Author Archive: Tim Staub

Research Spotlight: Calibration and Development of Safety Performance Functions for New Jersey

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In 2019, a team of researchers from New York University and Rutgers University examined ways to calibrate and develop Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) to be utilized specifically to address conditions on New Jersey roadways. SPFs are crash prediction models or mathematical functions informed by data on road design. These data include, but are not limited to, lane and shoulder widths, the radius of the curves, and the presence of traffic control devices and turn lanes. With these data, SPFs help those tasked with road design and improvement to build roads and implement upgrades that maximize safety.

The Highway Safety Manual (HSM) presents SPFs developed using historic crash data collected from several states over several years at sites of the same facility type. These SPFs data cannot be transferred to other locations because of expected differences in environment and geographic characteristics, crash reporting policies and even local road regulations. To help SPFs better reflect local conditions and observed data, one of two strategies is usually undertaken to fine-tune SPFs:  calibrating the SPFs provided in the HSM so as to fully leverage these data or developing location-specific SPFs regardless of the predictive modeling framework included in the HSM.

The research team, led by Dr. Kaan Ozbay (of NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering), chose to pursue both of these strategies. The research report, Calibration/Development of Safety Performance Functions for New Jersey, can be found here. A webinar highlighting the research and findings can be found here.  A monograph, supported by the NJDOT funded study and partially by C2SMART, a Tier 1 UTC led by NYU and funded by the USDOT, was also recently published and can be found here.

C2SMART Webinar highlighted the research methods, findings, challenges and technology transfer efforts of the NYU-Rutgers team for this NJDOT funded research project.

SPFs can be utilized at several levels. At the network level, researchers and engineers use SPFs to identify locations with promise for improvement. SPFs can be used to predict how safety treatments will affect the likelihood of crashes based on traffic volume and facility type. SPFs can be used to influence project level design by showing the average predicted crash frequency for an existing road design, for alternate designs, and for brand-new roads.

SPFs also can be used to evaluate different engineering treatments. In this case, engineers and researchers return to a site where a safety countermeasure has been installed to collect and analyze data to see how the change has affected crash frequency. They examine before and after conditions and measure if the prediction made using the SPF was accurate or needs improvement (Srinivasan & Bauer, 2013). In the end, SPFs are only as good as the data used in their development.

NJDOT and the NYU-Rutgers team set out to calibrate SPFs using New Jersey’s roadway features, traffic volumes and crash data, and if necessary, to create new SPFs that reflect conditions in the state. The facility types considered for this research project included segments and intersections of rural two-lane two-way, rural multilane, and urban and suburban roads. In examining these datasets, the researchers identified areas where data processing improvements could be made to enhance the quality or efficiency in use of the data in addition to pursuing the stated goal of developing New Jersey-specific SPFs.

For example, utilizing the data provided by NJDOT, the research team developed methods for processing a Roadway Features Database of different kinds of road facilities. The researchers utilized the Straight Line Diagrams (SLD) database, which offers extensive information about the tens of thousands of miles of roadways in New Jersey, but observed issues and errors in the SLD database that required corrections. For example, the research team utilized Google Maps and Google Street View to conduct a manual data extraction process to verify information in the SLD database (e.g., confirm whether an intersection was an overpass, number of lanes, directionality) and extract missing variables, such as the number of left and right turn lanes at intersections, lighting conditions, and signalization needed for the analysis.

The research team using Google Street View to identify missing data points.

The research team also needed to develop programming code to correctly identify the type and location of intersections and effectively work with available data. The team developed a novel “clustering-based approach” to address the absence of horizontal curvature data using GIS centerline maps.

Utilizing Google Maps (Left) and the state’s Straight Line Database (Right), researchers were able to identify missing paths in the database that contributed to inconsistent data.

Police reports of crashes often have missing geographic identifiers which complicates analytical work such as whether crashes were intersection-related. In NJ, police are equipped with GPS devices to record crash coordinates but this crash information is somewhat low in the raw crash databases before post-processing by NJDOT. The researchers employed corrective methods and drew upon other NJ GIS maps to provide missing locations (e.g., Standard Route Identification or milepost).

