The New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Research, Innovation and Information Transfer (BRIIT) invites you to share your research and innovation ideas on the NJ Transportation Ideas Portal.
We seek to fund RESEARCH IDEAS that lead to implementation – to the testing and adoption of new materials and technologies, to better specifications and to greater efficiency. We strive to discover and advance feasible solutions for more durable infrastructure, greater environmental protection and resilience, and improved mobility and safety for residents, workers and visitors.
We encourage you to suggest INNOVATION IDEAS that advance deployment of innovations and knowledge transfer in transportation. We work with the New Jersey State Transportation Innovation Council (NJ STIC) whose mission is to identify, evaluate, and where possible, rapidly deploy new technologies and process improvements that will accelerate project delivery and improve the quality of NJ’s transportation network. Innovation Ideas will be vetted for next steps which might include research or supporting an initiative to deploy a new technology or process improvement to accelerate innovation.
WHO CAN SUBMIT IDEAS? NJDOT’s research customers and other interested transportation practitioners are encouraged to submit a research or innovation idea. The portal should be of interest to NJDOT, NJ TRANSIT and MPOs, and county and local governments, and other transportation subject matter experts from university, industry and trade organizations and other NGOs. The portal is also open to the public.
WHO ARE RESEARCH CUSTOMERS? Subject matter experts from NJDOT, NJ TRANSIT, or the NJ Motor Vehicles Commission are often our research customers. Research ideas typically must have a champion among our research customers. Ideally, a “champion” is a responsible individual within a division, bureau or unit who is prepared to sponsor or advance a research idea from its inception to study completion.
COLLECTING IDEAS NOW! Our research and innovation teams review submitted ideas for possible funding and other actions throughout the year. The last day to submit research ideas for the next round of funded transportation research is December 31, 2024.
Our research and innovation teams review submitted ideas for possible funding and other actions throughout the year.
REGISTER TO PARTICIPATE AND SUBMIT AN IDEA. Once you are registered, you may submit ideas at any time. Click on the “+”button at the top of the page to submit an idea after registering. Only registered participants may submit a new idea or vote on other ideas to show your support. Register at the NJ Transportation Ideas here: https://njdottechtransfer.ideascale.com/
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Research Library offers valuable assistance in supporting various research tasks and for accessing resources. This article highlights three key resources available:
AASHTO Standards. All of the current “featured” or “essential” standards, manuals, and guides from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) are available to NJDOT employees. Some are available in print and/or CD-ROM and can be checked out with your New Jersey State Library card. All of the “featured/essential” publications are available to NJDOT employees via SharePoint. However, users must request access to individual publications and follow a specific download process. Many additional standards, both current and historical, are also available.
ASTM Standards. Formed in 1898, ASTM International is one of the world’s largest international standards developing organizations. NJDOT subscribes to the ASTM Compass database, which includes 81,757 standards from ASTM and 2,282 publications from AASHTO, as of May 21, 2024. The Research Library will be happy to help you retrieve specific standards available under this subscription. NJDOT employees who access ASTM standards frequently may also sign up for their own logins under the “Tools” page on the intranet.
TRID Database. TRID is an integrated database that combines the records from TRB’s Transportation Research Information Services (TRIS) Database and the OECD’s Joint Transport Research Centre’s International Transport Research Documentation (ITRD) Database. TRID provides access to 1.4 million records of transportation research worldwide.
Hot Topic Searches are available on the TRID Searches page
The Research Library maintains a “TRID Searches” page that contains a list of recent publications indexed in the TRID database organized by 37 subject areas. NJDOT’s Library also maintains “Hot Topic” searches that contain the projects and publications issued in the last five years on several topics, including: Transformational Technologies; Planning & Safety; Resilience; Sustainability; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and Workforce Recruitment and Retention.
