NEWARK, NJ — Newark nabbed more than $2.9 million in state aid to help repair its roads as part of the latest round of Municipal Aid grants from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT).

Last week, Gov. Phil Murphy announced that 96 percent of New Jersey municipalities will split $161.25 million in awards for fiscal year 2020. A total of 542 cities and towns across the state are receiving grants to advance road, bridge, safety and quality-of-life improvements as part of the NJDOT's "Commitment to Communities" initiative.

Newark will get a $725,000 grant for "roadway preservation" at 25 separate locations in the city. It will also get a $2,185,884 urban allotment... a total of $2,910,884. In May, the NJDOT announced an accelerated FY20 Municipal Aid grant cycle to make awards in November each year, rather than in the spring as was done in past years.

"The vast majority of towns and cities operate on a fiscal year running from January 1 through December 31," state officials wrote, explaining the reason for the change. "Knowing the amount of Municipal Aid before the fiscal year begins helps municipalities better determine which projects will move forward that year." The NJDOT created a Local Aid Resource Center this year to help local public agencies get up to speed with the new grant cycle.

"Under the Municipal Aid grant program, each county is apportioned a share of the total funding based on population and the number of local centerline miles. Municipalities compete for portions of their county's share. The NJDOT provides 75 percent of the grant amount when a town awards a contract and the remaining 25 percent upon completion of the project. Of the $161.25 million, there is $10 million allotted for municipalities qualifying for urban aid under state law, with the amounts determined by the Department of Community Affairs." Project applications are evaluated and rated on their merits by NJDOT local aid staff and an independent panel of New Jersey municipal engineers, state officials said.