The processing challenges for roadway features, traffic volumes and crashes encountered by the research team suggest the types of steps that can be taken to standardize and streamline data collection and processing to secure better inputs for future SPF updates. Novel data extraction methods will be needed to minimize labor time and improve accuracy of data; accurate crash data is integral to employing these methods.

The research team modified the spreadsheets developed by the HSM and used by the NJDOT staff. The calculated calibration factors and the developed SPFs are embedded in these spreadsheets. The users can now select whether to use the HSM SPFs with the calculated calibration factors or the New Jersey-specific SPF in their analyses

The researchers’ data processing and calibration efforts sought to ensure that the predictive models reflect New Jersey road conditions that are not directly reflected in the Highway Safety Manual. The adoption of this data-driven approach can make it possible to capture information about localized conditions but significant expertise is required to carry out calibration and development analyses. With more research—and improved data collection processes over time —the calibration and development of SPFs holds promise for helping New Jersey improve road safety.

Resources

Bartin, B., Ozbay, K., & Xu, C. (2022). Safety Performance Functions for Two-Lane Urban Arterial Segments. Retrieved from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4175945

C2SMART. (2020, September 23). Webinar: Bekir Bartin, Calibration and Development of Safety Performance Functions for New Jersey . Retrieved from YouTube: https://youtu.be/IRalyvjDaFM

Ozbay, K., Nassif, H., Bartin, B., Xu, C., & Bhattacharyya, A. (2019). Calibration/Development of Safety Performance Functions for New Jersey [Final Report]. New Jersey Department of Transportation Bureau of Research. Retrieved from https://www.njdottechtransfer.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/FHWA-NJ-2019-007.pdf

Ozbay, K., Nassif, H., Bartin, B., Xu, C., & Bhattacharyya, A. (2019). Calibration/Development of Safety Performance Functions for New Jersey [Tech Brief]. Rutgers University. Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering; New York University. Tandon School of Engineering. Retrieved from https://www.njdottechtransfer.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/FHWA-NJ-2019-007-TB.pdf

Srinivasan, R., & Bauer, K. M. (2013). Safety Performance Function Development Guide: Developing Jurisdiction-Specific SPFs. The University of North Carolina, Highway Safety Research Center. Retrieved from https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/49505

Zone for AI to look for trespassing at railroad crossing

Research Spotlight: Exploring the Use of Artificial Intelligence to Improve Railroad Safety

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Partnering with the Federal Railroad Administration, New Jersey Transit and New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), a research team at Rutgers University is using artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to analyze rail crossing safety issues. Utilizing closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed at rail crossings, a team of Rutgers researchers, Asim Zaman, Xiang Liu, Zhipeng Zhang, and Jinxuan Xu, have developed and refined an AI-aided framework for detection of railroad trespassing events to identify the behavior of trespassers and capture video of infractions.  The system uses an object detection algorithm to efficiently observe and process video data into a single dataset.

Rail trespassing is a significant safety concern resulting in injuries and deaths throughout the country, with the number of such incidents increasing over the past decade. Following passage of the 2015 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act that mandated the installation of cameras along passenger rail lines, transportation agencies have installed CCTV cameras at rail crossings across the country.  Historically, only through recorded injuries and fatalities were railroads and transportation agencies able to identify crossings with trespassing issues. This analysis did not integrate information on near misses or live conditions at the crossing. Cameras could record this data, but reviewing the video would be a laborious task that required a significant resource commitment and could lead to missed trespassing events due to observer fatigue.

Zaman, Liu, Zhang, and Xu saw this problem as an opportunity to put AI techniques to work and make effective use of the available video and automate the observational process in a more systematic way. After utilizing AI for basic video analysis in a prior study, the researchers theorized that they could train an AI and deep learning to analyze the videos from these crossings and identify all trespassing events.

