Research

The primary goal of this proposal is to develop a pilot, proof-of-concept study in collaboration with the MTA to explore the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for analyzing infrastructure big data to predict track degradation and future condition.

The intended outcome of the project is a novel AI model for track…

The primary goal of this proposal is to develop and assess an innovative real-time proactive safety monitoring system based on the trajectory of road users (e.g., cars, pedestrians, and cyclists) collected by video cameras. The results of this project will provide a great opportunity for transportation agencies to rank a…

The fundamental problem with the amounts of data collected by railroads is that they have generally lacked tools and the capability to analyze these data to develop predictive models to improve decisions regarding maintenance, operations and capital investments that improve safety, service and, ultimately, overall profit…

The updated information about the location and type of landing sites is an essential asset for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT). However, the acquisition, verification, and regular updating of information about landing sites is not an easy or straightforward task, and t…

Performance- or risk-based earthquake engineering has gained widespread acceptance as a path to achieve user-specified performance targets, which include characterizations of casualties, repair cost, and business interruption, for intensity, scenario- and time-based assessments. There are tools whose roots are in U.S. nu…

This project aims to develop a 2-D hydrodynamic model to assess the extent/severity of flooding from extreme weather events (such as Hurricane Sandy) and to evaluate the efficiency of existing transportation infrastructure.

The model will incorporate a representation of the transportation system network, flood eve…

Major tunnel fires can lead to catastrophic events potentially resulting in the loss of lives, property damage, long service disruptions, and major socioeconomic impacts. A number of previous historical events confirm that tunnel fires may not necessarily cause collapse, but significant damage to the tunnel lining and lo…

The primary goal of this project is to analyze the failure of different types of transportation signage during Hurricane Maria. The specific objectives are:

• determine the causes of signage failure
• suggest improvements to the design and construction to avoid or reduce…
  

The primary goal of this proposal is to analyze pedestrian bridges that were damaged or collapsed during Hurricane Maria. The specific objectives of the project are:

• Develop an inventory of pedestrian bridges that were damaged or collapsed due to the hurricane and document the type of failures exp…
  

The primary goal of this project is to analyze motor vehicle bridges that were damaged or collapsed during Hurricane Maria. The specific objectives of the project are:

• develop an inventory of bridges that experienced damages or collapsed
• determine the causes of failu…
  

The risks associated with infrastructure are clearly identified but training to minimize the impact of these challenges is sparsely available or lacking in related content.  This project will design and establish academic credentials as well as non-credit short courses that will prepare participants to assess, mitigate …

The primary goal of this proposal is to establish the pilot Smart Intersection Mobility (SIMO) testbed in downtown New Brunswick. The testbed will be equipped with AV-grade LiDAR and computer vision sensors to collect real-time vehicle, pedestrian, and infrastructure change data. Data sharing and testing platforms will b…

The overarching aim of the research is to explore and establish the ability of large-amplitude, forced vibration testing to reveal the current performance and forecast the future system performance of bridges, with the consideration of dynamic soil-foundation-structure effects. With the ability to perform reli…

According to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), New Jersey has the worst traffic bottleneck in the country. With the opening of the second largest retail and entertainment complex in the country, local officials and NJ Governor’s office estimate that the American Dream complex will make congestion a…

The primary goal of this proposal is to develop a customized concept of operations (ConOps) of rail track asset management and risk management, built upon an understanding of existing practice, needs, and gaps. The ConOps will be customized to a particular rail agency: PATH.

This research will adopt an “user-in-…

The primary goal of this proposal is to evaluate a state of the art technology in roadway profiling called Zero Speed Profiling.  Conceptually developed under NCHRP Project 10-93, “Measuring, Characterizing, and Reporting Pavement Roughness of Low-Speed and Urban Roads,” this research study will evaluate the…

Airfield Pavement Management collects data of structural condition such as fatigue cracking and rutting. However, important factors affect the safety of aircraft operations including non-structural distresses of low friction and surface distortion are missing in the data collection process. The goal of this research is t…

The primary goal of this research is to develop a modeling framework for segment-level crash risk assessment considering roadway geometry characteristics and dynamic parameters affecting the crash risk, including temporal characteristic (e.g., season, day of week, time of day), traffic flow characteristics (e.g., vehicle…

The proposed research will develop a cloud-computing platform for state-wide traffic video data analytics. The platform will use the existing 511 CCTV traffic video streams to generate traffic flow and occupancy data to enrich the existing TRANSCOM data feed primarily containing travel time and event data. The added flow…

The objective of this research is to provide tunnel ventilation systems owners and the Port Authority of NY & NJ with a vehicle fleet mix forecast model that will enable realistic and practical long-term forecasts of the life-cycle costs of tunnel ventilation systems, and help optimize the performance of t…

The Manhattan Bridge is 6,855 feet long, spanning the East River and connecting the island of Manhattan to Brooklyn. It is subjected to repeated dynamic loads, especially by the transit system trains with the average daily traffic of 1,000 trains per day. As a result of repeated loads, especially those by the …

