(MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ) -- Middlesex County Commissioner Charles Kenny has been elected First Vice Chair of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), helping to continue to fuel robust economic growth through developments in transportation infrastructure.

The NJTPA is the federally authorized Metropolitan Planning Organization for the 13-county northern and central New Jersey region, overseeing over $2 billion in transportation infrastructure improvement projects and providing a forum for interagency cooperation and public input. County Commissioner Kenny’s role is an uncompensated position.

“I want to offer my heartfelt congratulations to my colleague, County Commissioner Kenny, on his election as First Vice Chair of the NJTPA; his election is a testament to his vast knowledge and years of service in the transportation sector,” said Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios. “Middlesex County is a major economic hub along the crucial Northeast Corridor, and as First Vice Chair, County Commissioner Kenny can help ensure that our community’s needs are met on a regional level, ensuring easier, more accessible transportation for our residents.”

As the chair of the County’s Transportation Committee, County Commissioner Kenny oversees Destination 2040, a strategic vision that focuses on the County’s economic development through enhancing Middlesex County’s transportation infrastructure. From facilitating major renovations to the New Brunswick Train Station and constructing a new train station in North Brunswick to the expansion of services provided by Middlesex County Area Transit (MCAT), County Commissioner Kenny is working hard to make Middlesex County more accessible.

“I thank my fellow NJTPA Board members for electing me First Vice Chair and look forward to continuing to serve on the Executive Committee,” said Middlesex County Commissioner Charles Kenny. “The NJTPA brings a regional perspective to transportation issues, whether it’s supporting the critical role that freight plays in our local economy or prioritizing funding for much-needed local safety improvements, like those we have planned for Smith Street in Perth Amboy and Stelton Road in Piscataway.”

County Commissioner Kenny also serves as co-chair of the County's Vision Zero working group, whose goal is to implement the Vision Zero Action Plan, a strategy to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries among all road users and ensure safe and equitable mobility for all residents. The County recently won a Complete Streets Excellence Award for the Vision Zero Action Plan, which is the first countywide action plan in New Jersey, positioning the County alongside other global leaders in transportation safety.

In 2023, Middlesex County, working with the NJTPA and the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), announced the completion of the Southern Middlesex County Freight Movement Study, which assessed the impact of truck traffic on local roads and neighborhoods throughout the southern portion of Middlesex County, and provided several solutions for freight traffic mitigation.

Other transportation infrastructure projects in Middlesex County include the completion of the HELIX, which will be home to the future command center for DataCity, the County’s living laboratory for autonomous technology which is currently operational, collecting data for public and private sector use to make our roads safer. In addition, the County will also launch a micro transit pilot program offering low-cost rides to locations within New Brunswick.

County Commissioner Kenny has been a member of the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners since 2013 and joined the NJTPA Board of Trustees in 2017. He most recently served as Second Vice Chair and first joined the Executive Committee when he was appointed to a two-year term as Third Vice Chair in 2020. He has served as Chair of the Planning & Economic Development and Freight Initiatives committees during his tenure.

For more information on the Department of Transportation, and Destination 2040, click here.