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Try this at Home: Florida Safe & Accessible Pedestrian Facility Inventory Model

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The sixth round of Every Day Counts (EDC-6) was kicked off with a Virtual Summit that introduced the innovations that FHWA would be promoting over the next 2 years. The summit also featured a National State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC) Network Showcase that highlighted some 245 innovations developed and deployed by agencies throughout the United States. This article is one in a series that takes a closer look at “homegrown innovations” implemented by state and local agencies to save lives, time, and money. 

SAPFIM has four core functions in recording, managing, mapping, and generating reports on pedestrian. Source Dr. Fabian Cevallos, National Center for Transit Research.
SAPFIM has four core functions in recording, managing, mapping, and generating reports on pedestrian. Source Dr. Fabian Cevallos, National Center for Transit Research.

Highlighted by the Federal Highway Administration (FWHA)’s journal Innovator in its March/April 2018 issue, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) produced a systemic, digitized way for creating an inventory of pedestrian infrastructure (1). As a part of a State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC) program, FDOT, in cooperation with the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization, Florida International University, and the FHWA created a Safe and Accessible Pedestrian Facility Inventory Model (SAPFIM) (1). SAPFIM has been described as “a web-based application designed to collect, manage and report on pedestrian facilities along public roadways” (2) through cost-effective, real-time means.

The project received STIC incentive funding ($100,000) in 2015 to develop and deploy this GIS-based software tool (3), establishing a model that could be adapted and scaled for other local projects and transportation agencies.

As part of the STIC project, several agencies had an opportunity to test SAPFIM and provide feedback that the project team used to modify the software and user’s guide.

The general design of SAPFIM was broken by researcher into the image above; this particular division of functions could provide a conceptual basis for digital collection software on different topics as well. Source Dr. Fabian Cevallos, National Center for Transit Research.
The general design of SAPFIM was broken by researcher into the image above; this particular division of functions could provide a conceptual basis for digital collection software on different topics as well. Source Dr. Fabian Cevallos, National Center for Transit Research.

As an example, a fire hydrant obstructing the middle of a sidewalk might render a pathway inaccessible to wheelchair users. This obstruction in the sidewalk can be photographed and reported in SAPFIM resulting in its identification, labeling and geo-location. Such a tool allows local agencies to better track their pedestrian features while needing less time and resources. The technology also alerts planners and other officials to what pedestrian improvements, repairs, or even new constructions need priority in real-time. With updates being automatically incorporated in a wider database, information storage and retrieval is generally more complete yet simplified for users.

Obstructions to sidewalks and the location of critical pedestrian infrastructure, such as pushbuttons, away from pavement can signal spatial hostility to pedestrians. Right image courtesy of www.pedbikeimages.org; Dan Burden; left image courtesy of www.pedbikeimages.org, Laura Sandt.
Obstructions to sidewalks and the location of critical pedestrian infrastructure, such as pushbuttons, away from pavement can signal spatial hostility to pedestrians. Right image courtesy of www.pedbikeimages.org; Dan Burden; left image courtesy of www.pedbikeimages.org, Laura Sandt.

As highlighted in a presentation from one of its research team members, SAPFIM collects over 80 standard attributes (2), such as geographic and photographic references, to describe pedestrian infrastructure across the Sunshine State. Authorized users can use wireless devices (smartphones, laptop, tablets, etc.) to enter information on a pedestrian feature or update an existing one. By answering preset criteria tailored to three categories of features (sidewalks, curb ramps, and crossings), compliance with American Disability Act (ADA) accessibility statutes or general safe, comfortable pedestrian design could then be assessed and improved upon (2).

Teams collecting data for SAPFIM still physically measure sites before inputting the information digitally. This physical component could help experientially familiarize participating stakeholders with the wider built environment of their communities. Courtesy of Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Teams collecting data for SAPFIM still physically measure sites before inputting the information digitally. This physical component could help experientially familiarize participating stakeholders with the wider built environment of their communities. Courtesy of Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization.

A similar program from Seminole County, Florida revamped the transcription and tracking processes of their ADA pedestrian ramp inspections into a digital, mobile application that utilized GIS technology (4). Ultimately winning the FHWA’s 2021 Building a Better Mousetrap Smart Transformation Award, the Seminole County ADA ramp tracker reduced inspection times of individual ramps from 1.5 hours to 5 minutes (4). It streamlined the entire tracking process of a feature from taking 3-4 days with pen and paper to reportedly a single day (4) by also eliminating a multi-hour step of transferring physical records to digital ones.

Build a Better Mousetrap recognizes local and state innovations in American transportation infrastructure processes and products. By winning an award from the project, Seminole County's ADA accessible tracker now is more likely to be emulated and advance other digitalization efforts. Courtesy of the Federal Highway Administration.

It is unclear if the Seminole County’s trackers were built off of SAPFIM, but nonetheless the demonstrated utility of the County’s efforts validates the purpose of the FDOT project. Applying digital cataloging technology to the built-environment clearly suggests that the future of transportation maintenance will include enhanced digital record-keeping, including breaches to accessibility ordinances. Such technology continues to be re-tailored to maintenance of street lights, potholes, public bathroom accessibility, curb-cuts and other physical assets and their attributes. The equity and cost-saving gains of these homegrown innovations warrant further attention and deployment, particularly in ways that can respond creatively to rising pedestrian fatalities nationally and in New Jersey (5).

Resources

  1. Federal Highway Administration. (2018, March-April). Enhancing Pedestrian Safety in Florida. 11(65), 10. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/innovator/issue65/issue65.pdf
  2. Cevallos, Fabian. (Accessed 2022, August 2). SAPFIM: Safe and Accessible Pedestrian Facility Inventory Model. Florida Department of Transportation. https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/content/roadway/ada/sapfim-online.pdf?sfvrsn=228b87ca_0
  3. Federal Highway Administration. (2022, July 13). STIC Incentive Projects (FY 2014-2022). US Department of Transportation. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/stic/incentive_project/
  4. Federal Highway Administration. (2021). Smart Transformation Award. Build a Better Mousetrap. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/clas/pdfs/2021_mousetrap_entries_booklet.pdf
  5. Bascome, Erik. (2022, April 07). S. pedestrian fatalities spike by 17%, over 500 more deaths, in first half of 2021, data shows. Staten Island Advance. https://www.silive.com/news/2022/04/us-pedestrian-fatalities-spike-by-17-over-500-more-deaths-in-first-half-of-2021.html
  6. Cevallos, Fabian. (2020. June 1). Safe and Accessible Pedestrian Facility Inventory Model (SAPFIM): Development. National Center for Transit Research (NCTR), University of South Florida. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/323870213.pdf
  7. Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization. (Accessed 2022, August 4). Safe and Accessible Pedestrian Facilities Inventory Model. https://www.browardmpo.org/images/CSMP/SAPFIM_Presentation.pdf

Reconnecting Communities: Redressing the Past to Advance a More Equitable Future

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The interstate highway transportation building program undoubtedly yielded significant mobility and economic benefits for the nation in the post WW-II era but also imposed environmental and public health burdens for less favored communities. The benefits and burdens of the building program were not equitably distributed; the burdens were often disproportionately borne by predominantly minority and ethnic populations and lower-income communities that were powerless to halt transportation and land use decisions made in the name of “progress”, regional mobility, more efficient auto and truck travel, and urban renewal.

The Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, a new and innovative program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, takes a small step toward repairing and redressing the adverse consequences of these past planning and engineering decisions. (1)

Emergency services on scene at O'Connor Electro-Plating explosion in Los Angeles, Calif., 1947. Courtesy of UCLA Library.
Emergency services on scene at O’Connor Electro-Plating explosion in Los Angeles, Calif., 1947. Courtesy of UCLA Library.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) enacted in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has been described as a “once in a generation” investment in our nation’s infrastructure, promising two million jobs per year and delivering needed financial assistance to transit, highways, water, power, and communications. While much of the BIL’s transportation funding is intended to encourage and prioritize the repair, reconstruction, replacement, and maintenance of existing transportation infrastructure, the BIL also tilts investment and resources for programs, new and old, to tackle the challenges of the 21st century in the realms of safety, equity, and climate change and resilience.

The BIL includes an innovative new program, the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, that sets aside $1 billion to “restore community connectivity by removing, retrofitting, or mitigating highways or other transportation facilities that create barriers to community connectivity, including, mobility, access, or economic development.” From 2022 through 2026, the pilot program will receive $500 million from the Highway Trust Fund and $500 million from the general fund for Planning and Capital Construction grants. (2)

Freeway and Urban Renewal in the Bronx. Provided with permission from Segregation by Design.
Freeway and Urban Renewal in the Bronx. Provided with permission from Segregation by Design.

The USDOT explains that the Reconnecting Communities pilot program will help reconnect communities that were previously cut off from economic opportunities by transportation infrastructure. Reconnecting a community could mean adapting existing infrastructure- such as building a pedestrian walkway over or under an existing highway- to better connect neighborhoods to opportunities or improve access through crosswalks and redesigned intersections.  The FY22 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) has been issued and is available on the USDOT website.

Below Grade Portion of Cross Bronx Expressway under construction, provided with Permission from Segregation by Design
Below Grade Portion of Cross Bronx Expressway under construction, provided with Permission from Segregation by Design

The primary goal of the program is to reconnect communities harmed by transportation infrastructure, through community-supported planning activities and capital construction projects that are championed by those communities. The planning grants support the funding of the planning processes for the entity performing the reconnection, to include project design and public outreach to the historically disconnected communities. Outreach can be tailored to overcome mistrust of the government entity that sited the infrastructure that disconnected the community, and explore potential strategies to redress the burdens of these past siting decisions. After planning is complete, capital construction grants will fund work to remove, replace, or mitigate the facility. The federal government will fund up to half of the costs of these projects.

