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.