- CAIT Main
- Infrastructure Areas
- Program Sites
- ANDERS - Automated Nondestructive Evaluation and Rehabilitation System
- BEAST - Bridge Evaluation and Accelerated Structural Testing
- CAES - Center for Advanced Energy Systems
- FMP - Freight and Maritime Program
- ICMP - Infrastructure Condition Monitoring Program
- IMG - Information Management Group
- LESS - Laboratory for Energy Smart Systems
- LPS - Laboratory for Port Security
- LTBP - Long-Term Bridge Performance Program
- NJ LTAP - NJ Local Technical Assistance Program
- PRP - Pavement Resource Program
- PSSP - Pipeline Safety and Security Program
- SAM - Structures and Advanced Materials
- SSML - Soil and Sediment Management Laboratory
- TSRC - Transportation Safety Resource Center
- TTG - Technology Transfer Group
- Training
- Events
- Research
- Education
2018 Build a Better Mousetrap
People involved in the transportation industry often find better ways to do their jobs. Whether it’s a new gadget that improves the quality and safety of a project, or an innovative process that reduces costs and improves efficiency, it is typically the people on the front lines who discover the latest and best practices.
New Jersey's Build a Better Mousetrap Competition provides a great opportunity to share those new ideas with others! We are looking for submissions from employees of local or state public agencies (municipalities, counties, parks commissions, NJ Department of Transportation, NJ Transit) that have created different solutions to problems or found better ways of doing things. We will gather the best ideas from around the state and judge them using a 5-point rating system.
Judging Criteria
- Cost
- Savings/benefits to the community
- Ingenuity and/or Innovation (innovation is more about the “new thing” or outcome, while ingenuity is more about how a problem is solved or the process)
- Ease of transferability and likelihood of implementation
- Effectiveness
Based on these criteria, a state winner will be selected from all of the local public agency entries, and that entry will be elevated to the National Build a Better Mousetrap Competition! This competition is sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration’s Local Technical Assistance Program and Tribal Technical Assistance Program, and winners will be announced at the annual National LTAP/TTAP Conference in July 2018. A state winner will also be selected from the NJDOT/NJT entries for the 2018 NJDOT Innovator Award, to be presented at the Annual NJDOT Research Showcase in October 2018.
If you have something you think would qualify for this competition, submit your entry by June 1st. As a reminder, this competition is open to employees of any local, county, or state public agency, including New Jersey Department of Transportation and New Jersey Transit. Two winners will be selected; one for the best local agency and another for the NJDOT/NJT Submission.
Download the entry form here!
Please include a photo(s) or sketch of your project with submission, if possible. Photos are not required, but encouraged. The deadline to submit entries is June 1st, 2018.
Please submit all entries by mail or email to:
New Jersey Local Technical Assistance Program
100 Brett Road, Piscataway New Jersey 08854
Email: NewJerseyLTAP@gmail.com
Janet Leli – 848-445-2906 
Looking for examples of the types of entries that have been received in the past? Check out these previous entries from around the country!