Working with NJDOT and NJ TRANSIT, they gained access to video footage from a crossing in Ramsey, NJ.  Using a deep learning-based detection method named You Only Look Once or YOLO, their AI-framework detected trespassings, differentiated the types of violators, and generated clips to review. The tool identified a trespass only when the signal lights and crossing gates were active and tracked objects that changed from image to image in the defined space of the right-of-way. Figure 1 depicts the key steps in the process for application of AI in the analysis of live video stream or archived surveillance video.

Figure 1. General YOLO-Based Framework for Railroad Trespass Detection illustrates a step-by-step process involving AI algorithm configurations, YOLO-aided detection, and how trespassing detection incidents are saved and recorded to a database for more intensive analysis and characterization (e.g., trespasser type, day, time, weather, etc.)

The researchers applied AI review to 1,632 hours of video and 68 days of monitoring. They discovered 3,004 instances of trespassing, an average of 44 per day and nearly twice an hour. The researchers were able to demonstrate how the captured incidents could be used to formulate a demographic profile of trespassers (Figure 2) and better examine the environmental context leading to trespassing events to inform the selection and design of safety countermeasures (Figure 3).

Figure 2: Similar to patterns found in studies of rail trespassing fatalities, trespassing pedestrians were more likely to be male than female. Source: Zhang et al
Figure 3: Trespassing events were characterized by the gate angle and timing before/after a train pass to isolate context of risky behavior. Source: Zhang et. al

A significant innovation from this research has been the production of the video clip that shows when and how the trespass event occurred; the ability to visually review the precise moment reduces overall data storage and the time needed performing labor-intensive reviews. (Zhang, Zaman, Xu, & Liu, 2022)

With the efficient assembly and analysis of video big data through AI techniques, agencies have an opportunity, as never before, to observe the patterns of trespassing. Extending this AI research method to multiple locations holds promise for perfecting the efficiency and accuracy in application of AI techniques in various lighting, weather and other environmental conditions and, more generally, to building a deeper understanding of the environmental context contributing to trespassing behaviors.

In fact, the success of this AI-aided Railroad Trespassing Tool has led to new opportunities to demonstrate its use. The researchers have already expanded their research to more crossings in New Jersey and into North Carolina and Virginia. (Bruno, 2022) The Federal Railroad Administration has also awarded the research team a $582,859 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Grant to support the technology’s deployment at five at-grade crossings in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Louisiana. (U.S. DOT, Federal Railroad Administration, 2021) Rutgers University and Amtrak have provided a 42 percent match of the funding.

The program’s expansion in more places may lead to further improvements in the precision and quality of the AI detection data and methods.  The researchers speculate that this technology could integrate with Positive Train Control (PTC) systems and highway Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). (Zhang, Zaman, Xu, & Liu, 2022) This merging of technologies could revolutionize railroad safety. To read more about this study and methodology, see this April 2022 Accident Analysis & Prevention article.

References

Bruno, G. (2022, June 22). Rutgers Researchers Create Artificial Intelligence-Aided Railroad Trespassing Detection Tool. Retrieved from https://www.rutgers.edu/news/rutgers-researchers-create-artificial-intelligence-aided-railroad-trespassing-detection-tool

NJDOT Technology Transfer. (2021, November 8). How Automated Video Analytics Can Make NJ’s Transportation Network Safer and More Efficient. Retrieved from https://www.njdottechtransfer.net/2021/11/08/automated-video-analytics/

Tran, A. (n.d.). Artificial Intelligence-Aided Railroad Trespassing Data Analytics: Artificial Intelligence-Aided Railroad Trespassing Data Analytics:.

United States Department of Transportation: Federal Railroad Administration. (2021). Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program: FY2021 Selections. Retrieved from https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/consolidated-rail-infrastructure-and-safety-improvements-crisi-program-fy2021-selections

Zaman, A., Ren, B., & Liu, X. (2019). Artificial Intelligence-Aided Automated Detection of Railroad Trespassing. Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 25-37.

