Workforce Development

If you want to work on NJDOT-funded infrastructure projects and haven't taken a refresher in two years, better sign up now. Course covers MUTCD, info on keeping workers safe, new NJDOT safety specs, and other federal and state regulations/changes.

The Work Zone Safety Awareness Program is offered to participants who require an overview of working safely in the roadway. This course is vital for personnel who are required to set up short-term work zones or are assigned to long-term projects, to ensure compliance with the national MUTCD standards.

The training covers topics including TIM guidelines, fundamentals, and terminology; notifications and scene size up; scene safety and risk management; traffic management; special circumstances; clearance; and termination.

Pavement Management Systems provides the basics for developing a pavement management system to help local governments manage their pavement network by providing an understanding of the concept and importance of road surface inventories and condition surveys.

If you want to work on NJDOT-funded infrastructure projects and haven't taken a refresher in two years, better sign up now. Course covers MUTCD, info on keeping workers safe, new NJDOT safety specs, and other federal and state regulations/changes.

The Work Zone Safety Awareness Program is offered to participants who require an overview of working safely in the roadway. This course is vital for personnel who are required to set up short-term work zones or are assigned to long-term projects, to ensure compliance with the national MUTCD standards.

If you want to work on NJDOT-funded infrastructure projects and haven't taken a refresher in two years, better sign up now. Course covers MUTCD, info on keeping workers safe, new NJDOT safety specs, and other federal and state regulations/changes.

The training covers topics including TIM guidelines, fundamentals, and terminology; notifications and scene size up; scene safety and risk management; traffic management; special circumstances; clearance; and termination.

On the 10th Anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, the 2022 Northeast Coastal Conference brought together experts and industry leaders to discuss what we have learned, ongoing research and projects that are making our shores and coastal communities safer, and new ways we can continue to build a more resilient future.

CAIT-affiliated researcher Dr. James W. Hughes has been tracking the economic impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic through his series of Fast Track Research Notes. As we head into the new year with a recent upsurge of cases both nationally and regionally, he provides some new insight on how the situation develops.

A grant from the NSF helped launch Atlantic Cape Community College’s new associate’s degree program in applied science with a concentration on small commercial drone field technicians.

A new center designed to educate the current and next generation of transportation leaders to be resilient to challenges of the 21st century has been established at Rutgers through a partnership with two industry leaders.

The American Public Works Association (APWA) is proud to announce creation of a national “Public Works First Responder” symbol that recognizes public works professionals’ federally mandated role as first responders.

This summer, the BEAST Lab at Rutgers CAIT began to evaluate emerging bridge preservation technologies in addition to ongoing testing of a full-scale, 50-ft. bridge deck. Specifically, researchers started investigating UHPC to establish measurements of the material’s long-term performance under real-world conditions.

Janet Leli has been with CAIT since its inception and has contributed to its success over the years through taking on leadership positions and other efforts to advance the transportation field. She was recognized for these contributions at the CUTC Award Banquet before the TRB 2020 meeting.

Dr. Szary leads CAIT’s research efforts helping to align them with USDOT’s national vision and the needs of stakeholders in the Northeast region. He has been a member of CUTC’s executive board previously, most recently serving as VP last year.

Dr. Szary leads CAIT’s research efforts helping to align them with USDOT’s national vision and the needs of stakeholders in the Northeast region. He has been a member of CUTC’s executive board previously, most recently serving as Secretary last year.

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.

The BRP is aimed at preserving bridges in the state, enhancing the condition of key transportation infrastructure, and developing new technologies to help engineers build with resilience in mind.

On Tuesday, March 8th, CAIT celebrated International Women's Day with a special edition of its seminar series that showcased some of the latest achievements and research of women leaders in transportation.

CAIT Director Dr. Ali Maher was selected by ACECNJ as its 2020 Educator of the Year as part of the organizations’ annual New Jersey Engineering Excellence Awards program.

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.

Rutgers CAIT recently enhanced capability in large-scale structural-testing equipment that will enable full utilization of its existing laboratory infrastructure and expand its portfolio in transportation research by providing access to a capability that currently does not exist in any other university in NJ and the region.

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.

This week (April 17-21) marks National Work Zone Awareness Week. Rutgers CAIT hosted the 2023 NJ Work Zone Safety Conference earlier this month recognizing the need for increased safety and awareness on the state’s local roads and highways.