I-93 Construction in Boston, Provided with Permission by Segregation By Design
I-93 Construction in Boston, Provided with Permission by Segregation By Design

What the Reconnecting Communities Program Recognizes

The program is noteworthy for its recognition that, historically, many public and private entities presided over land use policies and the siting of transportation infrastructure that resulted in the isolation and segregation of poor and marginalized populations from the broader community. Some scholars have traced causes of spatial segregation to unfair enactment of zoning laws in the 1930s that peddled “health and safety” as the rationale for carrying out discriminatory land use policies.  Over time, the color line boundaries were maintained through redlining, realtor steering, block-busting, and disinvestment that shaped a geography of unequal access to opportunities for those concentrated in disadvantaged communities.

The intent of early zoning was to reinforce protection of citizens’ health and safety as established in nuisance law. It gave governments police powers to make sure that the state and its cities could be proactive in anticipation of negative impacts. Unfortunately, with these powers, the enfranchised voter, politician, planner, and engineer set the parameters of health and safety to fit their preferences and biases. Governments could consolidate disenfranchised populations in specific areas and permit the siting of health and safety nuisances in these communities through “spot zoning”. For example, in South Central LA, a majority black neighborhood, the City began to spot zone industrial uses in commercial portions of the neighborhood. An electroplating plant in the area exploded in 1947 killing 5 local residents and 15 workers while damaging 100 homes. The property next to a church was spot zoned industrial and when the pastor raised their concerns, they were why “Why don’t you people buy a church somewhere else?” (3 pp. 55-56). These local decisions had the silent approval of state and federal governments.

Concurrently, the rise of the personal automobile required the allocation of space to make trips easier and faster in and through traditionally dense American cities. At the beginning of the Highwaymen Era, cities sought to build expressways and parkways, often ignoring the residents who sat in the bulldozer’s path. The Cross-Bronx Expressway is an often-referenced example of how damaging the siting of urban expressway projects were to community life and how powerless the affected communities were to halt siting decisions.  In 1945, Robert Moses, perhaps the most infamous highwayman, sought to construct a seven-mile trench highway through the Bronx. He looked at the stretch as his to shape. Even when offered alternatives to his vision, alternatives that would have resulted in preserving more of the neighborhood and homes, he persisted with his alignment through the Bronx and its displacements of the families along the way. (4 pp. 839-878) Moses was not alone among the planners and engineers in ignoring the preferences and plight of local residents.

Before and After Replacing the Embarcadero, Courtesy of the San Francisco Planning Department
Before and After Replacing the Embarcadero, Courtesy of the San Francisco Planning Department

This process accelerated with passage of the Federal-Aid Highway Act in 1956 that funded the construction of mostly free to access, grade-separated roads that linked cities, towns, and states. The money and power prescribed to states from the federal government allowed the powers that be to run highways through neighborhoods of primarily underrepresented populations. The Embarcadero Freeway in San Francisco (5 pp. 46-96), I-93 in Boston (6), the several I-80’s of Oakland (7) , and many more cut deep into their cities in the name of progress (3 pp. 127-129). Individuals saw the divisive impacts of these highways on communities and eventually rallied in several cities to prevent their expansion, but it was too late for many communities. Hulking multilane highways that produced noise and air pollution cut up and cut off neighbors and communities (5 pp. 94-121).

Over time, people have organized and sought to mitigate or reverse the impacts of these highway sitings on the urban landscape. Several governmental bodies are engaged in planning processes for community reconnection and several projects have been successfully completed in the past two decades. The most famous two examples are The Embarcadero in San Francisco and Boston’s Big Dig. The Embarcadero Freeway was a multilevel highway that separated San Francisco Bay from the City. In 1989, an earthquake struck the Bay Area. The Embarcadero crumbled with the quake and people began to ask questions about how this massive waterfront space could be used. After fights with the State and a 6-5 vote at the municipal level, a boulevard and trolley tracks replaced the Embarcadero. (8) For the first time in decades, the bay, not pillars and concrete, bound San Francisco at its north end.

The most famous reconnection on the East Coast is probably the Big Dig. When constructed, I-93 tore through the historically Italian North End, cutting it off from the City proper. With no transit facilities, the neighborhood was isolated with large spans casting shadows into the residences of the North End.  While the North End could not be saved, witnessing the damage caused by the highway sparked highway revolts throughout the Boston area leading to the cancellation of several highway projects in Boston. With traffic pressures rising and lack of political will for more throughput, Massachusetts started to plan the Big Dig in the early 1980s to repair the damage done and improve throughput on I-93. Over the next 35 years, Boston engaged with the North End community, the citizens of the City and business and waterfront interests to shape the public space that would follow. This development process resulted in the current boulevard and park that caps I-93. (6)

Recent and Promising Reconnections

In Boston and San Francisco, the removal of the highways revived the space, but also led to land speculation that has fueled displacement and gentrification. With the successes and mistakes of these community reconnections in mind, other states and cities are exploring restorative strategies that will avoid and minimize community displacements.

Modern day I-93 after the Big Dig, Courtesy of NewtonCourt and Wikimedia.
Modern day I-93 after the Big Dig, Courtesy of NewtonCourt and Wikimedia.

The Inner Loop of Rochester is one of the more recent reconnection projects on the East Coast.  Its transformative effects have served as a “demonstration project for highway removal in other parts of the city” (9).  When completed in 1965, I-490 and New York State Route 940T created a loop around Rochester’s downtown, making the area difficult to access for most residents. As the 1970s brought significant economic impacts to Upstate New York, Rochester’s population declined and the city recognized the need to reconnect the downtown with the rest of the city. In the early 2000s, several proposals slowly coalesced into public engagement in 2013 through which the citizens helped shape plans for the initial removal of the loop. For $21 million, Rochester removed and buried its below grade highway and have since replaced it with housing and mixed-use development. (9,10)

Built between 1956 and 1968, I-94 connected the Twin Cities, but in the process badly damaged the majority Black neighborhood of Rondo, displacing 60 percent of its residents. In the late 2000s, a freeway cap was proposed to cover the highway in portions, but like many proposals at the time, it languished due to tight public budgets. In 2021, a local nonprofit, Reconnect Rondo, began spearheading an effort to reconnect portions of the community via a four-block land bridge. A land bridge option was settled on rather than removal or downgrading to a boulevard because that stretch of I-94 is considered the busiest segment of highway in the state. Reconnect Rondo is seeking justice in other ways for the cumulative impacts unleashed in part by the highway’s bisection of the community. They want to expand the neighborhood community land trust and provide housing and invest in local businesses while they pursue the highway cap. (11)

Rondo Neighborhood 1953 (left), 2020 (right), courtesy of Ramsey County, Minnesota
Rondo Neighborhood 1953 (left), 2020 (right), courtesy of Ramsey County, Minnesota

Syracuse is replacing I-81, the viaduct that runs through the core of its city. I-81’s construction ran through a neighborhood that was not only majority black, but also held a majority of all the black residents in Syracuse. The press depicted the neighborhood as slums and the State targeted the neighborhood for urban renewal in 1957. The completion of the viaduct left a soaring piece of infrastructure that isolated the community. Syracuse joined with several other municipalities in seeking to right the wrong created by I-81 and recently received funding from the State of New York to replace the highway with a boulevard. Community members fear that the growth resulting from the return of I-81 to the city’s grid may displace residents. NYSDOT’s only noted plan for addressing this potential impact is to ensure the ongoing update to the city’s development plan includes gathering the community’s input on how the new space incorporates with the community. (12-15)

New Jersey now has an opportunity to learn from those who have already planned and implemented community reconnection projects.  In recent years, two highway segments have been identified as candidate projects. In Northern New Jersey, I-280, when constructed, cut a deep swath underneath the streets of Newark, East Orange and Orange. Today, the interstate segment divides neighborhoods and generates traffic, noise, and air pollution and presents unsafe pathways for pedestrians and cyclists.  The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), in association with Essex County and the affected municipalities, examined strategies for reconnection in the Essex County Freeway Drive and Station Area: Safety and Public Realm Study in 2017.  This study examined access and circulation issues in Orange and East Orange, and around the East Orange, Brick Church and Orange train stations, Route 280, Freeway Drive East and West, and the NJ TRANSIT elevated rail line (16).  The Regional Planning Association’s Fourth Plan, completed in 2019, calls for capping I-280 in Newark and East Orange “to restore the street grid and knit back together neighborhoods.” (17)

In the State Capitol, the city, county, and state all have sought to transform State Route 29. While not a part of the Interstate System, NJ-29 connects with I-195 and I-295 south of Trenton and winds along the Delaware River, separating Trenton residents from the waterfront. In 2009, the City of Trenton signed a memorandum of understanding with several agencies that proposed transformation of NJ-29 into a boulevard, but like I-94, the project has not advanced. A 2016 grant from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) spurred renewed interest in continuing the process. (18)  With the availability of funding, advocates are seeking state support to plan and rebuild a section of Route 29 in downtown Trenton (19,20).

Can affected communities and stakeholders in New Jersey draw inspiration from the reconciliation and restoration efforts of other states and regions? With federal funding available, advocates see an opportune time to get these or other projects off the ground that could reconnect the communities once divided by past roadway siting and design decisions.

