As Peshawar modernizes its transit system, its well-known truck art tradition is fading from public view. A new paper by Bloustein PhD student Shahan Ahmed looks at what this shift means for local culture, identity, and the future of the art form.
News
VTC Releases Strategic Plan 2025–2030
The Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center has released its Strategic Plan 2025–2030, a vision for advancing transportation research, education, and public service over the next five years. The plan reflects input from staff, partners, and stakeholders and establishes priorities for delivering innovative, practical transportation solutions.
NJTIP @ Rutgers Graduate Highlighted in News 12 Story
Hunter’s story highlights the power of NJTIP’s travel training program in helping people with disabilities travel independently and confidently.
A Visit to Rowan University’s MAVRC: What We Learned
During a recent visit to Rowan University’s MAVRC Center, VTC and NJDOT staff explored immersive technologies and their potential transportation applications. From virtual reality simulations to AI-driven research tools, the visit showcased innovative approaches to planning, training, and public outreach.
VTC-Led Studio Seeks to Make a Good Bike Path Better: Complete Streets in Linwood, NJ
Can a good bike path be made even better? That question guided a Fall 2025 Bloustein School studio led by VTC staff Sean Meehan and Greg Woltman. Working with the City of Linwood, students developed a plan to improve safety, manage congestion near schools, and enhance the user experience along the community’s bike path
New Policy Lab Blog Examines Rapid Response Programs for Safer Streets
A new New Jersey State Policy Lab blog by Hannah Younes, Leigh Ann von Hagen, Greg Woltman, and Analise Draghi explores how Rapid Response programs can help improve roadway safety following fatal and serious-injury crashes.
A New Guide Shaping the Future of Virtual Public Involvement in Transportation
After more than three years of research, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program has released Report 1178, Improving Virtual Public Involvement in Transportation Agencies, the first comprehensive U.S. guide focused on virtual public engagement in transportation planning and projects.
3 crossing guards killed in 3 years. How a nice job for retirees became frighteningly dangerous.
The death of a New Jersey crossing guard underscores the growing dangers they face from speeding and distracted drivers, highlighting broader concerns about traffic safety, accountability, and the need for systemic changes to protect those safeguarding children.
Do drivers hate bicyclists? US sees an alarming rash of crashes.
USA TODAY featured insights from VTC’s Leigh Ann Von Hagen and Hannah Younes on road rage involving people on bikes. Von Hagen noted these incidents are rarely recorded—making trends unclear—and may reflect streets designed for speed, not safety. Younes highlighted research showing data gaps that limit understanding of these conflicts.
2026 Mortensen-Voorhees Award Recipient Robert “Bobby” Johnson
2026 Mortensen-Voorhees Award recipient Robert “Bobby” Johnson will join the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as a Leadership Fellow following his graduation from the Bloustein School.
Recent Publications
How transport journals weed out qualitative research and why it matters
Transportation researchers rarely publish findings from qualitative methods in peer-reviewed transportation journals; quantitative methods dominate research in the field. In this article, we document the paucity of qualitative research in transportation journals and...
NCHRP Research Report 1178: Improving Virtual Public Involvement in Transportation Agencies
Virtual public involvement (VPI), defined by the Federal Highway Administration as “the use of digital technology to engage individuals or to visualize projects or plans,” is now an essential part of public participation in transportation planning and project...
Carbon Emissions and Remote Work at a Large University System
We report on an analysis of carbon emissions from commuting to a large multi-campus university system, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. This is derived from a campus survey to assess carbon emissions and various attitudes towards sustainability across a...
Their Experiences: Understanding Women and LGBTQ+ Transit Users in New Jersey
Women and sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) have unique transportation experiences and needs, including public transit services. However, there is a gap in the data that documents their experiences and needs. This paper aims to add to existing research by examining...