The 2026 Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting took place from January 11 to 15 in Washington, D.C., at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and the Marriott Marquis. The Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC) participated by presenting research on pedestrian safety, travel behavior, and public transportation access.
One session focused on improving transit access for people with disabilities. Lauren Murphy and Amanda Botticello from the Kessler Foundation, along with Andrea Lubin from Rutgers University, presented findings from New Jersey’s individualized travel instruction program. “A follow-up analysis of 56 participants found that 60 percent reported using public transit one year after completing the program, supporting employment, social, and daily living activities. Results indicate that individualized travel instruction, combined with supportive community conditions, can lead to sustained, independent transit use among people with disabilities,” they stated.
Another poster introduced a new metric for understanding pedestrian safety. Shiyu Ma and Wenwen Zhang of Rutgers University developed Size-Weighted Fixation Duration (SWFD), an eye-tracking measure designed to better capture how pedestrians focus on safety-critical elements at urban crossings. Their study involved 30 participants navigating 15 intersections and showed that SWFD offers more accurate data than traditional metrics by focusing attention on vehicles and other pedestrians rather than background features. The research supports evidence-based approaches to analyzing pedestrian safety and urban design.
A third presentation addressed the topic of induced travel—the concept that expanding highway capacity results in increased vehicle use. Robert B. Noland of Rutgers University examined empirical evidence and recent literature on this issue. “The paper explored how differing views on urban growth and mobility shape interpretations of induced travel and questioned whether elasticity estimates alone are sufficient for evaluating impacts,” he explained. The framework provided aims to guide planners and policymakers as they consider roadway expansion and congestion management strategies.
Through these presentations, VTC researchers contributed policy-relevant studies intended to improve street safety, enhance public transportation access, and inform transportation planning decisions affecting communities in New Jersey and beyond.