Spring brings the start of construction season, and with it the important reminder to practice safe driving especially in and around roadway work zones.

The Infrastructure Asset Management Academy for Engineers and Planners is a 6-course program taught by experts at CAIT and industry partners designed to provide students with the knowledge, tools, and experience needed to make more informed asset management decisions.

Eighty universities nationwide hold the prestigious "Innovation and Economic Prosperity" designation from the APLU. CAIT's workforce development and applied research initiatives aided Rutgers in recently securing this substantial recognition.

ARA was selected as a contractor to provide program support and engineering services to the FHWA’s Office of Bridges and Structures and National Geotechnical Team. CAIT has teamed up with them as a subcontractor to provide research support and expertise.

Due to how it is sourced and produced, the mechanical properties and characteristics of Recycled Concrete Aggregate can vary greatly. As demand for this material grows, it is important for the construction industry to understand the nature of RCA and how it can be applied to different projects.

Dr. James W. Hughes has been tracking the economic impacts of COVID-19 throughout the pandemic with his series of “Fast Track Research Notes.” As recovery continues and vaccines are distributed at a larger scale, he discusses some of the shifts that have occurred and what things might look like as we rebuild.

The infrastructure bill recently passed by the United States Senate could foster economic growth in the region as has been the case historically with infrastructure investment in New Jersey. CAIT-affiliated researcher, Dr. James W. Hughes, discusses this opportunity and potential roadblocks to economic recovery.

ASCE Central Jersey honors members dedicated to the advancement of engineering every year at its annual awards ceremony. This year, they selected CAIT-affiliated researcher Dr. Husam Najm for the Educator of the Year Award due to his dedication in helping educate the next generation of civil engineers at Rutgers.

Dr. Jie Gong gave a 3-hour course earlier this fall on statewide infrastructure resilience to storms, flooding, and other natural disasters at the NJ Regional Intelligence Operation Center.

The Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prizes are awarded to ASCE members for notable achievements in research related to civil engineering. Dr. Hao Wang was recognized by ASCE with a Huber Prize this year for his innovative research developing durable and smart pavement systems.

Artificial Intelligence can help reduce pedestrian and vehicle accidents along NJ TRANSIT’s Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line and beyond.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, NJDOT's annual Research Showcase this October highlighted the benefits of transportation research, recognized leaders in the field, and featured research presentations from faculty and students.

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.

On December 9th from 1-2 pm, CAIT researcher and dean emeritus of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers, Dr. James W. Hughes, discussed economic trends the Northeast region is facing as it heads into the new year and continues to recover from the COVID-19 Pandemic.

State transportation leaders gathered to learn about mobility and infrastructure projects happening in Middlesex County.

The National Center for Rural Road Safety is a leading resource to help transportation agencies reduce deaths on their roadways. As it heads into its second tenure, the Center recently announced a new approach and team to help address the needs of local agencies and rural transportation practitioners.

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 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.

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 Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation. Includes stories on recent conferences, 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.

The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has named Mehdi Javanmard a senior member. He is one of 95 of the foremost emerging academic inventors identified by NAI’s member institutions to be welcomed to the 2023 class of senior members. 

The way that we think about and use transportation as it exists today has been shaped by innovative women leaders throughout history. They have contributed greatly to the safety of all modes of travel, efficiency of our transportation systems, and the development of new technology that drives transportation into the future.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, excavation and trench-related fatalities in 2016 were nearly double the average of the previous five years. OSHA has resources to help reverse this trend.

“Expect the unexpected” when driving in and around work zones. Speed limits and traffic lanes may change and workers may be on or near the road. Diamond-shaped orange warning signs are posted. Stay alert, slow down, and obey flaggers. Read tips for safe driving on this handy sheet.

The second edition of Fast Track Research Notes published by CAIT-affiliated researcher Dr. James W. Hughes was published earlier in June and looked at New Jersey's May job gain and recovery following staggering loses due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. 

FHWA and the National Association of County Engineers helped 25 counties in California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Ohio, and Wisconsin develop Local Road Safety Plans. LSRPs provide a framework for local agencies to identify specific conditions that contribute to severe crashes.

