Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers University

06/03/2026

Crossing guards are sounding the alarm: bigger, faster vehicles with high hoods are creating dangerous blind spots, making their jobs increasingly risky. VTC’s Sean Meehan highlights these concerns in NJ.com’s recent article, “3 Crossing Guards Killed in 3 Years: How a Nice Job for Retirees Became Frighteningly Dangerous.”

Read the full article here: https://vtc.rutgers.edu/3-crossing-guards-killed-in-3-years-how-a-nice-job-for-retirees-became-frighteningly-dangerous/

06/02/2026

VTC conducted a series of focus groups to better understand the experiences of women and LGBTQ+ transit users and nonusers. Researchers found that many women and gender and sexual minorities take precautions or adopt strategies to feel safer and avoid harassment or assault while using public transit.

Through this study, VTC identified insights that transit agency decision-makers can use to implement service, operational, and staffing changes that improve the travel experience for these riders.

Interested in the full study? Tap the link below.
https://vtc.rutgers.edu/publication/their-experiences-understanding-women-and-lgbtq-transit-users-in-new-jersey/

05/28/2026

👋Join NJTOD.org on June 4 in Newark for Taking First Steps Toward a Transit Friendly Future. Somerville shows what can happen when a community plans around transit. In 2018, the lot next to the station was empty. Today, it is 545 homes and one of the most active downtowns in central New Jersey. Division Street is now a permanent pedestrian plaza that went from half vacant to fully leased in 18 months.

Register here: njtod.org/first-steps-event

📸 Google Street View

05/26/2026

USA TODAY featured insights from VTC’s Leigh Ann Von Hagen, AICP, PP and Hannah Younes, PhD on the rise in road rage involving people on bikes. Von Hagen notes that we don’t actually know whether road rage is increasing because it’s rarely recorded, and that the incidents we do see may reflect streets designed for speed rather than safety. Younes points to her research that shows data gaps that make it difficult to fully understand the scale and nature of these conflicts.

A rash of crashes shows a dangerous rivalry won't let up. Why are drivers and bicyclists seemingly always at odds?

05/21/2026

😀🚲We love hearing from our followers about their favorite places to bike ride in New Jersey! Did we miss any spots on the list? Share your favorites below!

05/21/2026

👏Robert Johnson, known to all as Bobby, is the 2026 recipient of the Mortensen-Voorhees Award for Achievement in Transportation Studies. This award is granted annually to the highest-achieving student with a concentration in transportation at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. Named after Alan M. Voorhees, a renowned transportation engineer and urban planner, and Robert E. Mortensen, a transportation planner and former executive of two major railroads, the award honors their significant contributions to the field.

Bobby recently completed his Master of City and Regional Planning with a concentration in Transportation Policy and Planning. During his time at the Bloustein School, he worked as a graduate research assistant at the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center, supporting the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center and the Safe Routes to School Resource Center. Highlights of his work include assisting in the development of New Jersey’s Target Zero Action Plan and the Hudson County Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan. Bobby also interned at Keep Middlesex Moving, Inc., where he led a crossing guard study for Middlesex County. These experiences strengthened his passion for designing safer, more inclusive transportation systems for all users. After graduation, Bobby will join the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as a Leadership Fellow, rotating through various departments within the agency.

05/20/2026

🚲As Bike Month continues, it’s important to remember how to stay safe on the roads. Listen to some of VTC staff’s top safety tips, and comment below with some of your own!

05/19/2026

Our very own James Sinclair presented "Complete Streets: From Temporary to Transformational" at this year's NJ Sustainability Summit!

James spoke about demonstration project programs, partners, and resources that help municipalities and schools plan, install, and evaluate projects using real-world conditions—not just drawings and renderings.

Check out the article recently published by the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center on demonstration projects:

https://njbikeped.org/planning-by-doing/

05/19/2026

👋Welcome to the VTC team, Pam Lebeaux!

We are excited to announce that Pam has joined the VTC team as a Senior Research Advisor on the Placemaking, Outreach, and Engagement Team. Pam brings more than 35 years of experience in transportation planning, policy, and public involvement research and practice.

Prior to joining VTC, Pam worked as a consultant on planning and research efforts for the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Transit Administration, National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), and numerous state and regional transportation agencies.

Pam will be a tremendous asset to our team, and we are excited to work with her!

05/18/2026

🤔💡Do you have any ideas to reshape Midtown Elizabeth? CLICK THE LINK TO TAKE THE SURVEY: go.rutgers.edu/DECArts

What would make the area more enjoyable? How about adding signage and planters, more murals, or even more cultural events in the area? What about improving the streets and pedestrian safety? Do you have any thoughts?

Well, our team has developed a community survey to collect your ideas and plan for improvements.

It will only take a few minutes for you to be part of our project! Take the survey and provide your ideas for Midtown Elizabeth. Survey link: go.rutgers.edu/DECArts

🤔💡¿Tiene alguna idea sobre cómo transformar Midtown Elizabeth? HAGA CLIC EN EL ENLACE PARA CONTESTAR LA ENCUESTA: go.rutgers.edu/DECArts

¿Cómo podríamos convertirlo en un lugar más agradable? ¿Quizás sería bueno agregar señalizaciones y jardineras, más murales o incluso más eventos culturales en el distrito? ¿Qué tal buscar maneras de mejorar las calles y la seguridad peatonal? ¿Tiene alguna aportación?

Bueno, nuestro equipo ha desarrollado una encuesta para recopilar sus aportaciones y planificar cómo lograr estos cambios.

¡Solo le tomará unos minutos para formar parte del proyecto! Conteste nuestra encuesta y aporte sus ideas para transformar Midtown Elizabeth.