The Essex County Division of Planning is developing a Transportation Plan for the County. The plan will be called Essex 2045 and will help the County plan out transportation improvements over the next 20+ years. The plan will consider the comprehensive needs of all Essex County’s transportation system users including motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users while addressing emerging issues such as mobility, access, safety, economic opportunity, social equity and post-COVID-19 needs. Essex 2045 will include a program of projects, strategies, and policies, and will guide transportation capital improvements in Essex County.

The project will include an assessment of existing conditions and needs, a summary of the study’s findings and recommendations, and a final report and presentation on the previous activities. During the needs assessment, Essex County will focus on listening to and engaging stakeholders. This will happen through a Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC), focus groups, and public outreach including surveys, virtual open houses, and pop-up events where you can meet and speak with the project team in person.

So far, there have been over 1,000 engagements in the Essex2045 planning process by residents, workers, businesses, and other stakeholders. Check out our PUBLIC OUTREACH FACT SHEET to learn more about how people participated and what we heard.

Activities	Timeframe
Develop a community engagement plan	June/July 2022
SAC Meeting #1: Kickoff, team coordination, and visioning	July 2022
Data collection and quantification of need	Summer/Fall 2022
SAC Meeting #2: Initial data and outreach finidngs	Fall 2022
Scenario Planning Alternatives	Fall/Winter 2022
Study findings and recommendations	Spring 2023
SAC Meeting #3: Review draft plan and deliverables	Spring 2023
Final report and presentation	June 2023
Public Outreach activities	Ongoing

About the Essex County Division of Planning

The Division of Planning is the sponsor and lead agency for Essex 2045. The Division operates under the auspices of the Department of Public Works. Functions include responsibility for long-range planning relating to development and conservation of land and resources in the County. This includes studies pertaining to the Census, safety, land use, traffic, storm water, and transportation facilities. The Division of Planning includes the operations of the Essex County Planning Board, Essex County Construction Board of Appeals, and the Essex County Transportation Advisory Board.

About the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)

This study is funded in part by a grant from the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA). The NJTPA is the federally authorized Metropolitan Planning Organization for the 13-county northern New Jersey region. Each year, they oversee over $2 billion in transportation improvement projects and provide a forum for interagency cooperation and public input.