County Master Plan

In 2018, the Department initiated the development and creation of a new Master Plan for the County of Bergen, with an eye toward ensuring a more coordinated, consistent approach to our resources and assets, and encouraging sound regional planning principles.  Upon its completion and adoption, the County Master Plan will provide a guidance tool for future development, redevelopment, and preservation throughout Bergen County, as well as provide municipalities with a regional framework for their local planning processes.

This effort is reflective of past efforts to develop a Vision and a framework for ongoing planning at the County level.  In 2010, the Department of Planning conducted a Visioning Process to inform the Master Plan as it unfolds, with outreach via a website, three Visioning sessions held throughout the County, and one-day symposium to report out our findings and explore some of the ideas that emerged further.  We found that all of our Visioning outreach drove home the notion that our key quality of life issues are intrinsically tied together – land use decisions affect transportation which affects business, trade, and economic viability which impacts revenue generation and taxes which in turn affect future land use decisions, and so on, into the future. These issues all co-mingle and interplay to create and affect our quality of life. Click here to review the summary of our Visioning efforts.

Northern Branch Extension of
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Transit (HBLRT) System

The County of Bergen has worked alongside NJ Transit for a number of years to advance passenger rail opportunities along the Northern Branch rail corridor in the eastern tier of the county, connecting to HBLRT services in Hudson County further south.  The Northern Branch is a single-track rail line running approximately 11 miles from North Bergen in Hudson County through the Bergen County communities of Fairview, Ridgefield, Palisades Park, Leonia, Englewood and Tenafly.  NJ Transit is currently in the process of incorporating and addressing comments received during the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) phase of the project and, upon completion, NJ Transit may proceed with the project.

The Central Bergen Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan

The Central Bergen Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan was conducted to address safety and mobility improvements for walking and bicycling to and from major destinations in the eight-municipality study area adjacent to the Bergen County Saddle River Park. Defining a bicycling and walking network is intended to guide all roadway jurisdictions - state, county, and the eight municipalities – in prioritizing investment in bicycling and walking facility improvements, resulting in continuous accommodation along routes to destinations throughout the region.

2015 Central Bergen Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan - Final Report
2015 Central Bergen Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan - Appendices

Bergen Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Implementation Study

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a transportation system that combines the efficiency of trains with the flexibility of buses.  Essentially, BRT employs a combination of transit strategies to allow riders to travel more quickly on the current network of roads and highways, including new stations and stops, exclusive turning lanes, and rapid transit vehicles.  These technological improvements allow BRT vehicles to travel faster, cleaner, and more reliably than regular buses.  With Bergen County’s already extensive bus system and proven track-record of high bus ridership, as well as the mix of urban and suburban areas that BRT can serve well, new mass transit options such as this can help curb congestion on our already overcrowded roads and highways.  The County of Bergen partnered in a joint effort with NJ Transit on an Implementation Study to select the most viable routes to advance as BRT corridors.

Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)

The Transportation Improvement Program, or TIP, is the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority’s (NJTPA) Capital Construction Program for roads, highways, bridges, transit, and statewide programs that fall under state jurisdiction.  Transportation improvements for county or local roadways and bridges are not included in this TIP and are instead part of a county or municipal capital improvement program.  The TIP is the final phase in a continuous, multi-phase project development and implementation process called the "Project Pipeline," and only includes the final design, right of way purchase, and construction phases of a transportation project.  The TIP is a three-year funding schedule and is updated yearly, with the fiscal year beginning on October 1 of each year.  Further details on the TIP process as well as the transportation projects included in the current TIP or Project Pipeline can be viewed at the following link on the NJTPA website at: TIP Overview | NJTPA | North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority

Interagency Coordination

The Division serves as a key liaison to our regional, statewide, and Federal agencies with respect to interagency coordination on transportation and regional planning issues.  Our activities in this vein include funding, coordination, programming, planning, policy, analytical, and technical activities with the following agencies:

 North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority

(NJTPA)

Staff serve as liaison to the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority with respect to capital construction projects, the Regional Transportation Plan, passenger rail and freight issues, and topics concerning state and Federal funding for transportation.  In addition, the NJTPA has coordinated participation in Together North Jersey, a $5 million grant through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to develop a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development in the 13-county NJTPA region, of which the County is a member of the consortium.  Beyond this, the NJTPA provides grants to help fund transportation planning staff activities, and important component to support our work efforts.

 New Jersey Department of Transportation

(NJDOT)

Staff serve as liaison to the New Jersey Department of Transportation with respect to State Highway projects and transportation issues of statewide or regional significance.  The Department of Planning has coordinated efforts on a number of key highway projects, including the studies to improve the Route 4 and Route 17 corridors. 

NJ Transit

Staff serve as liaison to NJ Transit with respect to advancing key public transit projects (including Bus Rapid Transit, the Northern Branch, and other transit opportunities), as well as refining our current bus and rail transit services, to enhance transit opportunities for residents and travelers throughout the County.

The Port Authority of New York/New Jersey

(PANYNJ)

The Port Authority invests billions each year in infrastructure throughout the region.  The PANYNJ conceives, builds, operates and maintains infrastructure critical to the New York/New Jersey region's trade and transportation network. These facilities include America's busiest airport system, marine terminals and ports, the PATH rail transit system, six tunnels and bridges between New York and New Jersey, the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, and the World Trade Center.  Recent efforts have focused on the increasingly critical need for resilient, reliable trans-Hudson mobility and capacity.

New Jersey Highlands Council

The New Jersey Highlands consists of a 1,343 square mile area in the northwest part of the state noted for is scenic beauty and environmental significance - especially in that it is a vital source of drinking water for over 5 million residents of New Jersey. The region stretches from Phillipsburg in the southwest to Ringwood in the northeast, and lies within portions of seven counties (Hunterdon, Somerset, Sussex, Warren, Morris, Passaic, and Bergen) and includes 88 municipalities.  Oakland and Mahwah are the two Bergen County Municipalities within the Highlands.

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