Anecdotal information in recent years suggests that new housing development near transit stations generates few school-aged children, less automobile usage and reduced demand for parking spaces, but this has never been empirically documented. This study is investigating the impacts of transit-oriented development on school enrollments, traffic, and parking demand. A secondary objective is to investigate how supply factors such as municipal policies and regulations drive differences among TOD and non-TOD households.
Principal Investigator: Daniel Chatman
Client: NJ Department of Transportation
Value: $167,000
Completion: June 30, 2009

VTC is assisting the Camden County Workforce Investment Board (WIB), in conjunction with its local United We Ride planning effort, to develop a Travel Management Coordination Center (TMCC) to improve the delivery of community transportation services through a comprehensive, technology-driven brokerage model. The TMCC will focus on creating access for all transportation-disadvantaged consumers in Camden County to all local and regional modes of transportation, including local fixed and flexible routes, as well as local demand-response services. This study is one of eight national demonstration projects funded by the Federal Transit Administration to demonstrate how technology can be used to simplify and coordinate the human service transportation system for users and providers.
Principal Investigator: Jon Carnegie
Client: Federal Transit Administration
Value: $250,000
Completion: December 31, 2008

NJ TRANSIT has invested significant operating and capital resources in improving the security of its transit system, such as placing barriers in front of building entrances, installing CCTV cameras at key locations, deploying additional police K-9 units, and broadcasting repeated announcements to customers to report suspicious packages or behavior. This study include focus groups and rider surveys to learn which security measures have been working to enhance customer perceptions of security, and what other measures could be employed to improve perceptions of security.
Principal Investigator(s): Deva Deka and Jon Carnegie
Client: NJ Department of Transportation
Value: $180,000
Completion: April 30, 2010

This study is investigating the impact of NJ TRANSIT's RiverLINE light rail system, which links Trenton and Camden, on local economic development to determine the extent to which the rail line has been a catalyst for economic growth along the route. The study will also examine how government, developer, business, and household perceptions of the RiverLINE compare with its objective influences on travel time and accessibility in the region.
Principal Investigator: Daniel Chatman
Funding Source: NJ Department of Transportation and University Transportation Research Center Region II
Value: $317,000
Completion: June 30, 2009

This study is examining the impact of plea bargaining motor vehicle offenses on roadway safety in New Jersey, as well as how the wide spread practice of plea bargaining has affected NJ Motor Vehicle Commission in terms of reduced enrollment in remedial driver programs and lost revenue from program fees, restoration fees and insurance surcharges.
Principal Investigator: Jon Carnegie
Client: NJ Department of Transportation
Value: $140,000
Completion: September 30, 2008

Immigration is dramatically changing the population characteristics of New Jersey; estimates show 93 percent of the state's population growth since 2000 has been due to immigration. This has created a need to better understand how transit use patterns vary within the immigrant population, and if current trends will continue into the future. This study will examine two critical issues: Do immigrants bring with them a culture of transit ridership from their home countries and does this orientation toward transit endure over time? The study will also investigate whether transit mode choices differ among different immigrant subgroups. The results of this research will help inform decisions regarding where to add or reduce transit service, and influence decisions on multi-million dollar investments in new transit infrastructure.
Principal Investigator: Daniel Chatman
Client: NJ Department of Transportation
Value: $286,000
Completion: June 30, 2010

VTC researchers are part of a Rutgers team led by the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy to provide an in-depth, sophisticated, yet accessible and usable analysis of how transportation investment affects the economic well-being and the quality of life of New Jersey. The study will quantify and document the potential short- and long-term economic benefits of transportation infrastructure investment in New Jersey, provide easily understandable metrics related to transportation's impact on the economy for use by state-level transportation and economic development decision-makers, and foster a greater understanding of the role transportation investment plays in short- and long- term economic outcomes.
Principal Investigator: Joseph Seneca (Bloustein School)
Client: NJ Department of Transportation
Value: $210,000
Completion: December 31, 2008

The United States Department of Homeland Security has created an Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) program that provides funds to address the unique needs of high-threat, high-density urban areas, and assist them in the fight against terrorism, from prevention to response to recovery. VTC is leading a multi-disciplinary team of researchers to undertake a comprehensive regional evacuation planning study for the state's designated UASI region in northern New Jersey. The multi-year planning study will result in a collaborative, cross-jurisdictional and multi-agency all-hazards regional evacuation plan for the seven county northern New Jersey UASI region.
Principal Investigator: Jon Carnegie
Client: NJ Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness
Value: $1,700,000
Completion: June 30, 2009

