The AASHTO 2023 Best Virtual Event Award recognizes a special event that is held virtually or that includes a virtual component.
AASHTO’s Committee on Transportation Communications – known as TransComm – sponsors an annual skills awards competition to promote the sharing of best practices and to recognize outstanding communications efforts. In October 2023, NJDOT Bureau of Research representatives Amanda Gendek and Pragna Shah accepted the 2023 AASHTO TransComm Skills Award in the Virtual Events Category for NJDOT’s 24th Annual Research Showcase.
The NJDOT’s Bureau of Research Annual Research Showcase has been held since 1999 and provides an opportunity for the state’s transportation community to experience the broad scope of research initiatives and technology transfer activities conducted by their university and consultant partners. In addition to convening transportation professionals and researchers, the Showcase helps to emphasize NJDOT goals and objectives, share knowledge, and recognize the outstanding and inspiring research being done in the state.
The threat of COVID-19 transmission during the pandemic led to the Research Showcase being held fully online in 2020 and 2021. These fully virtual events resulted in a much larger audience, and even attracted attendees from other state Departments of Transportation. In 2022, as in-person events returned, the NJDOT Bureau of Research sought to find an approach that would maintain that larger audience base.
Amanda Gendek (left) and Pragna Shah (right) of the Bureau of Research with the award.
The 24th Annual Research Showcase, held October 26, 2022, was the first “hybrid” Research Showcase held by NJDOT and allowed individuals to attend the event online, while also allowing those able to gather, network and celebrate in person. Convening in a hybrid format required some additional coordination with the event planning team from Rutgers and Civic Eye Collaborative, a media consultant firm to live-stream the day’s proceedings. In total, 117 virtual participants and 190 in-person participants attended the day-long event.
Whether attending “in-person” or “virtually,” the audience heard from the keynote speaker and panelists on the major theme of the event “Advancing Equity in Transportation.”
The Showcase theme, “Advancing Equity in Transportation” served as the organizing framework for the keynote speaker and panelists during the morning plenary session. The keynote speaker, Keith Benjamin, Associate Administrator for Highway Policy and External Affairs at the FHWA, spoke about the USDOT’s efforts to advance equity, highlighting the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act and various funding and program initiatives to address equity in transportation planning, project development, and other activities, among other topics. A panel session then explored the perspectives of representatives from NJDOT, county government, and transportation management associations (TMAs) who shared examples of the equity initiatives underway in their organizations. Questions and discussion invited panels to further reflect on the challenges and opportunities for advancing equity in transportation in New Jersey.
The Showcase included afternoon breakout sessions featuring research presentations that continued to address the equity theme as well as other mobility, infrastructure, safety topics in transportation being performed by research faculty, staff, and students and NJ agencies. Several awards were also presented in recognition of research accomplishments and implemented innovations. For a full description of the 24th Annual Research Showcase event, see this recap here.
The 24th Annual Research showcase was recognized with the AASHTO Award for its efforts to enhance accessibility through the virtual platform. In addition to live-streaming the plenary and breakout sessions, the video recordings of the event were posted on NJDOT’s Tech Transfer Video Library and all those who registered were notified of its availability — whether attending in-person or online. Subsequent direct email communications and social media posts have further broadened the audience of potential viewers. To watch recordings from this, and other Research Showcase events, visit the NJDOT Tech Transfer Video Library.
The theme of the 24th Annual Research Showcase was selected in recognition of the significant Federal and state efforts underway to advance equity; Executive Order 13985 established a “whole government approach” to advancing equity and opportunity at the Federal level (left). Dr. Shawn Wilson, then-Secretary of Transportation in Louisiana, headlined a roundtable discussion, “State DOTs: Creating Pathways to Equity” at the Transportation Research Board’s 2022 Annual Meeting (right).