Zhang, Z., Zaman, A., Xu, J., & Liu, X. (2022). Artificial intelligence-aided railroad trespassing detection and data analytics: Methodology and a case study. Accident Analysis & Prevention.

Recently Issued TRB Publications and ASTM Standards

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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. The TRB Publications, May to June 2022 list includes recently published research in operations and traffic management, data information and technology, bridges and structures, pavements, safety and human factors, and construction, among others.

The most recent TR News, May-June 2022, features several articles on Pavement Preservation, Maintenance and Rehabilitation.  In all, some 30+ research and general readership articles on pavements were issued through TR News and the Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Transportation Research Record.

For those who are not pavement lovers, a few planning and economic articles caught our eye, including:

The ASTM Standards, January to April, 2022 list includes recently proposed and revised ASTM standards. As a reminder, the ASTM Book of Standards is available through the ASTM COMPASS Portal for NJDOT employees.

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 retrieve these or other publications.

TRB Publications (May-June 2022)

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The following is a list of research published by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) between May 1, 2022 and June 30, 2022. Current articles from the TRB may be accessed here. 

MAGIC Dataset: Multiple Conditions Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Group-Based High-Fidelity Comprehensive Vehicle Trajectory Dataset

Image reads: Bridges and Structures

Material Characteristics of Cu-Based Superelastic Alloys for Applications in Bridge Columns to Improve Seismic Performance

Recommendations for Refined Preventive Maintenance Management of Concrete Bridges in China Based on Environmental Risk Zoning

Evaluation of a Continuous Laser Ablation Coating Removal Device for Steel Bridges

Image reads: Construction

Construction Safety and Phasing Plans

Relating Ndesign to Field Compaction: A Case Study in Minnesota

Data Verification Methodology to Facilitate Employment Database Updates for Transportation Planning

Automatic Identification of Vehicle Partial Occlusion in Data Collected by Roadside LiDAR Sensors

A Scalable Deep Learning Framework for Extracting Model Inventory of Roadway Element Intersection Control Types From Panoramic Images

It’s Electric! Now What?

Investigation of the Contribution of Deceleration Fuel Cut-off and Start/Stop Technologies to Fuel Economy by Considering New European Driving Cycle

Traffic Noise Impact Prediction Based on Road Service Level

Image reads: Highway Design

Corridor-Based Procedure for Determining Longitudinal Barrier Length of Need

Development of an Automated and Integrated Algorithm in Determining Optimum Maintenance and Rehabilitation Strategies Considering Multilane Roadways

Image reads: Materials

Development of Three Point Bending Cylinder (3PBC) Asphalt Mixture Fatigue Test System

Investigation of IDEAL-CT Device Equivalence: Are All Devices Equal?

Preliminary Bond Testing and Splicing of Titanium Alloy Bars

High-Performance Fiber Reinforced Concretes in Virginia

Critical Criteria for Aluminum Culvert Durability in Wisconsin

Basic Installations for Reinforced Concrete Arch Pipe

Effect of Fine Aggregate Particle Size on Physical, Mechanical, and Durability Properties of Ultra-High Performance Concrete

Vehicle Detection and Tracking for 511 Traffic Cameras With U-Shaped Dual Attention Inception Neural Networks and Spatial-Temporal Map

Image reads: Pavements

Point of View: The Preserved Road Ahead

Effective Pavement Preventive Maintenance with Micromilling Practices

Transforming Pavement Preservation

Essential Specifications for Pavement Preservation, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation

Pavement Rehabilitation: Case Examples from Missouri and Virginia

Implementing Pavement Preservation: A Case Example in Raleigh, North Carolina

Maintenance and Longevity of Longitudinal Joints

Pavement Maintenance and Rehabilitation: Teaching the Next Generation

Thinking Local: Pavement Management Practices for County Agencies

Pavement Preservation, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation

Short- and Mid-Term Loose Mix Conditioning Protocols for Asphalt Overlay Balanced Mix Design and Quality Control and Quality Acceptance