RECENT NJ PUBLICATIONS IN TRID
Recent publications with New Jersey identifiers and/or prepared by NJ research institutions can be discovered through TRID. A quick search in TRID of research from New Jersey published in the past six months included these articles:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Safety
Zaman, A., Z. Huang, W. Li, H. Qin, D. Kang, and X. Liu. Development of Railroad Trespassing Database Using Artificial Intelligence. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, 2024, 80p. https://trid.trb.org/view/2341095
Bridges and Other Structures
Najafi, A., Z. Amir, B. Salman, P. Sanaei, E. Lojano-Quispe, A. Maher, and R. Schaefer. A Digital Twin Framework for Bridges. ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering 2023, American Society of Civil Engineers, 2024, pp 433-441. https://trid.trb.org/view/2329319
Al Shaini, I., and A. Trias. Bridge deck surface damage assessment using point cloud data. Advances in Bridge Engineering, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2023, 31p. https://trid.trb.org/view/2301538
Environment and Underserved Communities
Ji, N., A. Baptista, C.H. Yu, C. Cepeda, F. Green, M. Greenberg, I. Colon Mincey, P. Ohman-Strickland, N. Fiedler, H.M. Kipen, and R.J. Laumbach. Traffic-related air pollution, chronic stress, and changes in exhaled nitric oxide and lung function among a panel of children with asthma living in an underresourced community. Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 912, 2024, p168984. https://trid.trb.org/view/2302836
Safety and Human Factors
Bartin, B., K. Ozbay, and C. Xu. Safety performance functions for two-lane urban arterial segments. Safety Science, Vol. 167, 2023, p106284. https://trid.trb.org/view/2229553
Hasan, A.S., D. Patel, and M. Jalayer. Did COVID-19 Mandates influence driver distraction behaviors? A case study in New Jersey. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, Vol. 99, 2023, pp 429-449. https://trid.trb.org/view/2289812
Patel, D., R.E. Alfaris, and M. Jalayer. Assessing the effectiveness of autism spectrum disorder roadway warning signs: A case study in New Jersey. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, Vol. 100, 2024, pp 57-68. https://trid.trb.org/view/2293015
Younes, H., R.B. Noland, and C.J. Andrews. Gender split and safety behavior of cyclists and e-scooter users in Asbury Park, NJ. Case Studies on Transport Policy, Vol. 14, 2023, p 101073. https://trid.trb.org/view/2238150
Younes, H., R.B. Noland, L.A. Von Hagen, and J. Sinclair. Cycling during and after COVID: Has there been a boom in activity? Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, Vol. 99, 2023, pp 71-82. https://trid.trb.org/view/2274405
Public Participation
Keenan, K. The transportation policy elite and their ladder of citizen participation: Problems and prospects around communication methods in New Jersey. Cities, Vol. 145, 2024, p 104732. https://trid.trb.org/view/2309380
Public Transportation Ridership
Devajyoti, D. and Z. Liu. Who stopped riding buses and what would motivate them to return? A New Jersey case study. Case Studies on Transport Policy, Vol. 15, 2024, p 101159. https://trid.trb.org/view/2343481
NJDOT FUNDED RESEARCH
NJDOT’s Bureau of Research, Innovation & Information Transfer (BRIIT), which includes the Research Library, funds research to enhance the quality and cost effectiveness of the policies, practices, standards and specifications that are used in planning, designing, building and maintaining New Jersey’s transportation infrastructure. BRIIT collaborates directly with university and other research professionals to find solutions to improve the durability and efficiency of infrastructure and the safety and mobility of New Jersey’s residents, workers, visitors and businesses. Ongoing research projects and completed research studies can be accessed here.
NJDOT’s BRIIT prepares an Annual Implementation Report that explore the value and benefits of its funded research. These reports survey and interview principal investigators, customers and research project managers to help identify next steps for research and implementation and document the strategies that have been used for technology transfer of research findings to the state’s transportation community. The most recent report, published in February 2024, covers research completed in 2021-2022.
Please contact the NJDOT research librarian, Eric Schwarz, MLIS, at (609) 963-1898, or email library@dot.nj.gov for assistance in your transportation research, or to customize your searches in TRID and other databases.
Strategic Workforce Development is one of FHWA’s seven initiatives promoted in the seventh round of the Every Day Counts (EDC) program. Key emphasis is on developing new, innovative strategies to support qualified workers for highway construction projects. By strengthening this workforce by applying lessons learned with new training tools and customizable marketing materials, state transportation agencies can help to foster the next generation of transportation workers.
FHWA’s Center for Workforce Development has hosted several webinars about the Highway Construction Workforce Partnership (HCWP), highlighting success stories and best practices.
Recordings
Recordings and select presentations are available here and future webinar announcements will be shared on the HCWP website. Webinars have been held in 2023 and 2024 in support of states and localities seeking to advance the initiative during EDC-7 and earlier during EDC-6. Below are links to several webinars that can be found through the HCWP website.
The National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE) maintains a YouTube Channel that is offers a suite of resources to serve the transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) community. The channel covers webinars on TSMO, NOCoE Case Study Videos, Virtual Peer Exchanges, Traffic Incident Management and Emergency Response, among other topics.
AID Demonstration Program is active again! The Accelerated Innovation Deployment (AID) Demonstration provides incentive funds to eligible entities to accelerate the implementation and adoption of innovation in highway transportation. FHWA has awarded 127 AID Demonstration grants at more than $95.7 million dollars since its launch in 2014. These funds can be used in any phase of a highway transportation project between project planning and project delivery, including planning, finance, operation, structures, materials, pavements, environment, and construction.
