Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ANTHONY S. VERRELLI
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes requirements for construction and maintenance of pedestrian overpass bridge connecting Johnson Trolley Trail.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning a pedestrian overpass bridge connecting the Johnson Trolley Trail and supplementing Title 27 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Department of Transportation shall develop planning, engineering, and construction standards for the construction of a pedestrian overpass bridge at the intersection of the Johnson Trolley Trail and Interstate Highway 295. At a minimum, the standards shall ensure that the bridge is accessible for public use by pedestrians, bicycles, scooters, and other devices or vehicles that the department deems appropriate, including but not limited to low-speed electric bicycles and low-speed electric scooters. The department shall publish these standards on the department’s Internet website no later than six months after the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
b. Before construction of the pedestrian overpass bridge may commence, the project sponsor shall submit a copy of the proposed project design and construction plan to the department for review and approval. The construction of the pedestrian overpass bridge shall be permitted if:
(1) the department determines, within 90 calendar days of receiving the proposed project design and construction plan, that the project design and construction plan comply with the standards developed pursuant to subsection a. of this section; or
(2) the department fails to affirmatively approve or deny the project within 90 calendar days of receiving the proposed project design and construction plan.
c. After the construction of the pedestrian overpass bridge, the department shall assume responsibility for the maintenance and operations of the bridge.
2. Nothing in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be construed to permit or obligate the Department of Transportation to:
a. construct all or any part of the pedestrian overpass bridge located at the intersection of the Johnson Trolley Trail and Interstate Highway 295; or
b. maintain any portion of the Johnson Trolley Trail corridor other than the pedestrian overpass bridge, as required under subsection c. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
3. This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the New Jersey Department of Transportation (department) to assume responsibility for the operations and maintenance of a pedestrian overpass bridge that may be constructed to connect the portions of the Johnson Trolley Trail that bisect Interstate Highway 295 in Mercer County.
The bill also requires the department to develop a set of planning, engineering, and construction standards for the potential construction of this bridge. At a minimum, these standards would be required to ensure that the bridge is accessible for public use by pedestrians, bicycles, scooters, and other devices or vehicles that the department deems appropriate. Before the bridge may be constructed, the bill requires the project sponsor to submit a copy of the proposed project design and construction plan to the department to ensure that the project complies with the standards developed by the department.
The bill also clarifies that the department would not be permitted or obligated to construct the pedestrian overpass bridge nor would it be responsible for maintaining and operating other portions of the Johnson Trolley Trail corridor.