Congestion & Mobility

CAIT-affiliated researchers examine the impact of major trade agreements such as NAFTA and the European Union Customs Union, and their implications on transportation systems globally.

The Associate Director of CAIT, Dr. Patrick Szary, has served on the executive committee of CUTC previously as well as playing an instrumental role in both leading CAIT’s research in aligning with the national vision of USDOT while also engaging regional stakeholders and developing the Center as a dynamic resource.

The three-day event featured panelists from NASA, FAA, universities, industry, and more including associate director of Rutgers CAIT Dr. Pat Szary who presented on the safety and security roles that AI might play in the future of air mobility. A major theme of the event was addressing next steps in further implementing UAS.

Rutgers’ CAIT was awarded a $3.5 million grant from USDOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration under the University Transportation Center (UTC) program. This is the third time CAIT has successfully competed to retain its UTC status.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy recently announced the formation of a statewide council of leaders from various industry, community, and faith-based groups and institutions across New Jersey to work together and advise on the state’s restart and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

CAIT director Dr. Ali Maher and civil engineering professor Dr. Franklin Moon offered their thoughts on New Jersey infrastructure and encouraged lawmakers to view researchers in higher education as a resource and partner for finding solutions to the state’s pressing issues.

The 110-year-old Portal North Bridge carries approximately 450 trains and 200,000 passengers on an average day, and is in need of repair. CAIT helped to secure new funding from FRA that will allow NJ Transit and other stakeholders to advance these vital infrastructure projects.

Traffic congestion costs the US billions each year in productivity as commuters find themselves stuck on the nation’s crowded roadways. As more people use the transportation system, investment in innovative, intelligent technology is needed to ensure that current infrastructure can support the growing need.

A CAIT research report spurred legislation to establish a task force to examine difficulties that adults with developmental disabilities face just getting around.

Dr. Cecilia Feeley, Transportation Autism Project Manager at CAIT, was among the researchers personally invited to attend the summit. Her breakout group was primarily focused on the emerging autonomous vehicle market and ways to make sure this technology is inclusive for all.

Inaccurate network pavement data can impact pavement management decisions such as roadway repairs and more. CAIT researchers at the Rutgers Asphalt Pavement Lab are working with NJDOT to test new pavement inspection equipment and locations to ensure data is accurate and representative of roads in New Jersey.

The Region 2 UTC consortium is focusing on developing practical tools and methods to improve infrastructure health, durability, and resilience. Partners are: Atlantic Cape Community College, Columbia, Cornell, NJIT, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico, Princeton, Rowan, SUNY–Farmingdale, and University at Buffalo.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation. Includes stories on recent events, research, and faculty accomplishments and activities.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT.

News from the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center led by Rutgers CAIT

Self-driving shuttles are one part of NJ Transit’s future plans for filling in the gap on first and last-mile transit options. The agency hopes to test this technology as part of an innovative pilot program that Rutgers CAIT has partnered with them on.

Columbia University recently announced 10 faculty teams that were each awarded $85,000 to develop innovative technology for New York City during COVID-19. CAIT-affiliated researcher Dr. Sharon Di was among one of those faculty teams selected for a project developing a crowd management systems for public transit systems.

FHWA acting administrator Brandye Hendrickson has announced the fifth round of the agency’s Every Day Counts (EDC) program, 10 selected proven, yet underutilized innovations to enhance safety, reduce congestion, shorten project timelines, and improve sustainability.

Primarily focused on the performance of structures under fire, Dr. Negar Elhami Khorasani is currently researching damage to concrete railway-tunnel lining during fire events, which can have millions of dollars of impact, through a UTC Fire in Tunnel Collaborative Project at CAIT.

A new Rutgers Regional Report documents the rise of international migration as a primary demographic engine of growth as the result of a region suffering from sustained domestic out-migration. As demographic changes impact the workforce and movement of people and goods, it might also shape the larger transportation network.

FHWA has developed a comprehensive set of programs, strategies, and tools for managing safer, smarter, more efficient temporary traffic control. How can you start using them?

Dr. Cecilia Feeley will be using a safe, virtual environment to study how people with autism react to different types of pedestrian infrastructure. She is recruiting participants for the study now.

About 25 percent of fatal accidents in work zones involve large commercial vehicles. That’s about one fatality every three days. According to Texas A&M research, there are two main categories for countermeasures that could bring this number down.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority are advancing more than $1.1 billion in construction contracts for 2019.

NJDOT announced the first awards in the new Local Freight Impact Fund program totaling $30.1 million to help municipalities safely manage large truck traffic. It is supported by the gas tax that was part of the 2016 TTF reauthorization.

The Murphy administration announced that the New Jersey Transportation Infrastructure Bank is now offering low-interest loans to municipalities and counties to help them reduce the overall cost of local transportation projects.

A CAIT proposal transforms part of downtown New Brunswick into a test bed for technologies that collect, process, analyze mobility big data—a crucial component to future integration of autonomous vehicles, a safer pedestrian and cycling environment, and robust public transit.

EDC-4 Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) tech sheets, complete with stats and clear graphics, provide information on safety benefits and design considerations for five STEP countermeasures.