The 2023-2026 AID Demonstration Program will make available up to $10 million in grants in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 and $12.5 million in FYs 2024 through 2026. One change in the new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO 693JJ324NF-AIDDP) for AID Demo is the requirement for potential applications to submit Notices of Intent. While the deadline has passed for the FY 2023 solicitation period, the FY 2024 solicitation period will open on www.grants.gov on February 27, 2024, with the NOI deadline of April 16, 2024, and closing date of May 28, 2024.
The FHWA EDC-7 Team has put together this list of suggested project ideas that can help deploy the EDC innovations either via STIC Incentive Fund Grant projects or AID Demonstration applications.
The FHWA has published to Grants.gov a multiyear Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the AID Demonstration for Fiscal Years (FY) 2023 – 2026 grants. The grants will result in the distribution of up to $10 million in FY 2023 and up to $12.5 million in each year FY 2024 to FY 2026. Funds made available for the AID Demonstration are awarded on a competitive basis to fund activities eligible for assistance under Title 23, United States Code in any phase of a highway transportation between project planning and project delivery including planning, financing, operation, structures, materials, pavements, environment, and construction.
The AID Demonstration NOFO is available on Grants.gov and the Call for Applications for the 2023 cycle is open! Look for AID Demonstration NOFO 693JJ324NF-AIDDP.
More information on the Accelerated Innovation Deployment program, including key submission dates in the 2023 application cycle and a link to register for an upcoming virtual information session, can be accessed through this link: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/grants/
The Federal Highway Administration’s Local Aid Support team in the Office of Transportation Innovation and Workforce Solutions will be holding a national webinar on October 19, 2023 for those interested in learning more about this year’s winning entries in the 2023 Build a Better Mousetrap National Recognition Program for Transportation Innovation.
Winners were announced at the National Local and Tribal Technical Assistance Program Association’s Annual Meeting in Columbus, Ohio this summer. New Jersey’s “Route 71 Over Shark River Road Diet” was this year’s Bold Steps Award Winner in the national competition.
Build a Better Mousetrap celebrates innovative solutions for challenges that local and tribal transportation workers encounter. These innovations can range from the development of tools and equipment modifications to the implementation of new processes that increase safety, reduce cost, and improve efficiency of our transportation system.
Gerald Oliveto, P.E., from the New Jersey Department of Transportation will give a presentation about the Route 71 bridge rehabilitation and road diet project. More information about this award-winning project, recipient of this year’s “Bold Steps” Award, can be found here and here.
Mr. Oliveto will be among the presenters during the national webinar. Below is a full list of the 2023 BABM Award recipients during the webinar.
Innovative Project Award – “The Mobile Unit Sensing Traffic (MUST) Device” – a device specifically designed to monitor traffic, detect dangerous events, and provide real-time warning messages to users along rural roads. Presenter: HollyAnna Littlebull, formerly Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. Associate Director of the Northwest Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP) Center, University of Washington.
Bold Steps Award – “Route 71 Over Shark River Road Diet” – a road diet project that preserves an old historic bridge while improving safety and saving money. Presenter: Gerald Oliveto, New Jersey Department of Transportation
Smart Transformation Award – “Solar-powered Remote Cameras” – providing more accurate and immediate information on road conditions that assists with emergency response while requiring less maintenance. Presenter: Matthew Beyer, St. Louis County, Minnesota, Public Works Department
Pioneer Award – “Safe Sightings of Signs and Signals (SSOSS) Software” – an automated process for identifying and addressing obstructed traffic signals saving time and money while increasing data accuracy. Presenter: Matthew Redmond, City of Walnut Creek, California
Registration – The national webinar is scheduled for Thursday, October 19, 2023, 2.00 PM and 4.00 PM Eastern. The FHWA has provided this link to learn more about the BABM Award winners event and receive a Zoom Government Meeting link to access the event.
The NJDOT Research Library maintains a “Did You Know” page to share basic facts about the research library, transportation research resources, and newly issued publications available through AASHTO and the ASTM COMPASS Portal.
Hot Topic Searches are available on the TRID Searches page
The Research Library maintains a “TRID Searches” page that contains a list of recent publications indexed in the TRID database organized by 37 subject areas. NJDOT’s Library also maintains “Hot Topic” searches that contain the projects and publications issued in the last five years on several topics, including: Transformational Technologies; Planning & Safety; Resilience; Sustainability; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and Workforce Recruitment and Retention.
TRID (Transport Research International Documentation) is the world’s largest and most comprehensive bibliographic resource on transportation research information. It combines the records from the Transportation Research Information Services (TRIS) database of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and the Joint Transport Research Centre’s International Transport Research Documentation (ITRD) database of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
TRID helps researchers locate solutions to problems, avoid duplication of work, and save resources. It includes records of AASHTO publications, federal and state DOT reports, University Transportation Center (UTC) reports, and commercial journal literature, among other sources. It also satisfies the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requirements to consult TRB’s TRIS databases to identify ongoing or previously completed research on a given topic.