The two-day conference gathered transportation agencies, police and EMS personnel, industry, academic researchers, and more to learn about the latest technologies being deployed and better understand the needs of first responders in the field today.

Ask professional engineer and NJLTAP team member Lloyd Jacobs your transportation project questions. This issue, Lloyd answers questions about requirements for “responsible charges” and reimbursable costs on federally-funded projects.

At 62 years and counting, the region’s longest-running asphalt pavement conference was attended by nearly 320 pros from research, transportation agencies, and private industry.

At the 30th annual CUTC Awards Banquet, a UTC student from Rutgers University was recognized by CUTC as the CAIT 2020 Student of the Year. The award highlights outstanding UTC students and their accomplishments in the field of transportation.

At the 102nd annual TRB meeting, Geoffrey Vega, a Ph.D. student in Engineering & Applied Sciences at the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico (PUPR), received the 2022 Student of the Year Award alongside his peers at the CUTC Annual Banquet on Saturday, January 7th.

At of the 103rd annual TRB meeting, Holly Josephs, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rutgers, received the 2023 Student of the Year Award alongside her peers during the CUTC Awards Banquet on Saturday, January 6th.

Ship channel managers regularly have to schedule maintenance and dredging activities in order to keep channels clear from sand, debris, and trash. Delays in dredging can triggering increased risks, the need for repeated maintenance and lost revenue.

CAIT researchers at the Rutgers Asphalt and Pavement Laboratory created this new free technology and are now licensing it to professionals in the field. The software can easily provide analysis for various asphalt-performance testing specifications while alleviating errors and decreasing testing time.

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.

As an increasing number of local and regional transportation agencies are committing to the vision of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries and developing and implementing their own transportation safety plans. This FHWA guide will help them do it right.

New report provides assessment of 2020’s economic journey and an outlook for 2021.

NJLTAP invites transportation “boots on the ground” to submit their ideas for how to improve quality, increase safety, reduce costs, or maximize efficiency of road maintenance and improvement projects.

Rutgers researchers provide analysis on the pandemic’s impact on state’s economy through new Rutgers Regional Report published by a CAIT-affiliated researcher.

Under-designing roads can mean more expensive repairs for local towns and counties in the long run. Cornell’s Dr. David Orr, PE, developed an innovative tool to help bring the proper pavement designs to local agencies. The product launched this winter following testing by local agencies and stakeholders in New York State.

Innovation Exchange events bring transportation leaders to the table to share ideas and out-of-the-box practices with proven results. View past webinars or stay in the loop for future events on the Office of Innovative Program Delivery exchange page.

NJ STIC held its annual spring meeting on April 4, 2018. Presentations included updates on status of STIC projects, overviews of select projects and outreach efforts, and a roundtable discussion. Presentations are posted on the NJDOT tech transfer website.

Recognizing successful research collaboration between the agency and university, On April 6th NJ TRANSIT and Rutgers CAIT hosted a Research & Technology Partnership Forum featuring some of their ongoing projects.

Federal Transit Administration Grant Award Advances Transit Innovation and Safety.

This summer, CAIT and NJ Transit partnered to study the potential applications of ultraviolet-c light for disinfecting the agency’s bus fleet from COVID-19 in an effort to investigate the latest technology to help keep vehicles clean during the pandemic.

New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti announced the department is offering one-on-one training sessions for local-government agency representatives interested in applying for the Safe Routes to School Program grants.

From studying and monitoring roadways paved with waste-plastic infused asphalt to analyzing the regional economy and outlook for 2023, CAIT researchers have been making headlines lately for their impactful and implementable research. 

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.

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.

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.

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. 

From innovative research to receiving awards, read about some of the recent highlights and successes from researchers at the Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation during the summer months.

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.

FHWA’s National Summer Transportation Institute celebrates 25 years of introducing students to college life and sparking their interest in careers in transportation.

Created by a partnership between UITP, NJ TRANSIT & Rutgers CAIT, the training courses assemble international experts to share best practices on electric buses, fare management, rail operations and more.

Able to climb stairs, navigate rough terrain, and respond to commands, the mobile robotic dog, “Spot,” offers Rutgers CAIT researchers an autonomous technology for innovations in infrastructure maintenance and repair.

