New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Priya Jain today announced the creation of the Division of Transportation Permitting as part of Governor Mikie Sherrill’s Save Your Time & Money agenda.
The new division aligns with Executive Order 5 (EO-5) to simplify and modernize the State’s regulatory processes to save time and money, and improve affordability, accountability, and transparency. Earlier this year, NJDOT completed a comprehensive review of Departmental permits and approvals to identify outdated or duplicative requirements, which helped inform the reforms required under EO-5.
The new NJDOT Division of Transportation Permitting follows other Department changes that went into effect this summer to streamline the permitting process. On August 1, NJDOT’s Major Access Permits (MAP) process and Outdoor Advertising Permitting process became fully electronic.
Under Governor Sherrill and Commissioner Jain’s leadership, NJDOT has eliminated the Department’s Minor Access and Highway Occupancy Permitting backlog of 500 permits. In June, Governor Sherrill’s Administration launched a Permitting Dashboard for 10 pilot projects and is testing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to augment permitting intake, as well as fulfilling other actions to speed up permitting.
“On my first day in office, I signed Executive Order 5 to ensure New Jersey’s permitting process is transparent and accountable,” Governor Mikie Sherill said. “NJDOT’s new Division of Transportation Permitting will create a more efficient and predictable permitting process – saving both the Department and applicants’ time and money while helping move projects forward more quickly.”
“At NJDOT we understand the importance of permitting and the frustration that can occur when the process is difficult to navigate. The creation of a unified Division of Transportation Permitting will help our stakeholders navigate the Department more easily, which in turn can reduce delays and help projects advance more efficiently,” NJDOT Commissioner Priya Jain said. “We have already made significant progress, but we want to go further.”
Predictability matters to everyone trying to plan and finance projects – businesses, municipalities, contractors, developers, and government agencies alike. The creation of NJDOT’s Division of Transportation Permitting brings all of the Department’s permitting functions under one centralized unit to better serve those stakeholders. The new unit will provide better communication with applicants, simplified permitting approvals and get shovels in the ground faster than before, bringing projects to the communities who need them most and bolstering New Jersey’s economy.