The 25th Annual NJDOT Research Showcase provided an opportunity for the New Jersey transportation community to learn about the broad scope of academic research initiatives underway and share technology transfer activities being conducted by institutions of higher education partners and their associates. The annual event serves as a showcase to highlight the benefits of transportation research, including NJDOT’s own program. This event was an in-person event with a livestreaming option with sessions held from 9:00am-2:45pm on October 25, 2023.
This year’s Showcase theme, “Commitment to Safety,” served as the organizing framework for the speakers and panelists during the morning plenary session. Throughout the day the Research Showcase featured presentations on infrastructure, safety, mobility, and equity topics being performed by research faculty, staff, students, and NJ agencies. Several awards were presented in recognition of research and implemented innovations.
The Research Showcase Program Agenda provides more information on the day’s proceedings, including presented topics and invited speakers. Recordings of the plenary and breakout sessions, and the presentations and posters shared during the event can be found below.
MORNING
WELCOMING AND INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
David Maruca, Program Development Administrator, Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation, served as the moderator for the morning session, offering some housekeeping remarks and walked through the morning’s agenda.
Morning Plenary and Keynote
Andrew Swords, Director, New Jersey Department of Transportation Division of Statewide Planning, welcomed attendees to the 25th Annual NJDOT Research Showcase, explaining the purpose and theme of the event, “Commitment to Safety,” and acknowledging several parties, including NJDOT Bureau of Research staff, Rutgers-CAIT, and the leadership of NJDOT and FHWA for their planning and participation in the day’s event along with the research partners whose work was being showcased.
Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Transportation, thanked several partners for their involvement in the event and reflected on the history of the Research Showcase Event on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary. In framing the day’s activities, Commissioner Gutierrez-Scaccetti recognized the event’s “Commitment to Safety” theme and the foundational importance of transportation for affecting positive change, improving the quality of life, and the shape of New Jersey’s transportation system. In her remarks, she appealed to attendees to advance community-centered transportation and to commit to considering the needs of ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) persons when devising research questions and in carrying out their day-to-day activities with the goal of planning, building and maintaining a more safe, equitable and sustainable transportation system.
Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Photo by Steve Goodman.
Robert Clark, Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration New Jersey Division acknowledged the importance of the NJDOT Research Showcase’s “Commitment to Safety” theme. He described several policy and research commitments at U.S. DOT, FHWA Turner-Fairbanks Research Center and the Volpe Center that are intended to “double-down” on improving safety, reducing fatalities and strengthening the culture of safety in transportation. In closing out, Mr. Clark shared the USDOT Commissioner’s message that roadway deaths is a crisis that is urgent, unacceptable and preventable; those in attendance should see that their work and research into safety can prove that roadway fatalities need not be inevitable.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Dr. Allison E. Curry, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia delivered the keynote address on the New Jersey Safety and Health Outcomes (NJ-SHO) Data Warehouse. In organizing her talk, she explained the vision behind the development of the data warehouse over the last 15 years, the data sources that have been employed, its innovative features that can support meaningful research, and her vision for future research and collaborations drawing upon the data warehouse platform.
Dr. Curry described how crash data can be linked to other data sets to extend the period of study about crashes. She explained the data warehouse has been built through an array of administrative data partnerships with NJ agencies (e.g, public health, hospital, motor vehicle, police, medicare and medicaid, etc.) that have been linked alongside rich community-level indicators available at the census tract level to create a robust data tool for traffic safety research.
Dr. Allison E. Curry, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Photo by Steve Goodman.
New Jersey Safety and Health Outcomes (NJ-SHO) Data Warehouse. Dr. Allison E. Curry, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Her talk highlighted some of the limitations of crash reports that explain the need for data integration with other administrative record sources. She emphasized the longitudinal features of the data warehouse and explained how its linkages to health and motor vehicle records makes it possible to study specific populations segments — for example, teens on the autism spectrum. In her example, she described her research demonstrating how the data sets could be used to investigate the percentage of teens with autism who acquired driver licenses to increase their travel independence. She also could compare whether crash rates were comparable between this group and other teens in their age cohort at 12 months and 48 months from receipt of a license.