Rendering of before and after I-81 is torn down, courtesy of NYSDOT
Rendering of before and after I-81 is torn down, courtesy of NYSDOT

RESOURCES

  1. Wilson, Kea. Four Things Advocates Need to Know About the ‘Reconnecting Communities’ Program. Street Blog USA. [Online] 30 June 2022. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2022/06/30/four-things-advocates-need-to-know-about-the-reconnecting-communities-program/.
  2. U.S. Department of Transportation. Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program – Planning Grants and Capital Construction Grants. [Online] https://www.transportation.gov/grants/reconnecting-communities.
  3. Rothstein, Richard. The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. s.l.: Liverwright Publishing, 2017.
  4. Caro, Robert. The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York. s.l.: Random House, 2015.
  5. Kelley, Albert Benjamin. The Pavers and the Paved: The Real Costs of America’s Highway Program. s.l.: D.W. Brown, 1971.
  6. Crockett, Karilyn. People Before Highways: Boston Activists, Urban Planners, and a New Movement for City Making. s.l.: University of Massachusetts Press, 2018.
  7. Self, Robert O. American Babylon: Race and the Struggle for Postwar Oakland. s.l.: Princeton University Press, 2005.
  8. Rubin, Jasper. The Embarcadero Reborn. Found SF. [Online] u.d. https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=The_Embarcadero_Reborn.
  9. Congress for New Urbanism. Rochester | Inner Loop North. Campaign Cities. [Online] u.d. https://www.cnu.org/highways-boulevards/campaign-cities/buffalo-inner-loop-north.
  10. Inner Loop East – Public Participation. Inner Loop East – From Barrier to Beautiful. [Online] u.d. https://www.cityofrochester.gov/article.aspx?id=8589950580.
  11. Wilson, Kea. Land Bridge Seeks to Restore Minnesota Black Neighborhood. Streetsblog USA. [Online] 19 February 2021. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2021/02/19/land-bridge-seeks-to-restore-minnesota-black-neighborhood/.
  12. I-81 Viaduct Project: Community Grid. New York State Department of Transportation. [Online] https://webapps.dot.ny.gov/i-81-viaduct-project.
  13. Walker, Alissa. About Time: Syracuse’s I-81 Is Finally Being Demolished. Curbed. [Online] 26 January 2022. https://www.curbed.com/2022/01/hochul-syracuse-highway-removal-i-81.html.
  14. The Highway Was Supposed to Save This City. Can Tearing It Down Fix the Sins of the Past? Jalopnik. [Online] 5 April 2022. https://jalopnik.com/the-highway-was-supposed-to-save-this-city-can-tearing-1836529628.
  15. Congress for New Urbanism. Syracuse | I-81. Campaign Cities: Highways to Boulevards. [Online] u.d. https://www.cnu.org/highways-boulevards/campaign-cities/syracuse.
  16. North Jersey Transportation Planning Association (NJTPA).  Freeway Drive and Station Area: Safety and Public Realm Study. 2017.  Freeway-Drive-Report-Report-only-20170724.pdf (njtpa.org)
  17. Regional Plan Association. Fourth Regional Plan: Remove, Bury, or Deck Over Highways that Blight Communities. [Online] http://fourthplan.org/action/remove-highways.
  18. Congress for New Urbanism. Trenton | Route 29. Campaign Cities: Highways to Boulevards. [Online] https://www.cnu.org/highways-boulevards/campaign-cities/trenton-route-29.
  19. Hurdle, Jon. Push on to Jumpstart Route 29 Makeover in Trenton.  NJ Spotlight News. [Online] 21 July 21, 2022. https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2022/07/route-29-highway-makeover-trenton-federal-funding-advocates-city-link-river-economic-development-civic-pride/
  20. Route 29 Sign-On Letter to Office of Governor. Route 29 Boulevard: Transformational Opportunity for the City of Trenton.  Letter. [Online] 2 June, 2022.  https://www.njspotlightnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/123/2022/07/Route-29-Sign-On-Letter-June-2022.pdf

NJ Participants Requested for the Eastern Transportation Coalition’s Phase 4 Study of Mileage-Based User Fees

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With federal and state taxes on gasoline becoming less viable as a mechanism for funding transportation infrastructure, the State of New Jersey is looking for participants with passenger and commercial vehicles for a study on Mileage-Based User Fee study. This study is the most recent, fourth phase of the Eastern Transportation Coalition’s wider exploration of Mileage-Based User Fees (MBUF) as a new model for funding transportation infrastructure.

Both plug-in models are attachable to the OBD-II Ports of participants’ vehicles. Courtesy of the Eastern Transportation Coalition

An alternative way for generating revenues for highway maintenance, repair, and construction, a MBUF would charge motorists by the number of miles they travel rather than “at the pump”. For years now, improvements in the fuel efficiency of motor vehicles (i.e. improved miles-per-gallon) have reduced the gasoline tax revenue generated per user, even as the size of vehicles and therefore their potential for wear on the road has only increased. The advent of widespread electric vehicles (EVs) also presents users who do not pay into gasoline taxes at all. Replacing gasoline taxes with a MBUF would be a way of rebalancing costs and benefits of transportation infrastructure for the modern era.

Participants will be able to choose from plug-in options provided in the ETC study (top left), GPS units (bottom left), or inputting information through smartphone applications. Courtesy of the Eastern Transportation Coalition

Implementation of MBUF could take many different forms, hence the need for New Jersey to study aspects of potential MBUF systems, such as methods for tracking miles traveled or ways to still encourage fuel efficient vehicles. Similarly, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has committed to $18.7 million in innovation-oriented funding towards exploring MBUF (1). Notably the Eastern Transportation Coalition (ETC), comprised of New Jersey, 16 other states, and District of Columbia, received support from the FHWA in its exploration of MBUF. The ETC’s “National Truck Pilot and State Passenger Vehicle Pilot” has rolled out four mileage reporting options, with two of them being plug-ins to vehicles’ on-board diagnostic port called a OBD-II Port. One connected plug-in utilizes GPS and the other records miles traveled without GPS.

The other two, non-plug-in options for tracking miles are manual entries of distances recorded by odometers and in-vehicle telemetry. The manual entry is the basic “low-tech” option where the participant provides monthly odometer readings to the Pilot program either through logging into an account to type in the readings or alternatively, they can get a reading automatically by taking a picture of the odometer through an app. For newer vehicles with more advanced electronics, participants can enable their vehicles’ in-vehicle telemetry to automatically send relevant odometer information. Detailed step-by-step instructions for authorizing In-Vehicle Telematics will be provided to the approved participants after enrollment.

Current results suggest a general reduction in common MBUF concerns after participation. Courtesy of the Eastern Transportation Coalition.

Beyond the technical experimentation with hardware, a past phase of the ETC pilot gauged the opinions of motorists and truckers on MBUF systems. For instance, 52 percent of passenger vehicle participants expressed some level of concern about privacy in a MBUF system at the start of their participation (2). By the end of the pilot, however, only 7 percent still had such concerns due to the privacy practices incorporated into how the plug-in technology was utilized. Strategies to ensure privacy, such as the legal prevention of data sales to third parties and the automatic destruction of user data 30 days after the pilot may have allayed some concerns. If representative of the wider public, this change in opinion suggests that reservations about MBUF may be overcome with greater exposure to the system and responsible implementation.

Several other observations and findings from the pilot were reported; for example, motorists and truckers were especially concerned that the MBUF may unfairly impact residents of rural areas, drivers of fuel efficient vehicles, and in-state drivers. There were also worries regarding if reporting and paying miles under a MBUF would be burdensome or convoluted (3). However, information from the previous Phases of the ETC’s pilot actually shows that on average rural drivers would spend less money in a MBUF since they tend to ride less fuel efficient vehicles (2).

The Eastern Transportation Coalition’s present timeline for NJ Participants in the MBUF Pilot Study. Courtesy of the Eastern Transportation Coalition.

Depending on the structure of a MBUF, different rates of payment could incentivize vehicle adoption based on fuel efficiency or EV-status. However, individuals from the trucking sector have expressed concern with this since smaller trucking firms tend to use older, less efficient vehicles; similarly, drivers of older model, less fuel-efficient passenger vehicles may be opposed to such a tiered pricing scheme. A truncated report by the ETC recommends avoiding the tiering of fee rates by fuel efficiency for these reasons. All the same, there is flexibility in the formulation of MBUF to reward fuel efficient motor vehicles, if one-day desired by the public or environmentally necessary.

Continued participation and feedback in New Jersey on the ETC’s MBUF Pilot is therefore critical in assessing how best to ensure that future implementation is fair and effective. Participating is free; NJ participants will receive a $50 gift card for their completion of a pre-study survey at a location of their choice from a select list (4), and another $50 gift card for the completion of a post-study survey, as well. All program-related data will remain secure and confidential, as the data will be destroyed shortly after the completion of the Pilot.

Participating is free and as easy as four steps. Courtesy of the Eastern Transportation Coalition.

Your participation would take the form of four steps (4):

  1. Enroll – Fill out the enrollment form by clicking the link on the website.
  2. Insert – Plug a small device into your vehicle to record mileage.
  3. Drive – Then drive as you normally do.
  4. Return – After a few months, mail back the device

If you are interested in testing the technology and offering your insights in an investigation that could future transportation funding in New Jersey, please visit NewJerseyMBUFpilot.com to learn more and enroll by July 31st to participate in this innovative program.

If you have questions, contact a Pilot team member at 609-293-7800 or NewJersey@MBUFpilot.org.

