NJ STIC 2019 Spring Meeting

Posted on May 8, 2019August 18, 2021

The NJ State Transportation Innovation Council recently held its 2019 Spring Meeting. After the welcome and introductions, the FHWA provided a brief update of the status of Every Day Counts (EDC-5) Innovative Initiatives, noting that progress reports are quickly approaching for the initial six-month milestone period (January-June, 2019).

Short presentations were given by the three Core Innovation Area (CIA) Teams -- Safety, Mobility & Operations, and Infrastructure Preservation -- reporting on the activities planned and underway to meet commitments for the current EDC-5 round. The Mobility & Operations CIA Team gave a featured presentation on "Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures (ATSPMs)" that described current research in-progress that seeks to identify and develop metrics, guidelines, and deployment strategies for real-time monitoring of traffic signal performance based on existing infrastructure resources and the transportation agency's needs.

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) and the Burlington County Engineering Office jointly delivered the featured Local Public Agency presentation on "Signal Timing in Burlington County". The presentation described a traffic signal timing optimization project funded through DVRPC that followed a six-step signal timing process. The project used a rapid field assessment method that involved real-time coordination with traffic operations control to fine-tune signal timings to safely improve travel times. Key findings, lessons and the benefits of the project as well as a before and after video demonstrating improved travel times were shared with those in attendance.

The Bureau of Research described recent outreach and coordination efforts being taken at the National STIC network level and by the New Jersey STIC to raise awareness of the EDC-5 Innovative Initiatives, model practices and available resources. The NJDOT Technology Transfer website's NJ STIC Outreach and Coordination webpage has more information on these activities. To foster knowledge-sharing, attendees were also encouraged to complete the "STIC Innovative Initiatives Survey" that was launched recently. The survey is targeted to Local Public Agencies and seeks to identify examples of successful implementation of innovative practices, among other topics. The meeting closed with a Roundtable discussion that highlighted the value that the NJ STIC can bring in convening and sharing innovative practices among its diverse set of stakeholders.

The next two upcoming STIC meetings are scheduled for August 8 and November 19, 2019.

The NJ STIC Spring Meeting Presentations can be found here or in sections below along with Burlington County's before and after video of their signal optimization.

NJ STIC 2018 Winter Meeting

Posted on February 13, 2019May 6, 2019

The NJ State Transportation Innovation Council recently held its Winter Meeting. The meeting began with FHWA and NJDOT providing a recap of the Every Day Counts Round 5 (EDC-5) Regional Summit. FHWA's Innovation Coordinator & Performance Manager provided a brief overview of the EDC-5 Initiatives. New Jersey along with all other states assessed its current efforts and set goals for implementation of the EDC-5 Initiatives for the next two year period, ending in December 2020 with reference to five stages of innovation.

EDC-5 Innovation Initiatives and NJ’s Baseline and Goals, 2019-2020

EDC-5 Initiative	Baseline: January 2019	Goal: December 2020	Comments
Advanced Geotechnical Exploration Methods	Demonstration	Institutionalized	With proposed activities expect to move it forward to institutionalized
Collaborative Hydraulics: Advancing to the Next Generation of Engineering (CHANGE)	Demonstration	Demonstration	EDC-4 carryover
Reducing Rural Roadway Departures	Development	Demonstration	New initiative under EDC-5
Project Bundling	Institutionalized	Institutionalized	Part of NJDOT toolbox
Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP)	Assessment	Institutionalized	EDC-4 carryover
Use of Crowdsourcing to Advance Operations	Institutionalized	Institutionalized	Part of NJDOT toolbox
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)	Assessment	Institutionalized	NJDOT has been a national leader with many advancements planned
Value Capture	Not implementing	Not implementing	Not formally advanced by STIC
Virtual Public Involvement	Not implementing	Not implementing	Not formally advanced by STIC. Agencies may be making use of this initiative.
Notes: Not Implementing: State is not currently using the innovation anywhere in the state; Development: State is collecting guidance and best practices and building support with stakeholders and partners and developing an implementation process; Demonstration: The State is piloting and testing the innovation; Assessment: The State is assessing the performance of and process for carrying out the innovation and making adjustments to prepare for full deployment; Institutionalized: The State has adopted the innovation as a standard process or practice and uses it regularly on projects.

Presentations from the three Core Innovation Area (CIA) Teams -- Safety, Infrastructure Preservation, and Mobility and Operations -- highlighted what has already been accomplished (in prior rounds of EDC Rounds 1 through 4) and further described how NJDOT plans to accomplish the goals for EDC-5 Initiatives.

Participants were informed about the availability of innovative funding programs through FHWA's Center for Accelerating Innovative Programs to advance EDC-5 Initiatives and what New Jersey projects have already been funded through STIC Incentive Funding and the Accelerated Innovation Deployment Grant Programs. The meeting concluded with a roundtable discussion of the topics covered.

NJDOT will host the national STIC meeting on April 11, 2019.
Forthcoming NJ STIC meetings are scheduled for: May 7, August 8, and November 19, 2019.

Presentation slides:

NJ STIC 2018 Fall Meeting

Posted on October 16, 2018May 6, 2019

The NJ State Transportation Innovation Council recently held its 2018 Fall Meeting. The meeting began with an update from the FHWA about NJDOT's progress on Every Day Counts (EDC-4) Innovations. The meeting continued with presentations from the three Core Innovation Area (CIA) Teams devoted to Safety, Infrastructure Preservation, and Mobility and Operations. The Safety CIA Team discussed progress on implementing road diets and shared a video that described its features and its benefits that had been produced by NJDOT. A roundtable discussion closed the meeting which included discussion of the importance and potential strategies for getting the message out on the innovations underway at NJDOT and by its STIC partners.