Dr. Curry also highlighted data limitations on reporting of race and ethnicity on NJ crash and licensing data and how other data sources (e.g., hospital discharge, electronic health records, birth and death data, etc. ) can be used to look at race and ethnic differences in non-fatal crash outcomes. In doing so, she highlighted how a probability-based algorithm, Bayesian Surname Geocoding (Sartin 2021), developed by the RAND Corporation, has been applied to estimate the race and ethnicity of driver licenses and address a source of race and ethnic bias in hospital record reporting due to varying levels of hospital usage.
Dr. Curry touched upon several of NJ SHO’s innovative features that can enable research. Among other points, she contrasted the “urban planning lens” which considers the place in which an accident occurred with the “public health lens” which seeks information about persons who are crash victims and where they live.
She also offered illustrative examples of how the NJ-SHO can be linked to vehicles to examine types of crashes, vehicle types and the injuries incurred which can reveal differences among more vulnerable populations (e.g, youth, elderly, poor) from other populations.
Dr. Curry closed her talk with a sneak preview of a new interactive data dashboard, NJ-SHO Center for Integrated Data, currently in development in association with the NJ Division of Traffic and Highway Safety. She noted how the dashboard tool will help practitioners efficiently use available data sets in ways that will mirror the metrics of the NJ Strategic Highway Safety Plan with a focus on persons as well as community resilience and social vulnerability equity-oriented measures.
Dr. Curry responded to questions in a Q&A session that followed her keynote remarks.
MORNING SESSION PANEL DISCUSSION
An interactive panel discussion, “How is New Jersey Department of Transportation Addressing Safety?” followed the keynote session with state NJDOT staff representatives who presented examples of the safety initiatives underway at NJDOT and reflected on persistent challenges and opportunities for addressing transportation safety in New Jersey.
The panelists included:
Andrew Swords, Director, New Jersey Department of Transportation Division of Statewide Planning.
Syed Kazmi, Section Chief, New Jersey Department of Transportation Division of Traffic Engineering
Kurt McCoy, Supervising Engineer, New Jersey Department of Transportation Division of Operations Support
Sangaran Vijayakumar, Project Management Specialist 3, New Jersey Department of Transportation Division of Project Management
Hirenkumar Patel, Principal Engineer, New Jersey Department of Transportation Division of Transportation Mobility
Safety Panel
How is New Jersey Department of Transportation Addressing Safety?
Participants responded to a series of questions posed by the moderator and by the audience members.
Panelists shared their views on how the New Jersey Department of Transportation addresses safety. Photo by Steve Goodman.
AWARDS
The program continued as Dr. Giri Venkiteela Research Scientist, Bureau of Research, New Jersey Department of Transportation announced several awards given in recognition of research, innovation and implementation efforts. Below is a listing of the award winners presented at this year’s showcase:
2023 Outstanding University Student in Transportation Research Award – Alissa Persad, Rutgers University, Ms. Persad was being recognized in part for her valued contributions to the Innovative Materials for Quick Patching and Repair of Concrete project.
2023 NJDOT Research Implementation Award – Dr. Hao Wang, Rutgers University Energy Harvesting on New Jersey Roadways. This project identified potential energy harvesting technology for applications on roadways and bridges and conducted feasibility analysis and performance evaluation of the selected technologies for large-scale and micro-scale energy generation.
2023 Best Poster Award – Alyssa Yvette Sunga, Rowan University, Properties of Cementitious Materials with Reclaimed Cement. This poster described research activities that obtained recycled concrete; determined the chemical composition of reclaimed cement; partially replaced ordinary Portland cement with reclaimed cement in cement paste and mortar; and determined the fresh and hardened properties of cement paste and mortar through tests measuring flowability, initial setting time, heat of hydration, and compressive strength.