The proof-of-concept prototype will be a scaled model of a bridge and its approach slab. The model will have a scaled version of an axle tandem loading the approach slab. On the approach slab, the team will install the prototype technology – a piezo-electric array linked (in series?) and tied to a battery. As the a…

The goal of this project is to develop a road map for research through CAIT on transportation infrastructure resilience.  The objective is to:

1) Develop an inventory and assessment of current research and activities

2) Develop an inventory of research needs and prioritize these needs

3) Connect the…

The natural gas distribution system in the United States has 1.2 million miles of mains and about 65 million service lines (as of 2012). This distribution system, which consist of various material types, is subjected to various threats the impact of which differ depending on material, age, location, and operational funct…

The Transportation Safety Resource Center (TSRC) is the vital link in a collaborative partnership created among federal and state transportation agencies, local stakeholders, academic institutions, and the private sector to provide resources and solutions that address issues of safety on New Jersey’s roads. TSRC functi…

The primary objective of this project is to promote data quality in the SAFETYNET database and maintain New Jersey’s state rating in an acceptable level (Green) for all defined State Safety Data Quality (SSDQ) measures through consistent monitoring. The project will also provide recommendations for the future enhanceme…

The objective of this project is to identify the actual current use of continuous recording in demand response or other public transportation applications in the US, determine the projected costs per vehicle within the next three years for continuous recording vs. Drive Cam type, document actual use of continuous recordi…

This grant was awarded to aid the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety (DHTS) in updating their annual report entitled, “New Jersey Teen Drivers.”  Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death nationwide for teens between the ages of 15 and 20. In New Jersey, teen drivers, defined as 16 to 20 year o…

The Transportation Safety Research Center (TSRC) is part of the Rutgers University Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) and is a partnership between federal and state transportation agencies, local stakeholders, and the University. TSRC consists of three project units: Planning, Implementation, an…

Statistics show that travel on the United States highway system has increased five times over the past 50 years from 600 billion, Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) in 1956, to 3 trillion VMT in 20061. In addition, the freeway system is aging and in need of rehabilitation and reconstruction, particularly at interchanges. At th…

Traffic control guidelines provided in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTDC) for high-volume multi-lane roadways are limited as MUTCD mainly addresses work performed along the centerline of the roadways and low speed   roads.” Therefore, there is a need to develop safety guidelines and recommendations…

Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT), like many other State DOTs, is faced with the need of identifying and deploying means for rapid, nondestructive and accurate condition assessment and performance monitoring of bridge decks.  Finding the right technologies will make a tremendous difference in the financial resour…

Bicycles and motorcycles are widely-used transportation/recreation vehicles and an unstable platform. Compared with passenger vehicles, active safety technology is less developed for bicycle/motorcycle systems and yet it is urgently needed. The project will build a theoretical and algorithmic foundation for the bicycle-b…

The Accelerated Infrastructure Testing Facility (AITF) would be the first facility in the world to enable accelerated scientific study of deterioration processes on full-scale bridges and also would offer state-of-the-art advanced pavement materials evaluation and testing capabilities.

Specifically, the AITF would…

According to a 2000 report by NHTSA, 42,000 people were killed and 3,200,000 people were injured on U.S. roadways, with a total economic cost exceeding $230 billion. New Jersey has the highest population density in the country, and the highest numbers of drivers per miles of road. Naturally, traffic safety is top on the …

The Police Technical Assistance Program (PTAP), a federal model, was adopted to support the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT)’s safety mission. Several activities were included in this initiative: conducting assessments, providing technical support on the revision of the New Jersey crash report form, …

Throughout private and public work settings, employee professional development is regarded as critical to grooming future leaders and to attract and retain talented employees who will enable the company or agency to achieve its goals. Professional development is accomplished through formal education, assessments, job exp…

This project employs the expertise of transportation professionals to develop an advanced chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) monitoring and response management system for critical infrastructures such as transit hubs, airports, and marine terminals.

A concept model will be planned and designed …

This study evaluates the impact of the newly recommended seismic design guidelines from NCHRP 12-49 on seismic design of bridges in New Jersey. It also provides seismic design criteria and guidelines for integral abutments, retaining walls, embankments, and buried structures. The study provides an overall review of the r…

The purpose of this project was to examine the relationship between effective national transportation congestion, security, and safety technology transfer applications. Next, a comparison was made between national trends and the conditions found in New Jersey; then the most appropriate solution was implemented.

Wh…

This report outlines the research and work performed to lay the foundation for the development of a New Jersey Interagency Emergency Management Plan. The research into existing practices within the four state level transportation agencies reveals that the agencies continue to practice silo style management to operate the…

Pipelines are by far the most important mode of petroleum transportation in the United States because of their remarkable efficiency and low transportation cost. Pipelines carry two-thirds of the energy consumed by our nation and are recognized as the safest and most economical way to distribute vast quantities of oil an…