North Brunswick, New Jersey

N orth Brunswick Township, a 12.3 square mile municipality located in Middlesex County, NJ, approximately halfway between New York City and Philadelphia, has a history of implementing unique approaches to address problems and concerns related to redevelopment and traffic congestion. As we all know, many of the problems that municipalities must deal with are not just local problems, but are actually regional in nature, as worsening traffic congestion, air and water pollution, and flooding are problems that are negatively impacted by actions beyond municipal borders. Recently, Business View Magazine spoke with North Brunswick Mayor Francis “Mac” Womack III and Planning Director Tom Vigna about redevelopment and sustainability efforts in the township. Vigna states, “Unfortunately, there are not enough federal and state resources available to address regional traffic and environmental problems, so sitting back and waiting for a solution from a higher level of government is not considered an option in North Brunswick. For the past 25 years, the township has shown a willingness to take innovative local action to combat traffic and environmental problems in a way that can be duplicated by other municipalities in order to achieve a regional benefit. We move forward with a ‘bottom-up’ approach starting at the municipal level, as opposed to a ‘top- down’ approach waiting for the state, county, or federal government to come up with solutions.” Unacceptable traffic congestion and the abandonment of older industrial sites by major corporations have put pressure on North Brunswick to facilitate redevelopment in a way that provides benefits to both residents and the region as a whole. According to Womack, “North North Brunswick, New Jersey SOLVING PROBLEMS