Evaluating Impact of Corrected Optimum Asphalt Content and Benchmarking Cracking Resistance of Georgia Mixtures for Balanced Mix Design Implementation

Examples of Successful Practices with State Implementation of Balanced Design of Asphalt Mixtures

Development and Verification of Sample Reduction Method for Rubberized Asphalt Mixtures

Performance Evaluation of Pelletized Solid Polymer Modified Asphalt Mixtures

Impact of Improved Density on Pavement Design Response for Low-Volume Roads/Non-Primary Routes

Development of a Performance-Based Approach to Asphalt Emulsion Selection for Cold In-Place Recycling Applications

Multi-Level Laboratory Performance Evaluation of Conventional and High Polymer-Modified Asphalt Mixtures

Validation of Performance-Based Specifications for Surface Asphalt Mixtures in Virginia

Data Mining Statewide Department of Transportation Volumetrically Designed Asphalt Mixture Records

Balanced Mix Design Benchmarking of Field-Produced Asphalt Mixtures in Maine, U.S.

Precision Estimates and Statements for Performance Indices from the Indirect Tensile Cracking Test at Intermediate Temperature

Field Performance Evaluation of High Polymer-Modified Asphalt Concrete Overlays

Recycled Polyethylene Modified Asphalt Binders and Mixtures: Performance Characteristics and Environmental Impact

Proposed Changes to Asphalt Binder Specifications to Address Binder Quality-Related Thermally Induced Surface Damage

Effectiveness of Soy Methyl Ester-Polystyrene as a Concrete Protectant on Mitigating the Chemical Interaction between Cement Paste and Calcium Chloride

Integrated Vehicle–Tire–Pavement Approach for Determining Pavement Structure–Induced Rolling Resistance under Dynamic Loading

Performance Engineered Concrete Mixtures: Implementation at an Interstate Rigid Pavement Project

Environmentally Tuning Asphalt Pavements Using Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials

Evaluating the Performance of Concrete Overlays in Missouri

Comparative Analysis of Laboratory and Prototype Models of Pervious Concrete Mixes Containing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement Aggregates

Evaluation of Full-Depth Reclamation and Cold Central-Plant Recycling Mixtures for Laboratory Compaction, Mechanistic Response, and Performance Properties

Chemical and Rheological Characterization of Asphalt Binders: A Comparison of Asphalt Binder Aging and Asphalt Mixture Aging

Influence of Seed Layer Moduli on Backcalculation Procedure and on Overlay Design of Flexible Pavements

Statistical Analysis Framework to Evaluate Asphalt Concrete Overlay Reflective Cracking Performance

Evaluation of High Los Angeles Abrasion Loss Aggregate in Stone Matrix Asphalt

Analytical Nonlinear Modeling of Rail and Fastener Longitudinal Response

Data-Driven Food Desert Metric to Understand Access to Grocery Stores Using Chi-Square Automatic Interaction Detector Decision Tree Analysis

Factors Affecting Driving Cessation of Older Adults and Their Satisfaction with Mobility Options

Image reads: Research

Decade of Research in Review at the Auburn University Stormwater Research Facility

A Comparative Evaluation of the Total Cost of Ownership between Electric Two-Wheelers and Motorized Two-Wheelers from an Indian Perspective

Image reads: Safety and Human Performance

Consensus Study Report: Keeping DUKW Boat Passengers Safe

Effects of Individual Vehicle Differences on Advanced Driver-Assist System Takeover Alert Behavior

Development of Road Diet Segment and Intersection Crash Modification Factors

Velocity Obstacle-Based Collision Avoidance and Motion Planning Framework for Connected and Automated Vehicles

Study on the Liquid Centroid Positions of Elliptical Tank Trucks under Different Steering Conditions

Departure Timing Preference during Extreme Weather Events: Evidence from Hurricane Evacuation Behavior

Safety and Economic Evaluation of the Highway Safety Improvement Program: Is there a Return on Investment?