FHWA offers a new, free tool to help with data collection and decision making when it comes to implementing intelligent transportation systems in construction and maintenance work zones.

The short-term goal of this research is to develop a guideline that agencies can implement into their own decision-making processes when evaluating rapid-repair materials. Down the road, researchers hope to develop new methods of testing rapid-repair materials and freeze-thaw cycles so that it becomes standardized.

NJDOT recently received a $16,000 grant through the FHWA's ASAP program. Using the money, they will partner with NJLTAP and other stakeholders to develop a workshop designed to spread and implement proven safety countermeasures, from rumble strips to roundabouts, throughout the state.

The goal of “Road to Zero” is to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2050. Coalition members develop priorities; take action individually and collaboratively; and encourage partners and stakeholders to help ensure safe mobility for all people.

Amid restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the region, researchers at the Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation have still been able to conduct important work and take on new challenges in transportation—highlighted by recent media coverage and virtual events.

As the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center, part of CAIT’s mission is to share the innovative tools, technologies, and processes that its researchers develop with the right stakeholders so that they can be implemented and solve the most pressing challenges today’s transportation network and industry faces. 

Researchers at the Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation continue to conduct important work and take on new challenges in transportation during the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic. Here are some of our recent highlights.

This October, CAIT has been in the news for various research and projects, has seen faculty members honored for their excellence in education and research, and has hosted a number of classes and site visits.

Researchers at University Transportation Center (UTC) partner school, Columbia University, are conducting a survey to better understand people's travel pattern changes before and after the pandemic to ultimately help improve transit service.

CAIT has been busy in recent months with projects ranging from building virtual reality modules for workforce training to using drones in innovative ways for highway interchange asset inspection. Check out the latest edition of Transportation Today, our print newsletter, for these stories and much more.

Roadway work crews face many dangers: inattentive drivers, hazardous dust, night work, and soon, autonomous vehicles. More than 250 construction, engineering, public works, and law enforcement pros gathered at the NJ Work Zone Safety Conference, held each year in conjunction with National Work Zone Awareness Week.

As the Region 2 UTC lead institution, Rutgers CAIT gathered its consortium partners and high-level industry leaders to discuss the next round of UTC projects, clients’ priorities, and collaboration. Discussions focused on finding real-world implementable solutions for pressing transportation issues in the region.

Ride-sharing services are beginning to integrate with existing public transit to provide multimodal transportation for commuters. APTA published a study showing services like Uber and Lyft can complement fixed routes of traditional transit.

Roadway departure crashes are among the most severe type of motor vehicle accidents. There are many contributing factors to these crashes and several safety measures that can reduce the number and/or severity of run-off-road and head-on collisions that occur when a vehicle strays from its proper travel lane.

A CAIT researcher has developed two fully-interactive virtual environments that mesh innovative VR technology with the needs of infrastructure managers. Roadside crews can step into both of these bridge and pump-station environments, and step out with the hands-on experience they need to do their jobs.

Ahead of National Work Zone Awareness Week, Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation will host the annual New Jersey Work Zone Safety Conference on Thursday, April 7th, from 8:30 am to 1 pm.

In the 2020s, public and private sectors will find succession planning an increasing concern as boomers retire and members of Generation X ascend to top leadership ranks. This will affect transportation too, as car-centric boomers are replaced by millennials who have reinvented a transit-dependent urban geography.

NJDOT officials extended the application deadline for the federally-funded Safe Routes to School grants to September 18, 2018, giving schools additional time to gather information they need to be eligible for a grant.

The 99th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board will feature transportation professionals from around the world for a week of presentations, posters, meetings, awards, networking, and more. Use this schedule to find out when and where researchers from Rutgers CAIT will be discussing their own work.

New Jersey's conference observing National Work Zone Safety Week celebrated its 20th year in 2019 and drew more than 250 transportation professionals from construction, public works, maintenance operations, engineering, utilities, and public safety.

University at Buffalo engineers, and CAIT UTC partners, Dr. Negar Elhami-Khorasani and Dr. Anthony Tessari are looking at how to improve fire safety in tunnels.

NJDOT has released its strategic plan, establishing its organizational objectives for 2018–2022. It reflects the Secretary’s priorities for achieving the agency’s mission through four strategic goals; Safety, Infrastructure, Innovation, and Accountability.

Beyond Traffic 2045 presents USDOT’s is the most comprehensive report in decades to outline current and anticipated U.S. transportation needs. With its record for unique products and solutions, CAIT nabbed a slot as one of only 18 Beyond Traffic Innovation Centers.

Transportation professionals from around the world came together last week to share research, discuss the future of the industry, network, and more. Among them, researchers from CAIT shared their own work ranging from autonomous vehicles and accessibility to preventing tunnel fires.

CAIT-affiliated researchers were featured in a recently-released issue of TR News for their work deploying artificial intelligence to help detect and analyze railroad trespassing events, utilizing an innovative solution to address one of the biggest challenges faced by the industry today.

On August 30th, Rutgers CAIT hosted UTC partners from Rowan University to discuss their research Evaluating the Mobility Impacts of American Dream Complex and Developing Innovative Intersection Safety Tools, as part of a presentation during the CAIT Seminar Series.