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New Jersey

The Rural Context For Transportation Consultations

New Jersey is the 5th smallest largest state in the U.S. in land area, 9th largest in population, and the most densely populated. However, approximately 15 percent of New Jersey's population and jobs, and 65 percent of the land, is non-urban. About 38 percent of New Jersey's roads are rural. Federally owned lands amount to just over 13 percent of the state's land area.

New Jersey is a slowly growing state, as measured by population, with a slowly growing rate of employment. The portion of the state's jobs that are in the uniquely agriculture and mining sectors is small (3 and less than one percent, respectively). Most jobs in New Jersey's rural areas are in sectors also common in urban areas: construction, transportation & utilities (16 percent); manufacturing (15 percent); business & trade (28 percent); and services & government (39 percent).

Demographically, New Jersey's non-urban population is predominately white (91 percent) with African Americans being the largest minority (6.4 percent). Compared to the other states, the proportion of New Jersey's non-urban adult population who did not graduate from high school is near the middle (19th lowest), but the proportion that did graduate from college is the second highest of all states. The 5 percent of New Jersey's non-urban people who are poor is 2nd lowest of all the other states. About 40 percent of the state's non-urban population is in non-working age groups (26 percent 18 years or younger, and 14 percent 65 years or older).

Governmentally, New Jersey is moderately complex. Although its 21 counties, a fairly manageable number compared to many other states, New Jersey also has 324 municipalities and 243 towns or townships, for a total of 567 sub-county divisions. This is the 17th highest number of sub-county governments among the states. New Jersey does not have any federally recognized Indian tribes.

In addition, the 1997 U.S. Census of Governments has identified 3 independent, special-purpose governments in New Jersey that have transportation responsibilities. This number is lower than in many other states. These special-purpose governments are for highways. New Jersey also has 16 other public transit providers serving rural areas and an additional 136 organizations that provide specialized transit services to elderly and disabled populations in those same areas.

New Jersey has 2 regional councils that cover approximately 50 percent of the state, and 3 MPOs. These regional units help to coordinate the other local governments and play a role in rural transportation programs as described below.

Of New Jersey's 34,286 miles of roads, approximately 10 percent are state-controlled, while less than one percent are federal. Of the total miles of non-federal rural roads, 8 percent are state, 28 percent are county, 36 percent are township, and 28 percent are municipal and other.

Processes For Consultation And Cooperation With Local Officials In Non-Metropolitan Areas

For the last several years, all of New Jersey's 21 counties have been included in one of three MPOs. County elected officials from all parts of the state, including rural areas, participate directly in transportation planning through participation in MPO boards and in various board committees which formulate board policy leading to specific actions. The development of each MPO's long-range plan and transportation improvement program is done in a collaborative process with the state highway and transit agencies.

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