The Eastern Transportation Coalition provides useful information on their Pilot Program and MBUF at the following links:
MBUF Pilot Program Participation Page
MBUF Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Page
Exploration of MBUF Approaches for All Users Fact Sheet
MBUF Findings and Reports Page

References

(1) The Federal Highway Administration. (2021, March 16). FHWA Awards $18.7 Million to Eight Projects to Explore New Highway Funding Methods.  https://highways.dot.gov/newsroom/fhwa-awards-187-million-eight-projects-explore-new-highway-funding-methods

(2) The Eastern Transportation Coalition. (2022, February). Exploration of Mileage-Based User Fee Approaches for All Users Fact Sheet. https://tetcoalitionmbuf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Exploration-of-Mileage-Based-User-Fee-Approaches-for-All-Users_Fact-Sheet-1.pdf

(3) The Eastern Transportation Coalition. (2021). Exploration of Mileage-Based User Fee Approaches for All Users.https://tetcoalitionmbuf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Exploration-of-Mileage-Based-User-Fee-Approaches-for-All-Users_Condensed-1.pdf

(4) The Eastern Transportation Coalition. (2022). New Jersey Mileage-Based User Fee Pilot Program. https://tetcoalitionmbuf.org/landing-page-nj

Mentoring in Monroe: An Interview on NJDOT’s Commitment to Communities

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As a part of the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT)’s Commitment to Communities, three Monroe Township High School students received assistance with their senior capstone project from NJDOT Bureau of Research (BoR) research scientist, Dr. Giri Venkiteela. The capstone project was undertaken as a part of the Project Lead the Way program which seeks to incorporate hands-on STEM projects into primary and secondary education across the country. The specific aim of these students’ project was to improve the processes for pothole repair in the area. Maintenance of roadways with potholes is an important aspect of transportation infrastructure particularly because potholes can grow or crack and damage roads further if left unresolved.

The students employed a survey of local residents to investigate the relative state of road conditions in Monroe and familiarized themselves with research relating to road maintenance and design. They engaged with subject matter experts from Rutgers University, the BoR, and other stakeholders who helped the students hone the depth and direction of their capstone. We spoke with Dr. Venkiteela about this mentorship process and what the future may hold for this project and the team behind it.

Background

Q. What is your role at the NJDOT’s Bureau of Research? How did BoR and NJDOT become involved in mentoring the Monroe Township High School students?

Project Lead the Way capstones at Monroe Township High School Source: Courtesy of NJDOT Bureau of Research

Project Lead the Way capstones at Monroe Township High School. Courtesy of NJDOT Bureau of Research.

I am a research scientist and a subject matter expert (SME) in structural design, technology transfer, and pavement materials among other areas at the NJDOT Bureau of Research. The students reached out to the NJDOT Commissioner by email to request help because they were trying to find solutions to a transportation issue – pothole repair. The Commissioner then assigned me to coordinate with the students and engage with other relevant SMEs to lend assistance. We had a couple of back and forth meetings to get the students connected, and that is how everything started.

Q. To what degree did mentoring Monroe high school students with their Project Lead The Way engineering capstone reflect the Bureau of Research’s mission?

It is the mission of the Bureau, and of the state-wide Department, to help communities, students, universities, and the wider public engage with transportation topics. Beyond the innovations and assistance that such engagements yield back to us as an organization, it is our aim to benefit residents and stakeholders as much as possible. Mentoring the Monroe high school students reflects this aspect of the agency’s “Commitment to Communities” and helps cultivate the next generation of engineers.

Q. Could you describe the capstone project the students undertook?

The students produced a survey targeted to local drivers about the state of potholes in the Monroe area. The students also spoke with individuals, agencies, and local organizations in order to come up with solutions to improve pothole repair processes. The students combined the quantitative information from their survey with more qualitative interviews from key stakeholders and SMEs for their final presentation and capstone project.

Project Outcomes

Q. We understand that you helped get the students in touch with Rutgers and NJDOT SMEs in mentoring these students. Could you describe that mentoring? In what ways did this mentoring encourage, direct, or otherwise support their project?

Beyond facilitating the students’ contact with experts, NJDOT and I helped them sharpen the focus and direction of their project. After they designed and conducted their survey, for instance, we asked them to come up with the three core ideas they might want to explore further. The SMEs and I looked at these ideas, and we provided additional feedback and comments on them, so the students could make a final decision on how to proceed with the project.

Research Project Manager, Dr. Giri Venkiteela, with the three Monroe Township High School Students. Courtesy of NJDOT Bureau of Research

The students definitely aimed high with their project, but I would say part of the mentoring process was supporting their ambitions with advice on the practical, feasible side of the capstone that could lead them to successfully carrying out their vision. We found there was a fine line between providing this type of feedback and not discouraging the students. I also tracked their progress to make sure I could offer support as they moved along with their project.

Q. What were some of the most interesting findings from the students’ capstone/survey?

The students originally wanted to eliminate the potholes that can form in asphalt roads by using concrete slabs equipped with sensors. As the students imagined it, these sensors would detect cracks or physical depressions occurring in the roads’ concrete and report it for repair. When the SMEs and I reviewed their idea though, we made them aware that it is not practical to use concrete in all of the roads that we might be interested in because of freezing and thawing and other conditions affecting the roads. Their ideas might be applied to smaller road sections or local roads. The students learned why roads are built out of the materials they are: this kind of learning was interesting to engage with.

A large pothole forming cracks in the surrounding surface of a road. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

All the same, I would say placing the sensors in the pavement itself was a very interesting idea. It is a good, creative approach that was interesting to discuss for their capstone.

Q. What are your thoughts on the educational benefits of capstone projects for secondary education or beyond? In what ways do you feel the capstone might have benefited the students’ academic and professional development?

Beyond the outcome of a capstone project itself, these types of projects facilitate critical thinking. Exposure to a large organization like NJDOT and the practical side of engineering problem solving will help their career and intellectual development wherever they go or whichever field they specialize in. The hands-on experiences of coming up with solutions to specific problems, prototyping, and working in labs are incredibly valuable.

Flyer describing the Capstone team’s project, “The Pothole Solution Project”, and contacts
Source: Courtesy of NJDOT Bureau of Research

One of the most important things I saw personally was that the students are very interested in their presentation skills. I was so impressed, actually; I can imagine once they reach the college or postgraduate level, they will be able to express their thoughts and findings remarkably well. That aspect of their development is core to becoming a scientist, engineer, educator, or who knows. There are so many things they will be able to choose from with the skills fostered by this educational process.

Next Steps

Q. What are the next stages for their project and its findings? Have any public or nonprofit entities (such as local governments, NJDOT, or neighborhood groups) taken notice of it?

Absolutely, in a certain sense the NJDOT has already taken interest with my involvement. For high school students working on a project like this, however, the next steps are complicated since we do not know if they are going to specialize in college in computer science, civil engineering, materials engineering, etc. If we were certain the students were going into civil engineering with their academic and professional futures, we could endeavor to keep them in the loop, but having spoken to the students, their interests and futures are likely to be varied. One is heading into environmental studies for a college major, another will be a computer sciences major, and one will do civil engineering.

We definitely encourage them to continue reaching out to us with their ideas with pothole repair — it is a major issue within transportation. Though it is, of course, impossible to eliminate one hundred percent of potholes, the next generation will come up with the solutions to this wider concern.

Q. Do you think it may prompt or support future studies/capstones?

Though the current students are graduating from high school and going in their own directions for college, next year’s students could continue this project and the progress these students have achieved. I could see friends of different graduating years passing on some of the efforts from previous capstones and building on one another. NJDOT, and I personally, would be glad to participate in future capstone projects and to serve the broader community in this way.

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.

TRB-Publications May June

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.

Be on the Cutting Edge: Join the NJ Mileage-Based User Fee Pilot Program

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Current funding for transportation infrastructure comes from the gas tax. With a shift to electric and hybrid vehicles, a new funding approach is needed. With an MBUF program, drivers pay for the miles they travel. The MBUF Pilot Program is funded by a U.S. Department of Transportation grant program that funds efforts to utilize a user fee structure.

NJDOT has joined with the Eastern Transportation Coalition, a partnership of 17 states and Washington D.C., to launch Phase 4 of the New Jersey Mileage-Based User Fee (MBUF) Pilot Program.

To better understand how an MBUF program could work, the Coalition is conducting a Pilot Program in New Jersey and they want you to join and tell them what you think! It is free to participate, and there are strict privacy protection measures to safeguard your data. Here’s how to join the Pilot in four easy steps:

1. Enroll – Fill out the enrollment form by clicking the link on the website.
2. Insert – Plug a small device into your vehicle to record mileage.
3. Drive – Then drive as you normally do.
4. Return – After a few months, mail back the device.
*These steps may vary depending on the mileage-reporting option selected.

Your participation is important, so visit NewJerseyMBUFpilot.com to learn more and enroll by July 31st to participate in this innovative program.  Participants who qualify can receive up to $100.

Have questions? Contact a Pilot team member at 609-293-7800 or NewJersey@MBUFpilot.org.

 

Equitably Advancing a Clean Energy Future in NJ through Transportation Electrification Innovation

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Governor Phil Murphy signs energy legislation and an executive order creating a statewide energy master plan in South Brunswick on May 23, 2018. OIT/Governor’s Office.

Governor Phil Murphy signed energy legislation and issued an Executive Order to prepare a Statewide Energy Master Plan in 2018. OIT/Governor’s Office.

In recent years, New Jersey has been a national leader in promoting vehicle electrification. The state has taken a multi-pronged approach that promotes electrifying the state fleet, supports local governments looking to electrify their fleets, and provides incentives for companies and consumers to adopt electric vehicles. The state is focusing particularly on reducing emissions in overburdened or environmental justice communities that have historically experienced more pollution.

In January 2020, the state of New Jersey issued the New Jersey Energy Master Plan that included a goal that New Jersey have 100 percent clean energy by 2050 and outlined seven key strategies for achieving the goal. In the same year, the state adopted a law establishing its goals for electric vehicles (EV), providing specific benchmarks with timelines. Strategies for reducing emissions in the transportation sector include reducing vehicle miles traveled and increasing the use of electric vehicles. Additionally, on July 9, 2021, Governor Murphy signed a package of laws to support electric vehicle infrastructure throughout the state. These new laws, along with existing initiatives, are helping the state move toward a zero-emission transportation sector.