This certification meets AASHTO standards and requirements. It also further validates equipment used in the lab and supports ongoing efforts at Rutgers to monitor and maintain New Jersey’s pavement network in partnership with NJDOT.

The research program will develop a semi-autonomous online portal for identifying and promoting new bridge technologies into practice.

Rutgers CAIT hosted A Training Course on Ground Improvement Methods that outlined best practices for dealing with poor ground conditions at the job site. Professional engineers came to campus for the two-day event to learn about these technologies from guest instructor Jerry A. DiMaggio.

Approximately 30 “MSc in Shipping” students, along with faculty from the Department of Maritime Studies, visited the US for tours of shipping and port organizations such as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as well as relevant research centers and academic programs.

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.

This new research project will help to identify best practices to facilitate truck movements and minimize truck wait time at JFK International Airport for land-side cargo movements through a systems analysis of cargo movement and logistics.

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.

Dr. Vassiliki Demetracopoulou is an Assistant Professor at Rutgers University and an affiliated researcher at the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT). Her research was recently featured in NCIT's December newsletter.

The American Council of Engineering Companies of New Jersey celebrated its 50th annual Engineering Excellence Awards this July, and recognized Rutgers professor and CAIT-affiliated researcher Dr. Nenad Gucunski as its Educator of the Year.

Nearly 200 transportation leaders visited Rutgers to discuss how the rail industry can improve public safety along its thousands of track miles.

At the 24th Annual NJDOT Research Showcase, Rutgers student Xiao Chen won the 2022 Outstanding University Student in Transportation Research Award for his work on the NJDOT project “Innovative Pothole Repair Materials and Techniques.”

CAIT has a robust pavement operation that boasts long-standing AASHTO accreditation. It’s also committed to spreading the word—and skills—on pavement management, customized condition modeling, budget planning, and finding the right materials for every application.

CAIT expert briefed NJDOT on “gee whiz” automated systems and advanced technologies developed at the center that give bridge owners a picture of bridge health inside and out, and accelerated testing that indicates how they may hold up over time.

TRB’s Annual Meeting attracts thousands of transportation professionals from around the world to cover the latest research across all modes of travel. Among them, CAIT researchers will be presenting their work at sessions highlighted in this article.

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.

According to national traffic data from USDOT, severe and fatal crashes are on the rise across the country, increasing 5.6 percent from 2015 to 2016. These two approaches can bring that number back down.

As the global demand for sustainable urban mobility grows, UITP, alongside its North American members, recognized the need to take a proactive role in enhancing the skills of the region’s public transport workforce.

PHMSA invited Rutgers grad student Milad Salemi to present his research at a workshop to encourage high school students to pursue STEM fields and to expose them to transportation careers. The event was part of the USDOT 50th Anniversary celebration.

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.

During a recent episode of the Structural Engineering Podcast Channel, UTC partner at NJIT and CAIT-affiliated researcher Dr. Matthew Bandelt, was interviewed about his work with this innovative material and its many applications. 

Dr. Matthew Bandelt, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a CAIT University Transportation Center partner, won the award to continue his research studying the use of highly ductile concrete materials in structural systems.

Leveraging its network of resources and partners as the Region 2 USDOT University Transportation Center, CAIT set up STEM tours with NJIT this fall for its students in the Rutgers Youth Success Program.

Atlantic Cape Community College (ACCC) is helping its students enter the multi-billion-dollar drone industry in two ways: with micro-credentials offered through a new degree program, and by establishing the college’s drone-pilot certification program as the industry standard.

The overall grant will fund a 3-year project that calls on students to develop a business plan built around licensable intellectual property that they will present and pitch to a panel of potential investors as part of the competition. The winning team will receive a monetary award to help them launch their venture.

University Transportation Center partners at Rowan University are creating an effective and specialized approach to the Last Mile Challenge for the City of Camden, NJ, to improve transportation accessibility, public health, education, and employment opportunities for city residents.

Research with GatewayJFK and JFK International Airport analyzed the benefits of an airport-wide Truck Flow Management System to coordinate truck traffic and cargo movements throughout the airport and surrounding region.

Bridge to Employment is a J&J youth development program designed to inspire young people from historically marginalized communities to stay in school and pursue STEM careers. A local site kicked off year 3 of its program with lab tours and technology demonstrations at Rutgers CAIT this September.