Recent NJ Publications in TRID
Recent publications with New Jersey identifiers and/or prepared by NJ research institutions can be identified through TRID. A quick search in TRID uncovered these recently added records in the TRID database of recently completed research publications:
Please contact the NJDOT research librarian, Eric Schwarz, MSLIS, at (609) 963-1898, or email at library@dot.nj.gov for assistance on how to expand your search to projects, or retrieve these or other publications.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Traffic Incident Management (NJTIM) training is now available as an online, self-guided course. Bringing first responder training program to an online training platform should make it easier for even more emergency and incident response personnel to access a life-saving training. The new online course can be accessed through the NJTIM website.
The TIM training program focuses on a response effort that protects motorists and first responders during a roadside emergency, while minimizing impact on traffic flow. Since its inception in 2009, NJDOT and its partner agencies have trained more than 24,000 emergency and incident response personnel, including police, firefighters, EMS personnel, DOT crews, towing/recovery companies and other responders.
Training efforts, like these, are crucial in coordinating response efforts that keep all first responders and transportation professionals safe.
The new online training course can be found at NJ TIM Website: njtim.org
Providing easier access to TIM training for busy first responders and transportation professionals should prove more cost effective than traditional, in-person meetings for organizations with limited budgets. The online training program is asynchronous, offering greater flexibility in taking the training for personnel whose work schedules may not align with in-person training dates.
Online programs can also be easily updated and revised, ensuring that participants receive the most current and relevant information.
The online training is designed to engage training participants with videos, simulations, knowledge checks, and interactive scenarios that mimic real-world situations. The online TIM training utilizes assessments and certifications to evaluate the trainees’ understanding of the material and practice decision-making in high-stress scenarios without real world consequences.
The online TIM training program seeks to improve safely and coordination in responding to incidents on New Jersey’s roadways. The target audience for this training is county and municipal law enforcement and emergency personnel, including volunteer firefighters and EMTs.
The FHWA’s Talking TIM webinar series provides best practices, new technological innovations, and successful implementations. The webinar series provides a forum where TIM champions with any level of experience can exchange information about current practices, programs, and technologies.
More information on the rationale and benefits of the new course can be found in the video and the NJDOT press release.
Since 2019, the FHWA Every Day Counts (EDC) Innovation, Crowdsourcing for Advancing Operations, has been supporting the adoption of crowdsourced data and tools to advance transportation operations across 35+ States and their local agencies to improve traffic incident, road weather, work zone, traffic signal, traveler information, and emergency management, along with a host of other ITS and TSMO practices.
The Crowdsourcing Innovation Team in collaboration with the ITS Joint Program Office (JPO) Professional Capacity Building (PCB) Program delivered this introductory Crowdsourcing course, one in series of webinars, featuring State and local practitioner perspectives.
On July 18, 2023, Sal Cowan, NJDOT’s Senior Director of Mobility served as one of the course instructors for Traveler Information and Traffic Incident Management, the third session in a webinar series targeted to transportation professionals with an interest in or responsibility for the management and operations of roadway systems. Mr. Cowan delivered instruction on how crowdsourcing can be used to enhance traveler information. He shared examples of how some leading state transportation agencies (e.g., Virginia, Arizona, Kentucky, Pennsylvania) are using various crowdsourcing platforms for communicating traveler information. Mr. Cowan then spoke at greater length about New Jersey’s Travel Information Systems, highlighting the state’s initiatives for Commercial Vehicle Notifications, 511 Platforms and Voice Assistant Systems, and Crowdsourced Data, among other topics.
Mr. Cowan was joined by two other featured speakers and the event’s host, Ralph Volpe, EDC-6 Crowdsourcing Program Co-Lead, who moderated the capacity-building webinar.
Vaishali Shah, AEM Corporation, Support Lead for the FHWA EDC-5/6 Crowdsourcing Innovation, gave an introduction to the Traffic Incident Management topic and described the components and challenges of State and local TIM systems. She shared several examples of how crowdsourced data is being used to enhance Traffic Incident Management (TIM) around the U.S..
Mr. Cowan explained the rationale for crowdsourcing to improve traveler information and shared examples of how its being used in select states, including New Jersey.Ms. Shah explained how crowdsourcing applications were being used to enhance TIM and shared some examples of innovative state and local deployments nationally.
John Parker, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), Senior Traffic Operations Project Manager, then described the PTC’s Traffic Incident Management and Traveler Information initiatives. In his talk, he described various examples of data-sharing providers and partnerships, touching upon technology platforms, dashboard features, operating challenges, and new partnering opportunities being considered by the PTC and the state of Pennsylvania to enhance crowdsourcing for TIM and Traveler Information.
More information on this webinar training event can be found here, including a recording of the webinar, the presentation, transcript, and the question and answers that closed out the training event.
