Rutgers' CAIT Program Recognized on Capitol Hill

The Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) has been honored on Capitol Hill.

CAIT was recognized for its road safety and audit program by the Roadway Safety Foundation (RSF) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) at an awards ceremony on Wednesday.

The program is offered as a free service to New Jersey counties and municipalities. The unit of CAIT that offers the program is the Transportation Safety Resource Center (TSRC), sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT).

TSRC collaborates on safety initiatives with engineering guidance, crash data analysis, and free, on-site road safety audits (RSA), according to the RSF. The program aims to limit the number of traffic deaths and serious injuries via on-site evaluations and data.

“Rutgers’ Transportation Safety Resource Center has provided a valuable tool to their community with their on-site road audits,” Gregory M. Cohen, P.E., Executive Director of the Roadway Safety Foundation, said in a prepared statement. “There is no doubt that the expertise they offer to state and local governments can save lives on New Jersey’s roadways.”

“The Transportation Safety Resource Center’s valuable programs and services help improve roadway safety in New Jersey communities,” CAIT director Ali Maher, Ph.D. said.  “As a U.S. Department of Transportation National University Transportation Center, Rutgers' Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation has a responsibility to keep U.S. infrastructure in good repair, fiscally efficient, and safe. The Transportation Safety Resource Center is one of our most important programs because safety is so fundamental to mobility and a healthy economy.”  

Award recipients were judged on the following criteria: innovation, effectiveness, and efficient use of resources. Program categories included infrastructure improvements, operational improvements, and program planning, development, and evaluation. 

Blue Ribbon Panel Judges included:  Philip J. Caruso, Deputy Executive Director for Technical Programs, Institute of Transportation Engineers; Gregory M. Cohen, P.E., Executive Director, Roadway Safety Foundation; William A. Crank, Senior Community Relations Manager, Michelin North America; Anthony Giancola, P.E., Consultant, formerly of the National Association of County Engineers; Michael Griffith, Director, FHWA Office of Safety Technologies; Tony Kane, Consultant, formerly of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and Richard Pain, Transportation Safety Coordinator, Transportation Research Board.