Establishes requirements for construction and maintenance of pedestrian overpass bridge connecting Johnson Trolley Trail.

A1814

ASSEMBLY, No. 1814

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

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

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

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.