 

Asymmetric Gasoline Price Effects on Public Transit Ridership: Evidence from U.S. Cities

Assessing the Implementation of On-Demand Transportation Services for People with Disabilities

Image reads: work zones 

Calibration and Validation Methodology for Simulation Models of Intelligent Work Zones

Trenton MOVES and the SmartDrivingCARS Summit

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Trenton MOVES Display Image. CARTS.

On February 11, 2022, New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) awarded a $5,000,000 Local Transportation Project Fund Grant to the City of Trenton to support the Trenton Mobility and Opportunity: Vehicles Equity System (MOVES) project. The core vision, goals and features of the project - an autonomous vehicle transportation system capable of serving 90,000 Trenton residents and commuting workers -- were outlined in a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) issued in December 2021.

The system is expected to comprise 100 autonomous, electric shuttle vehicles and 50 kiosks and will operate solely as an on-demand system, with no fixed routes or schedules. The vehicles will be handicapped accessible and accommodate up to eight passengers.

Kiosks will be located at popular locations and high-density residential/commercial areas within a five-minute walk by over 90 percent of Trenton residents. Riders will be able to hail the vehicles through mobile devices or through an interface at each kiosk for those lacking access to a mobile device.

Through its partnership with Princeton University and the Corporation for Automated Road Transportation Safety (CARTS), NJDOT supported an extensive public outreach process to support the development of the RFEI. This outreach revealed several notable current conditions: 70 percent of Trenton households have one or no personal vehicle; due to land use decisions of prior decades and the lack of frequent bus service, seniors have to take circuitous bus rides, schedule an access-a-ride in advance, or walk significant distances to access destinations for everyday needs; and high school students living within two miles of the high school were without access to a bus because of a national bus driver shortage. The new system is intended to alleviate these and other limitations of the current transportation structure. The public engagement informed the RFEI and generated five goals for the program.

Goals of the Program

Safety

Autonomous vehicles can provide improved safety as they are not subject to human fallibilities, such as driving distracted or speeding. Some acclimation will be needed to ride in a vehicle with no driver. For the first two years of the project, vetted safety hosts will be on the vehicles to assist riders in understanding and navigating the system. The project will initially be limited to its operational design domain while on public roads.

NJ State Transportation Innovation Council Discusses Trenton MOVES at their 1st Quarterly Meeting of 2022

Equity

A significant majority of Trentonians live in Areas of Persistent Poverty, own one or no cars, and spend a high proportion of their income on transportation within the City. The program must serve the transportation needs of all Trenton residents, particularly those with limited transportation access due to economic or physical hardships. The service will aim to be inclusive both in terms of communities served and user experiences.

Affordability

The program will aim to be both low cost to the rider and the taxpayer. As NJDOT wants it to be both equitably and fiscally viable long into the future, its costs should be attainable and fares should be affordable. The rider should pay fares comparable to transit service, and far less than would be paid for ride-hailing and taxi services. Trenton MOVES will also create a public-private partnership to assist with the development of the on-demand mobility system and anticipate reduced costs through scaling and innovative funding mechanisms.

Sustainability

As New Jersey will be phasing out the sale of gasoline powered vehicles by 2035 to help reduce emissions, all of the initial 100 AVs in the Trenton MOVES project will be 100 percent electric. Additionally, the on-demand function stands to reduce average vehicle occupancy, vehicle miles traveled, and greenhouse gas emissions for local trips within Trenton.

Efficiency

To maximize the convenience of the on-demand mobility service, Trenton MOVES seeks to minimize wait times, ride times, have low circuity during shared rides, and reduce VMTs, particularly when the vehicles are empty. This goal will be achieved through active fleet management, dynamic repositioning, optimal routing, data analytics, etc.

How it will work

Trenton MOVES, Planned Operational Design Domain. CARTS

NJDOT anticipates a four-phase process to enable the autonomous vehicles within Trenton, and eventually to expand statewide and potentially beyond. Availability of service in Trenton is anticipated for early 2024.

Phase One will consist of the verification of the autonomous vehicle concept. The company selected to create this on-demand mobility service will first operate the autonomous vehicles on and around NJDOT’s Ewing campus to verify functionality in low stress environments.