One of the more notable sources of funding for these initiatives is the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a collaborative effort with 10 other states in the region that sets a cap on how much carbon dioxide can be emitted. Companies bid on the right to emit carbon through an auction system, and auction proceeds are invested into clean energy initiatives. Another major source of funds is money received from the Volkswagen settlement; as a penalty for installing devices to cheat emissions tests, Volkswagen (VW) agreed to pay into a trust fund to be distributed to states.

NJ Transit CEO Kevin Corbett unveiling the first NJ Transit bus garage with electric charging capability.

NJ TRANSIT CEO Kevin Corbett unveiling the first NJ TRANSIT bus garage with electric charging capability. Courtesy of NJ TRANSIT.

State Fleet Electrification

New Jersey has been on the forefront of investing to electrify the state vehicle fleet, focusing on New Jersey Transit (NJ TRANSIT) buses. The state has allocated $15 million in RGGI and VW funding to purchase electric buses. The 2020 legislation establishing EV benchmarks aims for 10 percent of the buses NJ TRANSIT purchases to be zero-emission by 2024 and increasing to 100 percent by the end of 2032. If attained, these goals should help NJ TRANSIT have a zero-emissions bus fleet by 2040.

NJ TRANSIT is already preparing for the transition to electric buses. The renovation of the Newton Avenue Bus Garage in Camden has been completed to make it suitable for electric buses, and the agency plans to start deploying electric buses in Camden by the end of 2022. The agency recently awarded a contract to a private firm to modernize and ready its  bus garage in Maplewood for electric buses and to conduct a systemwide survey and condition assessment of its 16 bus garages to identify the upgrades needed to support zero-emissions buses.  This follows the agency’s earlier issuance in 2021 of a request for proposal (RFP) for help developing a Zero-Emission Bus System Design and Investment Planning Study in order to stay on track to meet the goals, and the RFP establishes that the agency will prioritize adoption of electric buses in “low-income, urban, or environmental justice communities,” as these communities are most impacted by pollution from diesel buses.

An electric powered bus at Newark Liberty International Airport. NJ Transit plans to have a zero-emission fleet by 2040.

An electric powered bus at Newark Liberty International Airport. NJ TRANSIT plans to have a zero-emission fleet by 2040. Courtesy of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is also working to electrify the state fleet. The agency has purchased 50 electric vehicles and will have 125 fully electric vehicles by 2025, reducing carbon emissions by two million pounds annually. Additionally, NJDOT is working to support the electrification of other state vehicles. Together with Princeton University, NJDOT has completed multiple phases of a plan to identify the necessary infrastructure for an all-electric state fleet and prioritize where to install charging stations. This work will help ensure the gradual transition toward an electric fleet is done smoothly and intelligently.

State Supporting Local Government Fleet Electrification

In addition to converting the state fleet to electric vehicles, New Jersey is committed to helping local governments make the same transition. The State has used RGGI and VW funding to help local governments purchase electric school buses, ambulances, garbage trucks, trucks, shuttle buses, and dump trucks. Funding can also be used to support EV infrastructure such as charging stations and to support equitable mobility projects. These e-mobility projects provide electric car sharing and ride hailing services in “low- and moderate-income communities disproportionately impacted by pollution.” To improve the quality of life of children in low- and moderate-income communities, $13 million of the RGGI and VW funding is set aside for purchase of electric school buses and shuttles. Agencies can apply to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) for grants.

One of the five fully electric garbage trucks deployed in Jersey City, the first in New Jersey. Courtesy of BYD

One of the five fully electric garbage trucks deployed in Jersey City, the first in New Jersey. Courtesy of BYD.

One notable success has been the deployment of electric garbage trucks in Jersey City in December 2021. The city purchased five garbage trucks, supported by $2 million in grants from the RGGI and VW funds. These are the first trucks of their kind in New Jersey and the largest deployment in the United States to date. While the trucks are currently not used for residential trash pick-up and are mainly used to help clean parks and business districts, they show that the state is at the forefront of adopting new electric vehicle technologies, helping to lay the groundwork for expanded use in New Jersey and elsewhere.

A notable leader in local government fleet electrification is Paterson. Paterson recently approved the purchase of two electric ambulances with NJDEP providing funding support. Ambulances spend a lot of time idling and the transition to electric ambulances will improve the air quality in Paterson and surrounding areas. The ambulance purchase continues Paterson’s efforts to go electric after they purchased 35 Nissan Leaf vehicles for the city fleet last year.

Another EV project that NJDEP is supporting is the GOTrenton! program, run by Isles, Inc., that supports EV access in Trenton. The program includes a carsharing service, a ridesharing service, a shuttle service, and related infrastructure such as charging stations. While the program is open to everyone, Isles took particular care in the site selection process to make sure that low-income communities would benefit the most from the program. The program will also create new jobs for people living in Trenton; it is expected to launch later this year.

State Supporting Port Electrification

New Jersey is also working on electrifying vehicles that operate out of Port Newark, the largest port on the east coast. Much of the transportation within the port is done via “drayage” vehicles that move cargo primarily within the port and shorter distances to nearby warehouses and distribution facilities. These vehicles tend to be older, diesel-powered, and a major source of emissions. Reducing pollution near the port is particularly important because the port is near areas like Newark and Elizabeth that fall under the definition of overburdened communities that NJDEP has determined are “in need of environmental justice.” These communities would be some of the main beneficiaries of port electrification.

In 2019, over $3.5 million was allocated for the purchase of 14 electric yard tractors in Port Newark. Courtesy of BYD

In 2019, over $3.5 million was allocated for the purchase of 14 electric yard tractors in Port Newark. Courtesy of BYD.

RGGI and VW money has been allocated to the purchase of different types of vehicles at the port, including forklifts, trucks, and tractors. Ten electric tractors were first introduced to Port Newark in 2021 and money has been allocated for ten additional tractors. In total, more than $19 million has been allocated to the acquisition of electric vehicles on and around Port Newark, demonstrating that cleaning up ports in particular is a priority for the state given the environmental justice gains to be made.

Resources

Dragone, Gabriella. (2022, June 15). City Council Approves Grants to Purchase Electric Ambulances, Utility Trucks. https://www.tapinto.net/towns/paterson/sections/police-and-fire/articles/city-council-approves-grants-to-purchase-electric-ambulances-utility-trucks

Dragone, Gabriella. (2021, November 5). Paterson Drives Into Greener Future with New Electric Vehicles. https://www.tapinto.net/towns/paterson/sections/green/articles/paterson-drives-into-greener-future-with-new-electric-vehicles

Evans, Tim. (2021, October 13). New Jersey Future. Electric Yard Goats and Environmental Justice. https://www.njfuture.org/2021/10/13/electric-yard-goats-and-environmental-justice/

Isles, Inc. (2022). Climate Action and GOTrenton! https://isles.org/our-approach/live-green-and-healthy/climate-action-ev/

Morill, Aaron (2021, November 16). Jersey City’s Garbage Trucks go Electric. Jersey City Times. https://jcitytimes.com/jersey-citys-garbage-trucks-go-electric/

NJDEP. (2022). Overview of Distribution of Mitigation Funds. https://www.state.nj.us/dep/vw/project.html

NJDEP. (2022). Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). https://www.nj.gov/dep/aqes/rggi.html

NJDEP. (2002). Stop the Soot. https://www.state.nj.us/dep/stopthesoot/sts-retrofits.htm

NJDEP. (2022). What are Overburdened Communities (OBC)?. https://www.nj.gov/dep/ej/communities.html

NJDOT. (2022, February 23). NJDOT Goes Electric. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv5KDEdfIJQ

NJDOT. (2021, October). New Jersey Fleet Electrification. https://www.njdottechtransfer.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/1026_NJDOT_EV_ProjectsSummary_Final.pdf

NJ Office of the Governor. (2022). About the Energy Master Plan. https://www.nj.gov/emp/energy/

NJ Office of the Governor. (2021, July 9). Governor Murphy Signs Bills to Advance New Jersey’s Clean Energy Future. https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562021/approved/20210709a.shtml

NJ Transit. (2021). Capital Plan Project Sheets: Bus Fleet. https://njtplans.com/downloads/capital-plan/NJ%20TRANSIT%202021%20Capital%20Plan%20Update%20Appendix%20B%20Project%20Sheets%20Final.pdf

NJ Transit (2021, August 2). NJ TRANSIT Seeks Firms to Study Pathway to Zero Emissions Bus System. https://www.njtransit.com/press-releases/nj-transit-seeks-firms-study-pathway-zero-emissions-bus-system

NJ Transit. (2022, March 22). NJ TRANSIT Unveils New Electric Bus Charging Infrastructure in Camden. https://www.njtransit.com/press-releases/nj-transit-unveils-new-electric-bus-charging-infrastructure-camden

Raja, Nausheen. (2021, March 31). Roadmap to Electrifying New Jersey’s Public Bus Fleet. New Jersey Policy Perspective. https://www.njpp.org/publications/report/roadmap-to-electrifying-new-jerseys-public-bus-fleet/

 

 

NJ’s Fuel Cell Task Force – An Interview with NJDOT’s Representative

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The New Jersey Fuel Cell Task Force is an interdisciplinary board of experts established in 2020 by an act of the State legislature to provide policy and regulatory recommendations to the government and stakeholders relating to the development of fuel cell technology in New Jersey. Within a wider national and state context of decarbonization, the Task Force’s advocacy and expertise for this green technology is intended to assist the State of New Jersey reach climate and pollution commitments, and diversify its energy mix towards the vision established in the 2019 New Jersey Energy Master Plan. Fuel cells chiefly derive energy from chemical processes that combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce water vapor and heat.

