NEWARK, NJ. March 16, 2024 (Biz Republic) — U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) announced $179.3 million in federal funding for infrastructure projects across New Jersey, including investments in expanding access to broadband, building an urban school, and expanding a center serving people without homes and LGBTQIA+ youth.
The grants, awarded through the Department of Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund (CPF),will fund projects that enable work, education, and health monitoring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to ensure that all communities have access to the high-quality modern infrastructure needed to access critical services. CPF is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, which passed the Senate and the House in 2021 along party lines.
“These are essential investments in New Jersey’s future, expanding access to high-speed internet, rebuilding schools, making it safer for mothers giving birth, and more,” said Senator Booker. “I’m proud to have voted for the bill that allocated this funding and to fight to bring home resources that enable our families and children to thrive and lower costs for New Jerseyans. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, we have made historic investments in New Jersey’s infrastructure to remove lead-service lines, strengthen supply chains, accelerate our transition to a clean-energy economy, and advance construction of the Hudson River tunnel—the most important infrastructure project in North America.”
“Lowering costs for affordable internet is critical to meeting the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of expanding economic opportunity in communities across the country,” said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo. “This funding is key to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and will help increase access to high-speed internet for thousands of New Jerseyans so they can compete in the 21st century economy.”
“Building a stronger, fairer, and more resilient New Jersey in a manner that’s equitable is a collaborative effort between many partners, all of whom have a stake in the success of our communities. I am grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for these transformative investments, and to Senator Booker and our congressional delegation for their tireless support of the people of the Garden State,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “This funding will help strengthen infrastructure and improve access to essential services, and in many instances it will be a game-changer that has a lasting impact on communities across our state.”
The projects selected for funding represent a diverse range of initiatives tailored to address the needs and challenges of communities throughout New Jersey:
● New Jersey Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Equity Program (NJBIDE): $50 million to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to create and administer NJBIDE. This program will expand access to broadband infrastructure, ensuring connectivity across the state.
● NJ TRANSIT’s Connected Bus Program: $15 million to provide free high-speed Wi-Fi onboard public transport buses with an activated ticket, addressing inequity in broadband access and improving connectivity for commuters in New Jersey.
● Construction of Grade 7-9 Community School in Union City: $50 million to build a new community school designed to educate 827 students in grades seven through nine, and the school will serve as a multi-purpose community facility for Union City residents.
● Improving maternal health: $25 million to improve collaboration and programming between all departments, agencies, and stakeholders to achieve the goal of making New Jersey the safest and most equitable place in the nation to give birth and raise a baby.
● Building Community Resilience: $32.7 million to address disparities in access to education, jobs and health monitoring by making capital improvements at community facilities across Jersey.
● Expansion of North Jersey Community Research Initiative (NJCRI): $6.6 million to expand NJCRI’s homeless drop-in center (Crossroads) and youth LGBTQIA+ drop-in center (Project WOW) into a multi-purpose community facility in downtown Newark, providing essential services and support to vulnerable populations.
Booker worked with colleagues to pass major legislation—the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022—to make once-in-a-generation investments in our nation’s infrastructure and grow the economy. These investments have provided historic funding to remove lead from water pipes; rebuild roads and bridges; build clean-energy infrastructure; expand access to high-speed broadband; modernize our rail and transit systems; build an electric vehicle charging network; clean up pollution; and more.
Working with the Biden-Harris Administration, Booker has secured an unprecedented amount of federal funding for New Jersey. Recently, Booker announced a number major infrastructure improvements—a longstanding policy priority for Booker throughout his tenure in the Senate—including funding for road and highway improvements, New Jersey ports, electric vehicle charging stations, and community centers. In November, Booker announced $4.5 billion in federal funding for mass transit improvements in New Jersey and the region, including historic investments in the Gateway Program and the modernization of Newark Penn Station.
Booker has also been a champion for improving maternal healthcare, sponsoring the bicameral Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act to address the drivers of maternal mortality and morbidity and create a healthier future for all families.
“While we must continue to work to pass the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act and address the unacceptably high maternal mortality rates for women in the United States and New Jersey, I am proud to champion federal investments such as this one to give New Jersey resources to make crucial investments into our state’s maternal healthcare system,” Booker said. “I am grateful that Governor Murphy and the First Lady have made maternal health a priority and are focused on improving maternal health outcomes for New Jersey families.”
“This federal funding is critical to ensure we have the resources to develop a first in class Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center in Trenton, continuing to advance our mission of making New Jersey the safest, most equitable state in the nation to deliver and raise a baby,” said First Lady Tammy Murphy. “The Center will serve as a one-of-a-kind incubator for research and development, an academic and perinatal workforce training center, a data collaborative, and so much more. It will not only help us transform the maternal and infant health landscape in New Jersey but will make our state the national model and gold standard for maternal care.”
