Rowan CREATES Selected for USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center

On Jul 25, 2018

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) selected the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering’s Center for Research and Education in Advanced Transportation Engineering systems (CREATES) as a partner institution for the USDOT’s Region 2 University Transportation Center (UTC), led by the Rutgers School of Engineering’s Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT).

Congress established the UTC program in 1987 to ensure partnerships between the government and universities that advance transportation research and technology and to prepare the next generation of transportation engineering professionals. The program addresses the perpetual need to maintain the safe, efficient and environmentally sound movement of people and goods throughout the United States.

USDOT’s Region 2 comprises New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These states and territories are a critical economic force, accounting for nearly 10 percent of the nation’s population and jobs. The region’s major ports and distribution centers, diverse climates and diverse environments—from dense urban centers to wide-open rural areas—present a wide array of infrastructure challenges.

“The CREATES team looks forward to bringing our unique strengths and expertise to this prestigious consortium, and we look forward to working with the other partner institutions as we seek to strengthen our regional infrastructure,” said Dr. Yusuf Mehta, director of CREATES and professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey.

CREATES possess a state-of-the-art Heavy Vehicle Simulator to conduct accelerated field testing of building materials, as well as the certified Rowan University Construction Materials Lab. CREATES is the only such research facility of its kind in the Northeastern United States.

The facility’s team will focus on two projects in year one. The first will seek to improve pavement durability and pavement-maintenance schedules, thus maximizing public investments, minimizing closures and work zones, and easing traffic congestion. The second will establish a framework for resilience assessment of bridges, major roads, railway and bus routes, and their impact on communities during various hazard scenarios.

“CREATES’ goal is to conduct cutting-edge, applied and readily implementable research in transportation engineering that has the potential to improve our state and nation’s critical infrastructure,” said Dr. Anthony Lowman, dean of the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering. “We are proud to join with our partners in the Region 2 UTC as we seek to meet the transportation engineering demands for the region.”

Members of the Region 2 UTC consortium reflect the diversity of the region. In addition to Rowan’s CREATES and Rutgers CAIT, members are Atlantic Cape Community College, Columbia University, Cornell University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico, Princeton University, SUNY–Farmingdale State College and SUNY–University at Buffalo.

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