New Jersey’s Bernardsville municipality to invest in transit access, economic development

New Jersey’s Bernardsville in Somerset County has become the state’s 37th municipality to be designated as a transit village.  

The state’s Transit Village Initiative, which began in 1999, connects designated municipalities with a task force comprised of nine state agencies that help implement mixed-use development and complete streets accommodations near transit facilities. The agencies that make up the Transit Village Task Force, which includes the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit), can provide funding and technical assistance through their programs to municipalities that have been designated as a transit village. 

“To receive a transit village designation, municipalities must create redevelopment plans that promote economic activity around public transportation,” said NJDOT Commissioner Fran O’Connor. “Bernardsville has taken steps to promote mixed-used development and businesses in its downtown near the historic train station that promote increased transit use and enhance the quality of life for residents.” 

Bernardsville’s objective with its transit village designation is to create a pedestrian-friendly, vibrant downtown with the NJ Transit Gladstone Branch Train Station as the focal point. The rail line provides service to Newark Penn Station and transfer service to New York Penn Station. In addition, Lakeland Bus Lines provides daily commuter service from the borough to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City.  

Over the past several years, the borough has adopted a complete streets policy and updated zoning ordinances to encourage mixed-used development near the train station, promote growth in and around downtown, and create a more pedestrian-friendly atmosphere. With the transit village designation, Bernardsville seeks to promote growth and increase transit access and utilization. 

The NJDOT-administered Transit Village Initiative provides participating municipalities with planning expertise and grant opportunities to redevelop land near train or other transit facilities in a way that promotes economic activity and the use of public transportation. 

Transit village designation provides: 

• State of New Jersey commitment to the municipality’s redevelopment vision. 
• Coordination and technical assistance among state agencies that comprise the Transit Village Task Force. 
• Priority consideration for certain funding opportunities. 

New Jersey’s first transit village was designated in 1999. The roster now includes Pleasantville, Morristown, Rutherford, South Amboy, South Orange, Riverside, Rahway, Metuchen, Belmar, Collingswood, Bloomfield, Bound Brook, Cranford, Matawan, New Brunswick, Journal Square/Jersey City, Netcong, Elizabeth, Burlington City, Orange, Somerville, Montclair, Linden, West Windsor, East Orange, Dunellen, Summit, Plainfield, Park Ridge, Irvington, Hackensack, Long Branch, Asbury Park, Newark, Atlantic City, High Bridge and now Bernardsville. 

The department has programmed $1 million in the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Capital Program to provide funding on a competitive basis to the 36 municipalities designated as transit villages. In FY25, the governor and Legislature provided an additional $1.6 million, allowing eight municipalities to receive grants. Applications for transit village designation are accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed by the Transit Village Task Force. The task force reviews applications and makes recommendations to the NJDOT commissioner, who has final approval of transit village designations.