We spoke with the Fuel Cell Task Force’s appointed member from the New Jersey Department of Transportation, Jamie DeRose, to learn about the mission and activities of the Task Force, the State’s climate and energy objectives, the current capabilities of the technology, and the future of the fuel cell industry.

Background

Q. Can you tell us about the Fuel Cell Task Force’s principal mission and your role and involvement on behalf of NJDOT?

New Jersey’s Fuel Cell Task Force’s purpose is to inform policy and identify opportunities for New Jersey to realize the benefits of hydrogen fuel cell technology and broadly to help the State reach its principal climate goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050. As part of this purpose and the wider goal of switching to clean energies, the Task Force is looking to increase the usage of fuel cell technology throughout the State. The Task Force is a resource for the state and local government for recommendations to grow our fuel cell industry.

The processes of a hydrogen fuel cell in a vehicle do not emit the same air quality pollutants as traditional fossil fuels like diesel: just vapor and heat. Source: Fuel Cell Technologies Offices, US DoE, https://www.energy.gov/articles/celebrate-hydrogen-and-fuel-cell-day-energy-department

The processes of a hydrogen fuel cell in a vehicle do not emit the same air quality pollutants as traditional fossil fuels like diesel: just vapor and heat. Source: Fuel Cell Technologies Offices, US DoE, https://www.energy.gov/articles/celebrate-hydrogen-and-fuel-cell-day-energy-department

My background at NJDOT is as a travel demand modeler and as an air quality modeler. Much of what my group handles has to do with the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program. Until recently, alternate fuel sources to traditional fossil fuels, such as hydrogen fuel cells, were considered somewhat “exotic” to our purposes, but EVs are becoming increasingly germane to CMAQ (particularly with funding from the State’s side of CMAQ). Fuel cells will play a part in improving air quality on the road. My involvement with the Task Force reflects that aspect of the technology’s potential.

Q. What roles do you feel that hydrogen fuel cells could play in advancing a low-carbon energy mix in the future in New Jersey? In what areas do the natural and/or present advantages of fuel cell technology show the most promise as a green energy source?

The advantages in storage efficiencies and fueling time for hydrogen fuel cell technology prime it to evolve into a cleaner, more convenient source of fuel for transportation and power stations. The chief byproduct of fuel cells is water vapor and heat. Fuel cells’ ability to retain this clean energy without the same level of loss as electric batteries give it a potential role in transportation and freight facilities that is already being realized in New Jersey and the country as a whole.

Fueling at hydrogen pumps is generally comparable in terms of time and convenience of fueling at gasoline stations. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hydrogen_fueling.jpg Dick Lyon, Wikimedia

Fueling at hydrogen pumps is generally comparable in terms of time and convenience of fueling at gasoline stations. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hydrogen_fueling.jpg Dick Lyon, Wikimedia

Q. What is the current status of the Task Force deliberations and development of the main report?

We have been working toward completing a full report on New Jersey’s potential within the fuel cell space. During this process, a consortium has been formed to pursue one of four prospective awards for a federal Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program. The scope of the report evolved to support the State’s efforts – as a part of the multistate coalition with New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts – to attract this part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s funding for the fuel cell industry. The Task Force decided to take some of the recommendations from the report and distill them into a smaller, interim report to assist the State in preparing materials for this competitive grant application for the regional clean hydrogen hubs program.

[The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) subsequently released its Notice of Intent to develop regional clean hydrogen hubs. DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations–in collaboration with the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office and the DOE Hydrogen Program–anticipates issuing a related funding opportunity announcement (FOA) in the September/October 2022 timeframe].

Further Development

Q. What are some of the most important developments happening in the testing or deployment of fuel cell technology in New Jersey? What are some of the most noteworthy fuel cell operations and deployments within NJ’s transportation sector or other sectors?

There are a number of hydrogen-powered equipment deployments in New Jersey’s warehouses and ports that fill present use-cases for the technology. The 2021 law that formed the Task Force states that NJ agencies should consider fuel cell technology when putting out contracts for items such as generators, portable floodlights, and telecommunications equipment. In general, this greater recognition of the portability of fuel cells is a major development in how the state government approaches the technology, and alternative energy sources more broadly.

An early 2014 showcase from Toyota shows the potential seamlessness of incorporating hydrogen into personal vehicles and this reality is increasingly being actualized. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Toyota_hydrogen_fuel_cell_at_the_2014_New_York_International_Auto_Show_(13956809802).jpg Joseph Brent, Wikimedia

An early 2014 showcase from Toyota shows the potential seamlessness of incorporating hydrogen into personal vehicles and this reality is increasingly being actualized. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Toyota_hydrogen_fuel_cell_at_the_2014_New_York_International_Auto_Show_(13956809802).jpg Joseph Brent, Wikimedia

Q. What types of infrastructure can NJDOT develop, or financial and technical assistance can it provide to support the use of fuel cells in New Jersey?

At this stage, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the NJ Board of Public Utilities are leaders among the state agencies in seeking ways to encourage the development of the fuel cell industry in New Jersey. Nonetheless, NJDOT can play an important role through installation of fuel cell pumping stations on its properties and support for acquisition of fuel cell waste-trucks or other heavy equipment that the technology is serving well at the moment.

New Jersey’s Electric Vehicle Act of 2020 mandates that 25 percent of State-owned non-emergency light duty vehicles are to be electric by 2025, moving to 100 percent by the end of 2035. Presently, the thinking is mostly focused on EVs, but NJDOT could incorporate fuel cell vehicles into that vision. The Task Force would certainly like to see this inclusion.

Q.  Within a transportation context, current discourse suggests that hydrogen fuel cells may be more suitable for heavy-duty vehicles such as freight trucks and forklifts than EV, but less suitable for personal automobiles. Would you agree with this assessment of the capabilities of the fuel cell and EV technology? 

It increasingly seems that any technology that relies on electric batteries such as EVs could have a fuel cell version. The fueling times for hydrogen fuel cells are comparable to what we are accustomed to at the pump; that is, a 2-3 minute refuel as opposed to a 30-minute refuel for EVs. Even within the present developments for the technologies, fuel cells have filled a niche for larger vehicles such as freight trucks and forklifts, and are arguably the best of all green fuel sources. Fuel cells may eventually become the next generation of transportation energy after EVs.

Fuel cell technologies’ current advantages for larger sized vehicles lend itself to buses as well. China is more heavily invested that application than other nations, but this MBTA bus shows the innovation occurring at home. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MBTA_hydrogen_fuel_cell_bus_at_Malden_Center,_December_2016.jpg Jason Lawrence, Wikimedia

Fuel cell technologies’ current advantages for larger sized vehicles lend itself to buses as well. China is more heavily invested in that application than other nations, but this MBTA bus shows the innovation occurring at home. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MBTA_hydrogen_fuel_cell_bus_at_Malden_Center,_December_2016.jpg Jason Lawrence, Wikimedia

Q. Can you comment on how hydrogen fuel cells could be used to address equity gaps? Can deployment of hydrogen fuel cells help historically disadvantaged communities receive opportunities and benefits connected to this transition?

A number of industrial partners, trade groups, and state government officials are involved in the roll out of fuel cell technology, helping to ensure the economic and environmental benefits touch all of society. The environmental justice aspect of what hydrogen fuel cell technology represents has been discussed and is regarded as especially important to the Task Force. Many of New Jersey’s ports and warehouses are located in North Jersey urban areas, and many of those communities are historically disadvantaged environmentally and otherwise. Improvements in air quality from fuel cell sourced equipment, trucks, and forklifts lend themselves well to addressing social justice and social equity in New Jersey.

Further Possibilities

Q. Are there barriers to deployment with respect to the different use-cases for fuel cells that you would like to highlight?

The absence of refueling infrastructure and stations is a significant barrier to proliferation of fuel cell trucks and personal vehicles. With the technology as it is today, fuel cell freight trucks could reasonably fill their niche with enough supporting physical infrastructure, and overcoming that gap is important to the Task Force. Another barrier is the EV focus of a lot of alternative fuel tax credits; you might get a tax credit from the State for buying an electric car or vehicle but not for a fuel cell one. Including fuel cell vehicles in the incentives for decarbonizing transportation will help remove some of the cost barriers that were removed for EVs by policy.

In addition, certain regulations prevent hydrogen vehicles from traveling in Port Authority of New York and New Jersey tunnels. Such regulations exist in some states but not in others, and it is a barrier that the Task Force has also discussed. According to the vehicle experts, the technology has mostly evolved beyond this concern.

Q. According to the USDoE, “95 percent of the hydrogen produced in the United States is made by natural gas reforming in large central plants”; what does a connection between hydrogen fuel cell production and natural gas mean to NJ Fuel Cell Task Force’s mission of promoting the growth of the fuel cell industry?

The topic of green hydrogen – generally hydrogen produced through a more renewable process known as water electrolysis – has been an interest of the Task Force. The fuel cell industry of the future will likely focus on such cleaner modes of hydrogen production, though these efforts may rest more with the NJDEP or the federal Department of Energy than with NJDOT at this time.

Presently, most hydrogen gas is produced from natural gas processes, but the proliferation of more green methods, such as from water electrolysis, is increasingly important to the direction of the industry.  Source: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, US DoE https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/hydrogen/production-of-hydrogen.php

Presently, most hydrogen gas is produced from natural gas processes, but the proliferation of more green methods, such as from water electrolysis, is increasingly important to the direction of the industry.  Source: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, US DoE https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/hydrogen/production-of-hydrogen.php

Q. What initiatives or projects in other states regarding fuel cells is NJ’s Fuel Cell Task Force benchmarking itself against, or looking towards in terms of formulating their own approach?