2023 Research Champion Excellence Award – Thomas Bushar, New Jersey Department of Transportation, Materials. This award recognizes Mr. Busher’s dedication while serving as a Technical Advisory Panel member for The Evaluation of Different Paint Systems for Over-Coating Existing Structural Steel project. The award notes that his commitment greatly contributed to the success and implementation of this research project.
2023 NJDOT Build a Better Mousetrap Award – Gerald Oliveto, P.E. New Jersey Department of Transportation, Moveable Bridge Unit. The “Route 71 Over Shark River Road Diet” is a road diet project that preserves an old historic drawbridge while improving safety and saving money. When the Route 71 Drawbridge over Shark River between Belmar and Avon-by-the-Sea in Monmouth County suffered a mechanical failure in September 2021, engineers worked quickly to design and implement a solution that would both preserve the drawbridge and keep it in safe operation. The traffic load needed to be redistributed and balanced properly across the span to keep the bridge opened. NJDOT implemented a road diet across the bridge, which allowed the Department to address several safety issues. Traffic over the bridge was reduced from one northbound lane and two southbound lanes to one lane in each direction. Signal timings were adjusted, safety improvements at surrounding intersections were installed, and highway signage was enhanced. In addition, bike lanes that had previously ended abruptly were carried across the drawbridge utilizing an innovative bicycle-safe grid, a first-of-its-kind achievement in New Jersey. Through this $150,000 project completed in May 2022, the Route 71 over Shark River Road Diet project improved traffic flow, increased safety, and reduced congestion in a busy tourist area.
Awards Ceremony
Presentation of 2023 Awards
PRESENTATION OF AWARDS
2023 Outstanding University Student in Transportation Research Award, Alissa Persad, Rutgers University, Innovative Materials for Quick Patching and Repair of Concrete. Photo by Steve Goodman.
2023 NJDOT Research Implementation Award, Dr. Hao Wang, Rutgers University Energy Harvesting on New Jersey Roadways. Photo by Steve Goodman.
2023 Best Poster Award, Alyssa Yvette Sunga, Rowan University, Properties of Cementitious Materials with Reclaimed Cement. Photo by Steve Goodman.
2023 Research Champion Excellence Award, Thomas Bushar, New Jersey Department of Transportation, Materials. Rajesh Kabaria accepted award on his behalf. Photo by Steve Goodman.
2023 NJDOT Build a Better Mousetrap Award, Gerald Oliveto, P.E. New Jersey Department of Transportation, Moveable Bridge Unit. The “Route 71 Over Shark River Road Diet.” Photo by Steve Goodman.
AFTERNOON
In the afternoon, concurrent break-out sessions were held and research presentations were given on the topics of Equity & Mobility, Infrastructure, and Safety in transportation. Students and researchers at New Jersey’s colleges and universities also presented their research objectives, methods and findings in a concurrent poster session offering those in attendance an opportunity to learn more about ongoing and recently completed research and interact with the researchers.
INFRASTRUCTURE BREAKOUT
Infrastructure Sessions
Development and Analysis of Low Embodied Carbon Concrete Mixtures for Use in Transportation Applications. Matthew P. Adams, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Asphalt Pavement Pothole Repair with Recycled Material and Preheating. Xiao Chen and Hao Wang, Rutgers University
Rapid Assessment of Infrastructure Using NDT Methods. Manuel Celaya, Advanced Infrastructure Design, Inc.