Phase Two will be a proof of concept. Once the automated vehicles are shown to be effective, 100 vehicles will be placed on the public roads within a limited Operational Design Domain (ODD). This ODD will consist of major public centers in Trenton such as the Capitol Complex, schools, public housing, grocery stores, the Trenton Transportation Center, etc. A kiosk will be placed at each of these points to allow people to “call” to the vehicles.

Phase Three will be proof of societal value. In the third phase, the ODD will expand to all of Trenton to the point where 95 percent of the population is within a 5-minute walk of any kiosk. This expansion will demonstrate effectiveness of service, and scalability in an urban setting.

Phase Four is proof of network-scale economics. Once proven effective in Trenton, the program and the service could be launched throughout Mercer County, and in densely populated places in New Jersey such as Atlantic City, Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick. If those cities continue to prove effective in terms of service scalability, the autonomous vehicles can then be launched in more cities nationwide.

Upcoming Event - Princeton SmartDrivingCars Summit

From June 2nd to June 4th, CARTS and Princeton University have organized a gathering of leaders from within the industry, academia, public sector, and local communities to discuss the progress being made on the autonomous vehicle transportation. This year there will be an extensive discussion on Trenton MOVES as the program moves forward. To learn more, click here.

Details on the SmartDrivingCars Summit through CARTS and Princeton University

Resources

Burns, K. P. (2022, February 13). Trenton receives $5 million grant to make MOVES for residents. WHYY. https://whyy.org/articles/trenton-receives-5-million-grant-to-make-moves-for-residents/

New Jersey Announces Grant for Trenton MOVES Autonomous Vehicle-Based Urban Transit System Project. (2022, February 11). Mass Transit Magazine. https://www.masstransitmag.com/alt-mobility/autonomous-vehicles/press-release/21256516/new-jersey-office-of-the-governor-new-jersey-announces-grant-for-trenton-moves-autonomous-vehiclebased-urban-transit-system-project

New Jersey Department of Transportation [NJDOT Technology Transfer]. (2022, March 16). NJ STIC 1st Quarterly Meeting 2022, March 16, 2022 [Video]. YouTube. Presentation starts at 1 hour, 21 mins. https://youtu.be/rHIr8UW4zLg?t=4862

Partners for Automated Vehicle Education. (2022, May 4). PAVE’s Virtual Panel “AVs and Public Good: Trenton MOVES” [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KawGghbte4s

Propel: NJDOT Commissioner Gutierrez-Scaccetti and the Trenton NJ MOVES Program - Allen & Overy. April 29, 2022). [Podcast]. https://www.allenovery.com/en-gb/germany/news-and-insights/publications/propel-njdot-commissioner-gutierrez-scaccetti-and-the-trenton-nj-moves-program

Smart Driving Cars Podcast. (2022, January 17). Smart Driving Cars 251 special edition: Making it Happen: Trenton Moves [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT8rmDYzwkg

State of New Jersey. (2021, December 6). Office of the Governor | Murphy Administration Announces RFEI for Project to Create the First Autonomous Vehicle-Based Urban Transit System in America [Press release and RFEI]. https://nj.gov/governor/news/news/562021/approved/20211206b.shtml

Recently Issued TRB Publications and ASTM Standards

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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.

The TRB Publications, March to April 2022 list includes recently published research in operations and traffic management, data information and technology, bridges and structures, pavements, bicycling and pedestrians, safety and human factors, and construction, among others.

A couple of recent research articles that caught our eye, included:

The ASTM Standards, January to April, 2022 list includes recently proposed and revised ASTM standards. As a reminder, the ASTM Book of Standards is available through the ASTM COMPASS Portal for NJDOT employees.

Please contact the NJDOT research librarian, Tammy Yeadon, MSLIS, at (609) 963-1898, or email at library@dot.nj.gov or Tammy_CNSLT.Yeadon@dot.nj.gov  for assistance on how to retrieve these or other publications.