As with many environmental policies and priorities, California is a leader in the deployment of hydrogen vehicles, stations, and infrastructure. More so than a particular project, we view California’s general success with the deployment of fuel cell technology as a benchmark and make efforts to facilitate a conversation across state lines. The Task Force has spoken with the California Hydrogen Business Council to better understand how advocates for the industry side of the deployment equation are helped by the State’s efforts.

Resources

Further information on the Fuel Cell Task Force:

Alternative Fuels Data Center. (2022). Fuel Cell Task Force.
https://afdc.energy.gov/laws/12425

New Jersey Fuel Cell Coalition. (2021, August 28). New Jersey’s Fuel Cell Task Force Members Have Been Appointed.
https://njfuelcells.org/senate-environment-energy-committee-passes-fuel-cell-task-force-bill/

Further information on the federal Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program:

Transport Topics. (2022, May 27). States Make Plays to Become Federal Hydrogen Fuel Hubs, Transport Topics.
https://www.ttnews.com/articles/states-make-plays-become-federal-hydrogen-fuel-hubs-0

New York State. (2022, March 24). Governor Hochul Announces Multi-State Agreement Signed with Major Hydrogen Ecosystem Partners to Propose a Regional Clean Energy Hydrogen Hub.
https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/About/Newsroom/2022-Announcements/2022-03-24-Governor-Hochul-Announces-Multi-State-Agreement-on-Hydrogen

Further information on the hydrogen fuel cell industry:

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. (2020, September). 2019 Fuel Cell Technologies Market Report.
https://publications.anl.gov/anlpubs/2021/08/166534.pdf

Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association. (2020). Road Map to a US Hydrogen Economy.
https://www.fchea.org/us-hydrogen-study

Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association. (2022, March). Summary of Hydrogen Provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/53ab1feee4b0bef0179a1563/t/623206bc8d2d786ffe929c65/1647445692646/FCHEA+IIJA+Hydrogen+Program+Summary+2022.pdf

Exploring Strategic Workforce Development – Model Programs, Partnerships and Lessons from Oregon

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FHWA is promoting Strategic Workforce Development in highway maintenance, construction and operations.

FHWA is promoting Strategic Workforce Development in highway maintenance, construction and operations.

Strategic Workforce Development, an FHWA Every Day Counts (EDC) Round 6 innovative initiative, anticipates collaboration between government agencies, trade organizations, private firms communities to prepare individuals for the construction workforce. The demand for workers in highway maintenance, construction and operations is growing, as is the demand for new skill sets required for work with emerging technologies. An important element of this initiative is the recruitment and retention of women and minorities in the construction sector. Through on-the-job training and supportive services program, NJDOT is exploring ways to work with contractors, contracting associations, and unions on shaping their future workforces, including programs aimed at increasing representation of women, minorities, and other disadvantaged populations in the construction and operations workforce.

We interviewed representatives from Oregon’s Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Bureau of Labor & Industries (BOLI), including Angela Crain (ODOT Civil Rights Manager), Cye Fink (ODOT Workforce Development and Civil Rights/EE Manager) and Larry Williams (BOLI, Operations and Policy Analyst).  We sought to explore the distinct roles and partnership between the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries (BOLI) in funding, promoting, and providing technical assistance for on-the-job training programs, and pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, to support all workers including women, minorities and other disadvantaged individuals seeking to enter highway construction and other related fields.

Highway Construction Workforce Development Program

Q. Can you please share with us, based on your experience, your thoughts on what seems to be an overall lack of awareness– especially among women and minority persons – of jobs or careers in the highway construction industry?

The ODOT Office of Civil Rights uses FHWA funding to support On the Job Training and Supportive Services.

The ODOT Office of Civil Rights uses FHWA funding to support On the Job Training and Supportive Services.

The lack of awareness primarily stems from the school systems. For years, school guidance counselors have not promoted any path but college to most of their students.  Highway construction is presented as a viable career only to those students who are not going on to college.

We work to raise awareness of careers in highway construction by disseminating information on these opportunities to school counselors and parents, as they are the support system for children. Careers in highway construction offer competitive paying jobs with family- supporting wages. We are trying to reach the students, beginning at the elementary school level because, unless students know someone who works in construction, they are mostly unaware of the career options in the field.

Some of the most successful linkages have been made by teachers who work in construction during the summer months and bring their experience back to the students. For example, they will use construction-related math curricula in the classroom. Shop classes, which were useful in helping students become familiar with tools and various trades, are rarely offered anymore due to budget cuts.

Information about the majority of our DOT programs is spread by word of mouth. We use the testimonials of individuals who have been through our programs, and we do a lot of outreach to communicate personal success stories of program participants. We also work with our partners, Building Trades Councils of Oregon, Akana, Oregon Tradeswomen, and other stakeholders and agencies, to get the word out. And we, of course, participate in career fairs, and high school Career and Technical Education programs to build the career pipeline. As far as encouraging Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and women candidates, our numbers are growing steadily each year with more starting and finishing our programs, but the ratio is still not where we want it to be.

The Oregon Bureaus of Labor & Industries is responsible for pre-pre-apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and apprenticeship programs.

The Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries is responsible for pre-pre-apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and apprenticeship programs.

Q. We understand that 2009 legislation created Oregon’s Highway Construction Workforce Development Program (HCWDP) designed to diversify six heavy construction trades related to highway construction including carpenters and cement masons. This nationally recognized innovative initiative enables registered apprentices and those preparing to enter an apprenticeship in one of these trades to receive support in ten areas, including child care, travel expenses, lodging/meal allowance, tools, and PPE, among others. Are all of these efforts supported through HCWDP?

We use FHWA and state dollars to fund the program and follow federal regulations (23 CFR Part 230) that lay out what these 10 supportive services have to look like. In 2009, the Oregon legislature passed a bill that required ODOT to provide On-the-Job Training and workforce development supportive services, applying language from the federal regulations. Once this law was established there could be no question that the funding would be dedicated to the program rather than other priorities, such as road repair. Since this focus on workforce development is embedded in Oregon statute, ODOT has a pathway for consistent funding.

In 2016 we added hardship assistance to the list of available supports offered by HCWDP. Overall, we are working to support people in getting on a career track by offering supportive services that enable them to stay in the programs and eventually reach journey worker status, which offers meaningful long-term career development. The heavy highway trades are the focus of the program because the workers are mobile. Although there may be layoffs or projects end, as long as they stay in the system, participants will continue to have the opportunity to work on ODOT projects so they can graduate to journey worker status.

Q. ODOT and the BOLI have partnered to meet the goals of adding more diversity in hiring, increasing apprenticeship numbers and providing resources for training. What have been the key benefits of ODOT partnering with BOLI?

Our partnership with BOLI has been vital to our success. In Oregon, BOLI oversees apprenticeships and approves pre-apprenticeship programs. BOLI’s key value to HCWDP comes from their connections with their subcontractors who have experience in promoting and supporting workforce development in the highway construction trades, particularly among women and minorities. BOLI works with the contractors affiliated with the training programs, has authority over the contractors, and maintains a database to track the apprentices. When workers graduate to the journey worker level, they can work anywhere within the state and nationwide. This program offers meaningful, long-term career development.

The ODOT/BOLI collaboration provides needed supports to help people stay in the apprenticeship programs.

The ODOT/BOLI collaboration provides needed supports to help people stay in the apprenticeship programs.

There is no value in ODOT having its own apprenticeship-type programs when BOLI is providing them in alignment with US DOL. We at ODOT are embedding elements in the program including respectful workplaces, Green Dot, Riseup, and third party oversight through Portland State University, who are helping us with planning. Additionally, BOLI receives grants to target particular workforce areas; they leverage our resources at ODOT, while we simultaneously leverage their resources.

From the BOLI perspective, the partnership with ODOT allows BOLI to provide the support side to the apprenticeship programs. If you have the apprentices out there, you need to have the supports in place to help them succeed.

In most cases, BOLI has closed gaps in terms of completion rates for underrepresented demographic groups. For African American men, there has been improvement, but we want to close the gap further. There may be barriers that still need to be addressed. In addition, we have shown that the program works, as it is improving success rates, but it is only available to those apprentices associated with the highway construction trades. For example, we provide child care for a cement mason but not a brick mason. That is an area of concern for BOLI as they seek to determine ways to provide similar supports for other trades moving forward.

Apprenticeships and Pre-apprenticeships

Q. ODOT and BOLI have focused on improving opportunities for individuals who graduate from a pre-apprenticeship program to get more trade-specific training and improved access to registration into a highway trade apprenticeship program. What can you share about this work?

Apprenticeships in Oregon are regulated and supported by BOLI and offer on the job training and classroom training and typically require 2-5 years to complete and may be union-based or open shop. We focus on connecting pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships.

Under the BOLI umbrella, there are apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and pre-pre-apprenticeship programs. Pre-pre-apprenticeships help people overcome basic gaps to complete prerequisites needed for pre-apprenticeships, such as needing a driver’s license, GED or high school diploma. The pre-apprenticeship might provide skills training for those who need hours learning to use tools.

We have worked on direct entry with some of the trades so individuals can join an apprenticeship program without completing the ranking process or interview because the pre-apprenticeship has helped them prepare for the job, with some individuals also bringing work history that enables them to skip one or more levels of training. They have to complete the application and meet minimum qualifications that can be simply being 18 years old and having a high school diploma or GED, and in other cases, may require a minimum level of math proficiency, for example.

Q. Is this effort the same as, or part of, your On-the-Job Training (OJT)? Could you speak about your On-the-Job Training (OJT) program?

Supportive services can increase diversity in apprenticeship programs and the highway construction workforce.

Supportive services can increase diversity in apprenticeship programs and the highway construction workforce.