EQUITY & MOBILITY BREAKOUT
Equity & Mobility Sessions
Comparative Analysis of Arterial Characteristics to Evaluate Road Diet Lane Reduction Potential. Thomas Brennan, The College of New Jersey
A Vehicle Trajectory Stitching and Reconstruction Method for Digital Twin Applications with High-Resolution Roadside LiDAR Data. Anjiang Chen, Rutgers University
Developing Indicators for Comprehensive Evaluation of Equity in Transportation System. Catherine Abacan and Ruqaya Alfaris, Rowan University
SAFETY IN TRANSPORTATION BREAKOUT
Safety in Transportation Sessions
Unveiling Perceived Travel Safety for Micromobility Users: A Rider-Centered Exploration. Wenwen Zhang, Rutgers University
Determining Key Factors Linked to Injury Severity in Intersection-Related Crashes in NJ. Deep Patel, Rowan University
Understanding Crash Factors in Disadvantaged Communities: An Examination of Socioeconomic Disparities and Road Safety. Ruqaya Alfaris, Rowan University
2023 POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Optimizing Road Infrastructure: A Conceptual Simulation-Based Study of Dynamic Transit Lanes for Connected Private Vehicles
Connected Vehicles Data: A New Horizon for Estimating Traffic Counts
Properties of Cementitious Materials with Reclaimed Cement
Investigating Performance of Cold In-Place Recycled Asphalt Sections in Accelerated Pavement Testing Using Finite Element Modeling
Investigating the Severity of Curve-Related Roadway Departure Crashes: The Role of Driver Distraction, Automation Levels, and Environmental Conditions
Development of High-Frequency Electromagnetic Induction Technology for Nonintrusive Geophysical Ground Investigation in Cold Regions
Study of the Failure Mechanisms for Inducing Rockfall Hazard in New Jersey Area
Machine Learning Based Structural Health Monitoring of Rocking Bridge System under Seismic Excitation
Truck Parking Availability Prediction Model for Harding Truck Rest Area
Prediction of Critical Strains of Flexible Pavement from Traffic Speed Deflectometer Measurements
Design Study and Potential Implementation of Photovoltaic Noise Barrier for Sustainable Highway
Computer Vision Based Near Miss Detection Among Mixed Traffic Flows Within Intersections
Segment Anything Model for Pedestrian Infrastructure Inventory: Assess Zero-Shot Segmentation on Multi-Mode Geospatial Data
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The 25th Annual Research Showcase was organized and sponsored by the NJDOT Bureau of Research in partnership with the New Jersey Local Technical Assistance Program (NJ LTAP) at the Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) and co-sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Bureau of Research is seeking presentations for the 25th Annual NJDOT Research Showcase to be held in-person at The Conference Center at Mercer Community College! Presentations related to transportation research will be considered for in-person presentation during the 25th Annual Research Showcase, to be held October 25, 2023. The theme for this year’s event is “Commitment to Safety."
We welcome your submission of an abstract on completed or nearly completed transportation-related research studies. While priority may be given to projects that align with the Showcase theme of "Commitment to Safety," all submissions will be considered. If selected, you will present your work in-person on the afternoon of October 25. Presentations will be in 20-minute increments and will be selected by NJDOT Research Bureau personnel.
To be considered, please email your proposed presentation topic(s) with accompanying abstract(s) to Janet Leli (jleli@soe.rutgers.edu), Director of the New Jersey Local Technical Assistance Program, no later than September 18, 2023.
Be sure to include:
■ Title and abstract of the presentation ■ Name and email address of the person who will be presenting
■ Which category your project most closely aligns with:
Infrastructure • Safety • Equity / Mobility
■ Any additional information you feel necessary
All submitters will receive a confirmation regarding the selection committee’s final decisions.
Further information is available on the Research Showcase event website, including a call for abstracts, a call for posters, and nomination forms for awards for research implementation and outstanding university student. The day's agenda and details about the respective deadlines for each of these submissions can be found on the event website.
Thank you for your interest and participation in the NJDOT Transportation Research Program.
The NJDOT Research Showcase is an event of the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Research and organized by the Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT).
25th Annual Research Showcase
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
8:30 AM–2:45 PM
Proceedings begin at 9:00 AM
LOCATION
The Conference Center at Mercer
1200 Old Trenton Road
West Windsor, NJ 08550
REGISTRATION
Registration is complimentary, but required.
Registration will open soon.
