Following the limited competition in 2002, the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) has successfully moved into its position as one of the ten remaining UTC programs. New faces, new projects, and new directives have made their mark on the Center during the last six months. With the knowledge of our successful bid in the UTC competition, there evolved a renewed enthusiasm in setting, and attaining, our goals.

A major achievement of the last six months has been the approval of the plans for the new home for the Center. Our host institution, Rutgers University, has agreed to the final plans for the CAIT building with a committed budget of $3.75 million dollars. This building will provide the base for our current and future operations, allowing for expansion of our activities in areas of concern to our stakeholders. The building will also provide facilities for our workforce training activities in collaboration with our Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP). Rutgers University’s commitment, and its investment in the new building, is a strong indication of the importance of transportation research and education at the University and its support for the Center.

As we move further into the current operating year, we continue to adapt to our changing environment. The Center’s initiatives are forever dynamic in responding to the needs of aging infrastructure, fiscal constraints, legislative agendas, workforce development, environmental concerns, and technological advances. The award of projects focused in areas such as congestion, security, air quality, emergency management, and traffic circles, are demonstrative of the Center’s attention to issues at the forefront of concern to the transportation community at large.

The following report reflects on the activities that further exemplify the Center’s role as a conduit in providing state of the art research, technology transfer, and quality education. Many of the programs that were initiated in the first three years of our operation have flourished; enrollment in the transportation certificate program has increased, our outreach programs have grown tremendously, and our technology transfer research showcase is preparing for its third annual program. A number of major new partnerships with the private sector have also been initiated, resulting in leveraging of resources in projects dealing with utilization of recycled crumb rubber in asphalt to providing security against BCR (biological, chemical, radiological) threats in transportation hubs.

In summary, the current year has been the most progressive for the Center. Most of our operational units have now been fully consolidated and we have significantly expanded our research, education and workforce training portfolio. The institutional support is stronger than ever, as reflected in the major investment for the new CAIT building. We hope that the uncertainties of the authorization of SAFETEA, and the role of the UTC program in the new bill, will soon be resolved with continuation of support for the entire UTC program.

Dr. Ali Maher

Director

Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT)

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Success Stories

NEW BUILDING Update

$3.75M building to begin construction in early 2004

PRINCIPAL CONTACT:

Ali Maher

Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT)

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

623 Bowser Road

Piscataway, NJ 08854

732-445-2232

mmaher@rci.rutgers.edu

As a result of the Center’s success in winning the national competition, a window of opportunity has been opened up by the University to further promote the Center’s reputation as one of excellence in transportation research, education and workforce training.

The creation of a home for the Center for Advanced Infrastructure & Transportation (CAIT), an endeavor which has been strongly supported by New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), will significantly boost the current level of collaboration with the agency. A number of agency staff will be collocated between Trenton and CAIT for closer supervision of the ongoing work. Their presence on Campus will ensure closer ties and better understanding between sponsors and researchers, as well as foster future collaboration. The current partnership with NJDOT will be further cemented by creating the necessary facilities for research and workforce training. Most importantly, a new home for CAIT will enable the agency to justify its increased level of support in the face of increasing demands from Rowan, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Stevens Institute of Technology for similar types of arrangements.

The concept plan for the new CAIT building has successfully completed the administrative approval process. The plan is on budget ($3.75M) and meets the basic program goals of the project. It is anticipated that the construction can begin in early 2004, with the following milestones to be reached before then:

1. Schematic Design Phase, work and review to be completed by July 31, 2003.

2. Design Development, work and review to be completed by September 30, 2003

3. University Sign-Off, 2 weeks

4. Construction Document Phase, to be completed by December 31, 2003

5. Ceremonial Ground Breaking, to occur some time in January 2004