NJ Transportation Research Ideas Browse Random ideas

Access Link is a good service provided help the community by picking up and dropping off passengers. Each of these stops take time, especially if a wheel chair is involved. The vans or small busses used have poor fuel efficiency, and they idle during the entire time the passenger is boarding or being dropped off. The air pollution, carbon monoxide, and smell travels over 100 feet during each such stop, inspiring neighbors... more »

The recent publication of the 6th Edition of the Highway Capacity Manual (2016) introduced a chapter on Ramp Terminals and Alternative Intersections that assesses the performance of Median U-turn, Restricted crossing U-turn and Displaced left-turn intersections. Despite the widespread use of jug-handles in New Jersey and elsewhere, the HCM does not provide a methodology for the performance of jug-handles. The operational... more »

We know how important it is to have a guide rail on turnings. When big trucks or cars lose their control and hit the guide rail its important to have a strong guide rail even on the bridge if the guide rails and not strong enough it may cause a big accident and vehicle can roll over from the road. so instead of focusing on guide rail, I found if we can put rollers on guide rail colors it will divert the impact force into... more »

There has been recent discussion of using light colors for surface courses in order to mitigate heat islands by reflecting away light instead of absorbing it. However, I have been hearing many people counter with the problem, in northern latitudes, of lighter pavement icing faster in winter because the darker pavements ability to absorb light allows it to remain warmer than the air in temperatures close to freezing.... more »

Much of New Jersey's existing transit infrastructure is oriented toward working commuters' needs, with peak services providing access to historic employment centers in major cities, especially New York. In an increasingly tight labor market, employers are looking to new sources for employees – and people with disabilities are experiencing historically high rates of employment. However, this "high rate" is still approximately... more »

The Meadowlands Sports Complex and American Dream Mall are two major entertainment and employment centers in Northern New Jersey. Located in East Rutherford, this combined complex is the location of MetLife Stadium, the Meadowlands Racetrack, and the newly opened American Dream Mall. As such, it is an area where multiple individuals with disparate interests come together from the entire New York Metropolitan Area and... more »

Understanding the effectiveness and optimal timing of bridge preservation, maintenance and repair activities are pivotal for bridge asset management. Although extensive resources are dedicated to these activities annually, their impact on the long-term performance of bridges is not well documented and/or understood. One reason for this lack of understanding is the sheer complexity involved. The effectiveness of bridge... more »

In Idea 2 (originally titled "Project Boost"), I propose new concepts for passenger rail systems that may provide improved performance over conventional rail systems. Specifically, the concept rail systems put forth major changes in the passenger boarding/deboarding processes in order to address the frequent and inevitable train stops that occur during conventional rail travel. With their unique design, operation, and... more »

Recently, towns such as Robbinsville have taken to using humor in dynamic message signs in an effort to warn drivers to slow down, obey traffic laws, drive safely, and otherwise make the road a safer place. Humor might be an effective technique to aid driver memory and reduce crashes and damage to New Jersey roads, as well as increase the effectiveness of passive law enforcement.

(For reference: news article, https://www.nj.com/news/2019/12/only-in-jersey-traffic-safety-served-up-with-a-side-of-attitude-humor.html)... more »

In service fatigue fracture of highway signs and signal support structures due to wind induced oscillations is the primary concern for cost-effective life cycle performance of these structures. Recognizing the impact of potential life and property damage from structural failures and economic burden of inspecting, maintaining and replacing the sheer volume of these structures in the inventory, the American Association... more »

There must be an alternative to school busing. Investigate options to school busing.

 

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812476

With both the health of the roadways and the need for recycling constantly in our minds, I think that both can be helped by designing a mass producible custom aggregate for use in asphalt and concrete, that can be made with recycled materials. We could design a shape that would aid in the transfer of stress within the material while minimizing the movement of the aggregate after curing of that material. This would... more »

Current industry standard for design and fabrication of small format trusses (less than 8 feet across any flat dimension) typically consists of individual members which are separately cut and then welded or bolted into a truss structure. This type of structure, while popular in the industry for use as sign support structures, tolling gantries, and rail signal / catenary support structures, is also costly to produce and... more »

Transit Oriented Development is a form of real estate development that concentrates development around transportation hubs, such as train stations, significant bus facilities, or light rail stations. Typically, these developments emphasize a mixture of dense primary uses, combining residential and commercial uses in close proximity to one another in order to promote the use of public transit, as well as pedestrian and... more »

There are many different companies that use various types of road mapping hardware/software for their respective purposes. This technology could be utilized for multiple purposes that would benefit both the DOT and the public. All of these purposes would be achieved by the creation of a Virtual Reality State Highway System (VRSHS).

I propose that the NJDOT contract with one of these companies to utilize their technology,... more »