails projects already moving toward construction and another 30 miles in the pipeline, we believe this goal can be achieved with adequate funding, sufficient staff capacity, dedicated right of way and, most importantly, political will.

DVRPC’s New Jersey Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) prioritizes infrastructure projects in the nine-county region, which includes the Circuit Trails network. Once a project has been programmed into the TIP, it is prioritized to receive federal investment and greatly accelerates trail network development. DVRPC wants to hear from you before the public comment period closes on August 18th as they allocate their federal dollars in their 2024-2027 infrastructure project budget. This is the opportunity to get these miles funded to complete the Circuit Coalition’s short-term goal of completing 500 miles of trails by 2025.

We need your voice in support of the following comments:

1. Thank DVRPC for the Circuit projects that are included for funding.
2. Thank DVRPC for the bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements included for funding.
3. Spend the new federal Carbon Reduction Program funds on bicycle/pedestrian and Circuit Trails projects.
4. Increase the amount of federal funding for bicycle/pedestrian and Circuit Trails projects. Currently, the draft TIP only allocates 2.36% toward bike/ped projects or programs, which doesn’t meet the 5% commitment DVRPC made in its Long-Range Plan.
5. Add 5 Circuit Trail projects to the final NJ TIP.
6. Oppose two large highway expansion projects proposing to spend over $3.6 billion dollars on highway expansion that is above and beyond the 4% allocated for highway expansion in the Long Range Plan.

When you act now, your comments are considered in this process, which sets the priorities for federal transportation infrastructure spending in the region for the next four years—which is why we can’t afford to miss the opportunity for the Circuit Trails and other active transportation infrastructure. This process sets the priorities for federal transportation infrastructure spending in the region for the next four years—which is why we can’t afford to miss the opportunity to accelerate the development of the Circuit Trails. We need to make it clear to the DVRPC Board that the Circuit Trails and the region’s active transportation network should be prioritized—send your comments now!