Transit investments stimulate economic development not only by improving access to employment and other destinations, but also potentially by encouraging firm clusters that increase economic productivity, and reducing auto use. This study will establish a methodology to estimate these impacts, and make it usable by state and local transportation agencies seeking Federal capital support.
Principal Investigator: Daniel Chatman
Research Partner: Steer Davies Gleave
Client: Transit Cooperative Research Program (Federal Transit Administration; Transportation Research Board)
Value: $400,000
Completion: March 2010 (approximate)

This newsletter will serve to keep municipal officials, planners and advocates up-to-date on the potential for development and redevelopment around transit stations. Articles published in this electronic publication would focus on TOD activities in the downstate New York, southwestern Connecticut region, and around the country highlighting projects, best practices, problems solved, legislation, interviews with planners, developers, transit officials, as well as current research and publications. Each issue of the newsletter would be organized around a theme, such as TOD and energy or parking in transit-rich locations. The Metro NY TOD Newsletter would serve as a sister publication to the Transit-Friendly Development Newsletter, currently produced by the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center and sponsored by NJ TRANSIT.
Principal Investigator: Martin Robins
Client: One Funders Network
Value: $20,000
Completion: December 31, 2008

With New Jersey's demand for energy growing three times faster than its population, Governor Jon Corzine in October 2006 launched an interagency planning process to create an Energy Master Plan, a long-term energy vision that plans for the state's energy needs through 2020. As part of this study, VTC is providing research and technical support to the NJ Department of Transportation in drafting the transportation element of the Energy Master Plan. The study is investigating a variety of strategies to reduce transportation-related energy consumption 20 percent by 2020 and greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.
Principal Investigator: Jon Carnegie
Client: NJ Department of Transportation
Value: $70,000
Completion: December 31, 2008

In 2004-2005 VTC assisted the NJ Turnpike Authority in the formation and set up of a new Office of Strategic Policy and Planning. In 2006, VTC faciliated the development of the office's first strategic plan and capital investment plan. As part of this contract, VTC will continue to facilitate the strategic planning group meetings and to further advise and assist the Office and its Director and staff to implement the 2006 strategic plan. This work will include the development of an "external scan" function and product; the update of the strategic plan for two years; and a series of white papers for the office.
Principal Investigator: Jon Carnegie (previously Pippa Woods)
Client: NJ Turnpike Authority
Value: $300,000
Completion: December 31, 2008

Researchers at VTC will undertake a number of preliminary planning activities to enhance the evacuation preparedness and planning capability of the state's fourteen non-UASI counties. In that regard, the research team will work with the State Evacuation Working Group to: identify existing planning gaps and opportunities for better coordinated and integrated evacuation planning at the county level; inventory evacuation-related assets and resources; document the current level of citizen preparedness to evacuate if called up on to do so; and develop a standard format template for county evacuation plans to ultimately support the integration of county evacuation plans into the overall State Catastrophic Incident Annex. The study will include: a series of structured interviews, a county plan review and assessment, a web-based survey of municipal emergency management coordinators, a citizen preparedness survey, and an evacuation decision-making survey.
Principal Investigator: Jon Carnegie
Client: NJ Office of Emergency Management
Value: $179,000
Completion: March 31, 2009

In 2000, the NJ Department of Transportation established the New Jersey Bicycle & Pedestrian Resource Center at VTC to help local elected officials, decision-makers and transportation professionals clearly understand the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians, and how to address those needs. Renewed annually at VTC since 2000, the resource center has continued to grow and excel, specializing in four project areas: Information Clearing House, Technical Information Resource, Education, and Technical Research. This role is not duplicated by any other organization in New Jersey, and demonstrates the value of a project organization filling an intermediary role between state, county, and local agencies in improving the state's bicycle and pedestrian environment.
Principal Investigator: Ranjit Walia
Client: NJ Department of Transportation
Value: $409,000
Completion: December 31, 2008

