27:1B-21.35 Definitions relative to Transportation Trust Fund projects; program established; requirements.

3. a. As used in this section:

"Project bundle" means any group of transportation projects that are combined into a single design contract under the design bundling program.

"Transportation Project Design Bundling Program" or "design bundling program" means a department process where multiple transportation project design contracts, funded in whole or in part by the Transportation Trust Fund, are combined into a single transportation project design contract for the purposes of saving the department time or money. The "Transportation Project Design Bundling Program" or "design bundling program" shall not include any construction contracts among the transportation projects in the program.

b. The Transportation Project Design Bundling Program is hereby established within the department to save time and money on transportation projects by allowing multiple transportation projects to be combined into a single design contract.

c. All transportation projects, including but not limited to, transportation projects contained in the department's bridge inspection, safety, and pavement asset management systems, and any transportation assets identified by the department as being in need of repair, may be included in the design bundling program if the projects meet all of the following criteria: (1) the transportation projects are similar in complexity, in the same capital investment strategy (CIS) asset category, or are in reasonable geographical proximity to one another; (2) the transportation projects are of similar size or design; (3) the transportation projects will not require a more stringent environmental permitting process or increase the environmental review time as a result of their inclusion in the design bundling program; and (4) the inclusion of transportation projects in the design bundling program will provide the department with cost and time savings.

d. The commissioner may develop a design bundling program. In the event that such a program is developed, the program shall include the following minimum requirements:

(1) The department shall annually develop a preliminary list of transportation projects that are intended to be included in project design bundles. The department shall identify project design bundles for different regions of the State for geographically combinable transportation projects and project design bundles on a Statewide basis for similar transportation project types and similar CIS asset categories. The preliminary list shall include all transportation projects meeting the eligibility requirements established in subsection c. of this section;

(2) The department shall notify any local government entity that is substantially impacted by the project design bundles recommended for inclusion in the design bundling program. The department shall also distribute the preliminary list to the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization, and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission; and

(3) Once the department has obtained all of the necessary approvals for transportation projects in the design bundle from applicable governmental entities, the department shall annually, publicly issue a final list of transportation design projects to be included in the design bundling program, prior to issuing the respective contracts for project design bundles.

e. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, transportation design projects determined to be eligible and recommended for inclusion in the design bundling program by the department shall not require specific itemization in a capital budget, but any capital funds expended on the design bundling program shall be provided for in a single capital program line item for each project design bundle under the design bundling program.

f. Any transportation projects included in the design bundling program established pursuant to subsection b. of this section shall comply with section 24 of P.L.1984, c.73 (C.27:1B-24), chapters 32 through 35 of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes, and any other provision of law concerning the State's public bidding requirements and business set-aside programs.

L.2019, c.196, s.3.