The past year was indeed the most critical period of operation for the Center. No doubt the tragic events of September 11^th affected the paradigms guiding transportation research and education as outlined under TEA-21. Overnight our notions of safety and security were transformed to include broader dimensions hitherto unknown. The economic fallout of the event took its toll on the region’s vitality and growth. We have responded to these changing times by working closely with our stakeholders in inclusion of security concerns in the three areas of research, education and technology transfer. Our education and technology transfer programs have sharpened their focus on “Work Force Training” in better serving the needs of our transportation community. The Center is now a mature and stable resource in the dynamic and ever-changing NY/NJ metropolitan area.

The last year was also our most significant period of operation: we successfully completed the limited competition process and were selected as one of the ten UTC programs to continue receiving funds under TEA-21. We also were successful in receiving a one-time allocation from Rutgers University for construction of a new and dedicated operations and research complex. These two complimentary events have led the Center to be placed among the core areas of excellence within the University. Allocation of more $3M in University funds for the new building, under the current difficult budgetary times, is a clear indication of University’s commitment to excellence in transportation research and education.

The current report provides a detailed description of our activities in the three designated areas of research, education and technology transfer. The research topics and themes are in tune with our stakeholders’ needs and objectives. Implementation of the mechanistic pavement design in New Jersey, development of advanced composites for protection of transportation infrastructure, evaluation of the EZ-Pass system, future of transportation modeling, and evaluation of travel volume & flows are some of the topics of immediate interest to our stakeholders. The education and technology transfer programs are more geared toward work-force training of transportation professionals. The transportation certificate program is successfully completing its second year and we have embarked on a new initiative in construction management with Rutgers University’s School of Business. Two new outreach programs have also been initiated this year: the minority high school outreach program and the minority University outreach program in collaboration with University of Texas at El Paso. The enrollment in our graduate program has increased significantly in comparison to years one and two of operation and there is a significant increase in the number of undergraduate participation in transportation research.

I’m happy to report that we have met our most important objectives of the program as outline in our Strategic Plan. The challenges and successes of the last year have led to a mature and stable Center serving the needs and objectives of our stakeholders in the NY/NJ metropolitan area.

Dr. Ali Maher

Director

Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT)

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Theme of CAIT:

The theme of the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) is maintenance and operation of high volume transportation infrastructure systems. It is the goal of CAIT to be a catalyst for creating a multi-modal transportation infrastructure research and education paradigm that incorporates input from members of the TIS community. The Center will be active in TIS education, research, and technology transfer in the critical areas of safety, mobility, economic growth, human and natural environment, and national security; (envisioned by USDOT in the recently published USDOT Research and Development Plan.) The unique feature of the Center will be its focus on implementation of advanced and cutting-edge technologies, from broad and interdisciplinary sources, used for efficient maintenance and operation of multi-modal transportation infrastructure systems in high volume and heavily utilized intermodal corridors.

The TIS maintenance and operation theme will guide all educational, research, and technology transfer activities of the Center. The main criteria for success will be the implementation of goals and objectives that have been identified and will be presented in detail in the following sections of this plan.

Management Structure:

The CAIT organizational structure consists of four groups: Center administration, education, research, and technology transfer. All personnel report to their designated group chairpersons, who then report to the Center Director (See Figure 1). The duties and responsibilities of the key faculty and staff are described in the following section.

Center Director: In compliance with the USDOT requirements, the CAIT Director, Dr. Ali Maher, manages the daily operations of CAIT, supervises the personnel, complies with the funding requirements, and oversees the progress of research activities.