VTC is part of a research team led by the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation at Rutgers. The study involves a three-phased research methodology. As part of the study, the research team will conduct a series of targeted interviews with NJDOT and other out of the state agencies to assess the state-of-the art in the area of automated pedestrian counting and other related issues such as "data needs for pedestrian oriented planning and safety projects." One goal of the interviews will be to identify the needs of decision makers in NJDOT in terms of long and short-term pedestrian data. As part of phase 2, the research team will design and execute a pilot study where a number of pedestrian sensors will be field-tested at a number of pre-determined sites according to a stratification criterion agreed by NJDOT and the research team. Phase 3 will focus on the development of practical recommendations and guidelines for deployment of automated pedestrian sensors based on the results of the two previous phases.
Principal Investigator: Kaan Ozbay (CAIT)
Client: NJ Department of Transportation
Value: $166,000 (VTC portion $38,000)
Completion: June 30, 2009

This study will build on previous research to examine the extent to which the practice of plea bargaining has compromised MVC's ability to effectively "manage" bad drivers through MVC's system of administrative sanctions. The study will also explore ways to either fix the current point-based driver behavior monitoring system or adopt a new monitoring system to replace or operate concurrently with the points system.
Principal Investigator: Jon Carnegie
Client: NJ Department of Transportation
Value: $228,000
Completion: December 31, 2010

As part of this study, the NJ Department of Transportation in partnership with a collaborative team of consultants and researchers will develop a regional growth strategy or plan for the Route 1 corridor in central New Jersey from Trenton to New Brunswick. As part of this study, VTC will provide research advice, manage outreach to local governments and provide technical assistance to municipalities. VTC's team for this study includes Michael Gallis and Associates, which will conduct an assessment of the regional economy and the role the Route 1 corridor municipalities play in the regional economy; and Weiss Consulting, Inc. which will provide professional services related to meeting facilitation and conflict resolution, as needed, to support the development of a consensus vision and smart growth plan for the corridor.
Principal Investigator: Jon Carnegie
Client: NJ Department of Transportation
Value: $270,500
Completion: December 31, 2008

As part of this study, VTC will support the NJ Department of Transportation, NJ TRANSIT, and the state's Congressional delegation in seeking a more competitive share of national transportation dollars as part of SAFETEA-LU renewal. VTC will conduct statistical analyses, prepare briefing documents and investigate new opportunities, either by amending the language in federal surface transportation bills or by inserting new sections, for New Jersey to obtain and use federal funding.
Principal Investigator: Martin E. Robins
Client: NJ Department of Transportation
Value: $100,000
Completion: December 31, 2009

As part of this project, VTC is working closely with the NJ Department of Transportation to support its implementation of the federally mandated Safe Routes to School program, including the production of an e-newsletter, the Safe Routes Scoop. VTC's role includes supporting the development of sound policies and procedures; providing education, outreach, and training to local officials responsible for implementing Safe Routes to School programs; and helping to clarify technical issues and develop effective practices through program evaluation and research.
Principal Investigator: Leigh Ann Von Hagen
Client: NJ Department of Transportation
Value: $250,000
Completion: December 31, 2008

This study is examining the effectiveness of administrative sanctions imposed on problem drivers in New Jersey to determine which sanctions (i.e., warning letters, driver improvement programs and license suspension) are most effective in reducing future rates of violation and crashes. The study includes extensive analysis of driver history data, outreach to motor vehicle agencies around the country, and an assessment of New Jersey's current sanction programs.
Principal Investigator: Jon Carnegie
Client: NJ Department of Transportation
Value: $127,000
Completion: September 30, 2008

NJ TRANSIT in 2004 approved funding for VTC to produce the first three issues of Transit-Friendly Development, an e-newsletter designed to increase awareness and understanding of the principles of TOD by communities in New Jersey that host transit stations. The success of the e-newsletter, which now has more than 5,600 subscribers nationally, prompted NJ TRANSIT to renew the contract twice. The newsletter is now picked up on the websites of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and the Smart Growth Network.
Principal Investigator: Martin E. Robins
Client: NJ TRANSIT
Value: $30,000
Completion: August 31, 2008

Since 2002, the NJDOT has contracted with VTC to monitor and assess how the state's Transit Village program can potentially impact planning, development and travel in each of the designated transit villages. The new study will continue data collection, monitoring and assessment of existing transit villages and document baseline conditions in the two most recently designated transit villages - Elizabeth/Midtown and Burlington City. A Transit Village Initiative Monitoring Report will be initiated, the first edition of what is anticipated to be a bi-annual report. In addition, the VTC research team will conduct a literature scan to identify what, if any, significant additions to the national literature on TOD have been made since Spring 2006 and conduct walkability audits in each of the 19 designated transit villages.
Principal Investigator: Jon Carnegie
Client: NJ Department of Transportation
Value: $85,500
Completion: September 30, 2008