The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) implemented a Pilot Project along a 2-mile section of Route 1 within South Brunswick Township to investigate the potential operational benefits of a congestion management strategy known as Hard Shoulder Running (HSR). HSR consists of the use of the shoulders as temporary travel lanes during weekday peak hours. The Pilot Project consisted of repaving shoulders where needed to provide adequate support, and the re-striping of Route 1 to narrow the existing lanes to provide an adequate HSR width. Signage was installed alerting the traveling public to the temporary shoulder use condition. Closed-circuit TV cameras were installed for monitoring on a continual basis by NJDOT and South Brunswick officials. For the pilot project analysis, traffic volume data was obtained via NJDOT remote traffic microwave sensors (RTMS). Crash data was obtained from the South Brunswick Police Department (SBPD). Travel times through the corridor were measured using TRANSCOM data. The results of the analysis were incorporated into a Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) to determine if implementation of HSR along this section of Route 1 is a safe and cost-effective solution to continuing traffic congestion issues.
Mr. Jaffe is the Director of Highway Engineering at Advantage Engineering Associates (AEA). He comes from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) with over 30 years of highway experience. He served as the NJDOT Deputy State Transportation Engineer from 2008 through 2016. Beginning in 2012, he was the NJDOT’s Director of Capital Program Support. Mr. Jaffe brings extensive experience in leading Value Engineering studies. Notable projects he was involved with include Route 1&9/St. Pauls Avenue, Route I-295 Rubblization (MP 45-57), Route 206 Hillsborough Bypass, and the Route 3/Route 46/Valley Road/ Interchange. Mr. Jaffe was the NJDOT member on the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Subcommittee on Design. He has a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
Mr. Hogan has over 35 years of Engineering experience ranging from construction, maintenance, design and traffic operations. Prior to joining Advantage Engineering Associates, P.C. (AEA) Mr. Hogan worked for 27 years at the New Jersey Department of Transportation; the last 6 years of which he served as the Executive Director of Statewide Traffic Operations. In the 7+ years working at AEA, he has been a subject matter expert and project manager on numerous assignments including Concept Development Studies, Deck Replacement, Resurfacing, Operations, and Intelligent Transportation Systems projects.
Mr. Drinkwater is the Civil Engineering Department Manager at T&M Associates with over 23 years of experience in the planning, management, design, and implementation of multi-discipline transportation improvement projects for State and County clients throughout New Jersey, including roadway and bridge reconstruction, traffic signal installations, and drainage & stormwater improvements. Mr. Drinkwater served as Project Manager for both the Tier 2 Screening and the Pilot Project for the Route 1 Hard Shoulder Running project. He also serves on the ACEC of New Jersey Committee for the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. Mr. Drinkwater has a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University and a Master’s of Science Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Rutgers University.
Mr. Mirza serves as the Director of NJDOT’s Division of Mobility & Systems Engineering. Overseeing a construction budget for technology projects and initiatives which exceed $35 million dollars and a staff of 45, Wasif and his team are directly responsible to provide for the planning, design, construction, review, inspection, and maintenance of technology-related projects and intelligent initiatives at NJDOT. During his time as Director, Wasif has been instrumental in some of NJDOT’s high profile projects, programs, and events such as the Pulaski Skyway Rehabilitation Project, the Route 1 Hard Shoulder Running Pilot Project, which will shortly be implemented permanently, the creation of a Transportation Systems Management (TSM) Procedures Manual currently used by the Consulting and Contracting Industry, and the development of a TSM pipeline process for Concept Development and Final Design for technology projects. In addition, Wasif participated in Task Forces for significant events such as the 2014 Super Bowl, the 2015 Papal Visit, and the 2016 Democratic National Convention to ensure that New Jersey’s transportation system was operating efficiently for the magnitude of motorists traveling to and from these events. Prior to joining NJDOT, Wasif worked in the municipality of Abu Dhabi and also as a Senior Supervising Engineer for Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) America. Mr. Mirza has received numerous awards over the years, including the ITS Professional Award for advancing ITS initiatives in the State of New Jersey. Wasif holds a Master of Science Degree in Transportation Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the NED University of Engineering and Technology.
Lieutenant Frank Lombardo is a 24-year veteran of the South Brunswick Township Police Department. He began his career in public service at age 16, volunteering with the local First Aid Squad. He then spent several years working as an Emergency Medical Technician for University Hospital-EMS in Newark, NJ. His police career has been dedicated to training officers, supervisors, and managers in a wide variety of mission critical subjects. Frank founded the agency’s Emergency Response Team, where he served as Team Leader for 13 years. He has received numerous law enforcement awards over the years including several medals of valor and a medal of honor for his service. He has served as a Patrol Platoon Commander, Community Services Commander, and is currently an Operations Commander, responsible for the Traffic Safety Division and the police function for the Hard Shoulder running project. His dedicated team of officers conducted research, planning, and training for the project in partnership with the NJDOT and other government and private stakeholders. Having grown up in the construction industry and a craftsman himself, Frank has a deep appreciation for the hard work required to achieve Hard Shoulder Running success. He applies that same work ethic in his personal life, and became an Ironman triathlete in 2014. Lieutenant Lombardo currently sits on the police advisory board for police suicide prevention research at Monmouth University. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree from Rutgers University and Master of Administrative Science Degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Lieutenant Lombardo is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at George Washington University in the Executive Leadership Program, studying Human and Organizational Development. His dissertation focus is trust in interdisciplinary teams.
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