Tag Archives: Route 71 Bridge Road Diet

Join the Build a Better Mousetrap Competition!

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New Jersey’s Build a Better Mousetrap Competition is currently underway!

NJ 2024 Build a Better Mousetrap Competition is underway!

The competition provides a great opportunity to share your ingenious and implemented solutions in transportation with others in New Jersey and across the country. These innovations can range from the development of tools and equipment modifications to the implementation of new processes that increase safety, reduce cost, and improve efficiency of our transportation system.

We are looking for submissions from employees of any local, county or state public agency, including the New Jersey Department of Transportation and NJ TRANSIT that have developed new solutions to problems or found better ways of doing things.

Winners will be chosen in two categories: Operations and Organizational Improvement. This competition is sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration’s Local Technical Assistance Program and Tribal Technical Assistance Program, and local public agency winners will be entered in the annual National LTAP/TTAP Conference.

A state winner in each category will also be selected and presented at the Annual NJDOT Research Showcase later this fall. The deadline for submissions has been extended to August 15, 2024.

2023 Winner: Route 71 Over the Shark River Bridge, Gerald Oliveto, NJDOT

New Jersey’s “Route 71 Over Shark River Road Diet Project” in Monmouth County was recognized with the “Bold Steps” Award in the Federal Highway Administration’s national competition last year as described here.

There is still time to share your ingenious solutions! Past examples of NJ’s recognized BABM award winning entries can be found here. More information about how to enter the competition and to download an entry form can be found here.


WEBINAR: 2023 Build a Better Mousetrap Competition National Winners

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The Federal Highway Administration’s Local Aid Support team in the Office of Transportation Innovation and Workforce Solutions will be holding a national webinar on October 19, 2023 for those interested in learning more about this year’s winning entries in the 2023 Build a Better Mousetrap National Recognition Program for Transportation Innovation.

Winners were announced at the National Local and Tribal Technical Assistance Program Association’s Annual Meeting in Columbus, Ohio this summer. New Jersey’s “Route 71 Over Shark River Road Diet” was this year’s Bold Steps Award Winner in the national competition.

Build a Better Mousetrap celebrates innovative solutions for challenges that local and tribal transportation workers encounter. These innovations can range from the development of tools and equipment modifications to the implementation of new processes that increase safety, reduce cost, and improve efficiency of our transportation system.

Gerald Oliveto, P.E., from the New Jersey Department of Transportation will give a presentation about the Route 71 bridge rehabilitation and road diet project. More information about this award-winning project, recipient of this year’s “Bold Steps” Award, can be found here and here.

Mr. Oliveto will be among the presenters during the national webinar. Below is a full list of the 2023 BABM Award recipients during the webinar.

Innovative Project Award – “The Mobile Unit Sensing Traffic (MUST) Device” – a device specifically designed to monitor traffic, detect dangerous events, and provide real-time warning messages to users along rural roads. Presenter: HollyAnna Littlebull, formerly Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. Associate Director of the Northwest Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP) Center, University of Washington.

Bold Steps Award – “Route 71 Over Shark River Road Diet” – a road diet project that preserves an old historic bridge while improving safety and saving money. Presenter: Gerald Oliveto, New Jersey Department of Transportation

Smart Transformation Award – “Solar-powered Remote Cameras” – providing more accurate and immediate information on road conditions that assists with emergency response while requiring less maintenance. Presenter: Matthew Beyer, St. Louis County, Minnesota, Public Works Department

Pioneer Award – “Safe Sightings of Signs and Signals (SSOSS) Software” – an automated process for identifying and addressing obstructed traffic signals saving time and money while increasing data accuracy. Presenter: Matthew Redmond, City of Walnut Creek, California

Registration – The national webinar is scheduled for Thursday, October 19, 2023, 2.00 PM and 4.00 PM Eastern. The FHWA has provided this link to learn more about the BABM Award winners event and receive a Zoom Government Meeting link to access the event.