On-the-Job Training/Supportive Services program funding from FHWA is internally directed to STEM/Engineering outreach, recruitment, and support. OJT is a very small piece of what we at ODOT do; only about two people every year go through this OJT training because most contractors are affiliated with a formal apprenticeship program.

ODOT and FHWA created OJT for candidates with no experience to offer them a chance to begin work with a contractor directly. As part of the federal regulations, OJT is provided through each project. If the contractor awarded the contract has no affiliation as a training agent themselves or they are not Oregon-based, and have no formal apprenticeship program, they can use one of our in-house training programs to fulfill the contractual requirement.

It is the small contractor or the first-time prime who would use this OJT option.  We provide some incentives, including reimbursing $20/hour for every apprenticeship hour. An individual with no prior experience who applies off the street with that contractor must receive training. The contractor is paying journey worker level pay, and OJT does provide a means to recruit candidates from underrepresented groups. It’s a business choice that the contractor makes. The 2,000-hour OJT program trains for labor skills sets, and we also have a 6,000-hour construction project management program. This informal training is not tied to a path to journey worker status but there is the potential for the individual to have direct entry into the apprenticeship system after completing the OJT training.

Q. We know that reliable transportation and childcare are often cited as roadblocks to entry into the construction sector, particularly for women and minority candidates. Can you tell us how supportive services such as childcare and payment of travel costs help sustain apprentices?

Offering incentives and support services for apprentices is critical to their success. Childcare is a big issue. It’s not only single moms who face childcare challenges, but any single parent and/or underemployed families. Awareness of the HCWDP childcare support options has spread through word of mouth.

Work hours for highway construction are long. For example, apprentices may leave their house at 4:00 am to travel 40 miles to the worksite and work 10-hours. The challenges for us in supporting childcare include the costs and finding a provider that has capacity and offers their services in off-peak hours. ODOT/BOLI uses the state childcare provider certification system to identify providers. We give incentives to providers so that they can offer alternative hours to accommodate the long work days. We don’t have enough funds to subsidize all the childcare needed. Childcare is provided using a BOLI-determined sliding scale formula based on economic need and wage rate; the support level declines as the individuals progress through the system and earn higher wages.

The Pre-Apprenticeship Child Care Initiative (PACCI) program began as a pilot to provide childcare supports to pre-apprentices but is now a part of the general operation. Pre-apprenticeship programs, which are often 8-12 week courses in the classroom, may provide on-site child care. We are indirectly supporting these childcare opportunities.

Everything we do helps keep people on the path to journey work. With the regional wildfires displacing workers, we have been distributing hardship funds. Apprentices are eligible for this support. The transition between pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeships is accomplished through Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committees (JATCs) and we work with them to connect to the primes and contractors. There is usually a waiting list of apprentices available.

One difficult challenge that we are seeing is that primes are looking for apprentices with three to four years of experience. They have less incentive to pick up the first-year apprentices who will require more supervision and training. We are trying to address this issue and find ways to support these individuals within the system to acquire experience.

BOLI helps individuals find where to start on the path to a journeyworker position and, through its partners, provides support along the way.

BOLI helps individuals find where to start on the path to a journeyworker position and, through its partners, provides support along the way.

Q. What can you share with us about the newer “Build your future. Build Oregon.” initiative and what special efforts are being undertaken to generate interest among underrepresented demographic groups?

ODOT receives federal and state funding for the workforce development program. Through an interagency agreement BOLI provides contract administration and ODOT holds BOLI accountable for the 10 required support areas of the program. BOLI then contracts out all these deliverables through a competitive process. We collaborate with BOLI on the subcontracting deliverables At any one time, BOLI might have six to eight subcontractors. One of the partners, Akana, embraced how to implement all these support services through one of these contracts, and they branded the supportive services piece as “Build your future. Build Oregon.” This effort has helped broadcast information about the workforce development program throughout Oregon and helps make more people aware of various program elements and assistance available.

Q. Are you aware of any model practices currently in use among community-based organizations to support women, minorities, and others looking at the construction trades?

Three Oregon-based organizations that provide support for underrepresented populations are: Oregon Tradeswomen which helps women build economic independence; Constructing Hope which is a pre-apprenticeship program in Portland; and Akana which is a Native American-owned, private sector, for-profit organization.

To increase awareness in careers in construction, Akana presents a podcast occasionally. Oregon Tradeswomen historically runs a women and trades fair with dedicated times for adults and for students. This is an opportunity for individuals to meet with people in the trades and talk about those trades and what careers paths they offer. (The fair has been on hiatus due to Covid-19.)

Q. How do you reach people who are no longer in school?

The average age for apprentices is 29 for males, and a little older for women. Some are seeking a second career, or maybe they have some construction experience, but it was limited to residential construction. To raise awareness of the HCWDP program, we work with various membership groups including: the National Association of Minority Contractors; Portland business development groups; Project Working Groups; Chambers of Commerce; veterans; advisory groups; and Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance programs on and near tribal reservations.

We have found that it is important to help people know where to start. We are working on simplifying the on-ramp to the whole system and providing a flow chart to help describe access to the system. We are looking forward to in-person recruitment events again after the last couple of years of virtual meetings.

Looking Ahead

Q. Do you have any concluding thoughts or advice on what strategies NJDOT can pursue to encourage more New Jerseyans to consider a career in the construction industry?

Seek and access the available FHWA funding, and direct it to your workforce development or OJT/Supportive Services programs. You can accomplish what we have in Oregon without legislative mandates. A lot of states work off their annual FHWA allocation but this would be only about $78,000 for Oregon – definitely not enough to build a workforce development program. Instead, work with your organization and your FHWA division field office to access other federal funding and more recently available Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) dollars.  Without these additional funds, we would not have adequate funding for all our programs and to grow the pipeline and help people move to journey worker status.

In terms of career progression opportunities beyond journey worker, participants could start their own business, maybe becoming a DBE or WBE, and graduate from a DBE program and become a contractor.

It is important to recognize that time is needed to measure success of initiatives like HCWDP, as participants will need two to six years to progress through the system. We have been at this for years and have dedicated partners. You need the sustained funding. There will be no big impact achieved if you can only give out a little bit of money each year to support efforts.

Resources

Akana
http://akana.us/
http://akana.us/odot-boli-main/odot-boli-apprentices/
http://akana.us/odot-boli-main/odot-boli-applicants/

Constructing Hope
https://www.constructinghope.org/

Federal Highway Administration On the Job Training and Supportive Services
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/civilrights/programs/ojt.cfm

National Association of Minority Contractors
https://namcnational.org/

ODOT/BOLI Highway Construction Workforce Development Program Final Report IAA 30668 July 2015 – June 2017
https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Business/OCR/SiteAssets/Pages/Workforce-Development/ODOT_BOLI_Highway_Construction_Workforce_Development_Program_2017.pdf

Oregon State Building Trades Council
https://www.oregonbuildingtrades.com/

Oregon Tradeswomen
https://oregontradeswomen.org/

Real Help for Working Oregonians – The BOLI_ODOT Workforce Development Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sNS5xV9Pa8

A-GaME’s Webinar Series: Ready When You Are & Geophysics Users Group Meetings

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The FHWA put together its “A-GaME Summer Super Sessions Series” in 2022, specifically focusing on improving geotechnical site characterization practices for construction decisions and constructability. These sessions have been uploaded to Youtube and the links can be found below.

June 22, 2022 – Session 1: Step into the Contractor’s Boots. Hear directly from four contractors on the “asks,” risks and decisions they face when preparing bids and making decisions based on subsurface conditions that might or might not be well investigated, characterized or communicated. 

July 20, 2022 – Session 2: Manage Risk: Reduce Geotechnical Uncertainties Before Construction. Dive into the types of problems we experience during construction as a result of geotechnical uncertainties, and explore A-GaME technologies and other effective solutions to minimize those geotechnical uncertainties through case histories, applications of appropriate site characterization techniques and discussion. 

­­­­­­August 17, 2022 – Session 3: Bridge the Gap: Communicating Subsurface Conditions for Construction. Geotechnical subsurface investigations are not just about design parameters. Geotechnical site characterization must also inform constructability decisions and provide contractors with the information needed to get the job done efficiently and effectively. Explore ways to improve our investigation processes, to effectively communicate site conditions to all stakeholders, and to establish a collective understanding of anticipated conditions and contingencies for bidding and construction decisions. 

In recent years, the FHWA A-GaME webinar series has featured topics that highlight proven, effective exploration method and practices for enhanced, effective site characterization that reduce project risks, improve quality and accelerate project delivery.  Experts from the FHWA, state DOTs, industry and academia have covered everything from the nuts and bolts of A-GaME methods to visualization and design. 

If you missed the webinars live or want to review content, the archived webinars are now hosted on Deep Foundations Institute’s YouTube channel and available to watch on demand.

To stay in the know on A-GaME updates, FHWA invites you to Subscribe to A-GaME e-News!

For more information, contact Ben Rivers at Benjamin.Rivers@dot.gov.

Geophysics Users Group

The joint industry Geophysics Users Group was created in cooperation with FHWA, Geo-Institute, DOTs, DFI and TRB Committees AKG20 and AKG60 to address geophysics users’ needs. The group will be undertaking a launch project, DIGGS for Geophysics, that will contribute to the ASCE/DIGGS XML schema by incorporating geophysical data. The ambitious goal of the project is to develop a fully functional geophysical module in DIGGS in about one year.

If you are interested in geophysics, join the monthly virtual meetings on the second Tuesday of the month at 3:00 p.m. (ET). The meetings are held via Microsoft Teams, which will also be used to house information generated by the group. For more information visit the Geophysics Users Group Committee web page or contact Derrick Dasenbrock, FHWA Resource Center, at derrick.dasenbrock@dot.gov.