2023 NJ Complete Streets Summit Agenda
8:30am
Breakfast & Registration
Multi-Purpose Room
9:00am
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Multi-Purpose Room
- Eric Powers, AICP, PP – Assistant Commissioner of Statewide Planning, Safety and Capital Investment – New Jersey Department of Transportation
- Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti – Commissioner – New Jersey Department of Transportation
9:30am
Session 1: Breakout Panels
This session showcases success stories from local leaders and advocates who have embraced Complete and Green Streets approaches that are leading to transformative changes. Speakers will explore how new or updated Complete and Green Streets policies and ordinances have changed internal practices, fostered community engagement, and created spaces that prioritize people who walk, bicycle, and take public transit. Join us to learn about the challenges they faced, the strategies they employed, and the lessons learned along the way.
- Walid Jawawdeh, PE (moderator) – Project Engineer Planning – New Jersey Department of Transportation
- Peter Bilton, AICP, PP – Manager, Sustainable Transportation Planning – North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
Complete Streets Technical Assistance – Grant Successes
- Anthony Talerico, Jr. – Mayor – Borough of Eatontown
Eatontown Complete and Green Streets
- Pat Farley, AICP, PP – Program Director – Cross County Connection
Complete Streets Demonstration Projects
- Michael Kolber, AICP, PP – Senior Planner, Division of Planning – City of Trenton
City of Trenton – Safe Streets for All – Complete Streets and Bike Plan
Room 411
The U.S. Department of Transportation has put forward a vision for zero roadway deaths and is committed to addressing every aspect of crash risk through a Safe System Approach. This session explores how Zero Deaths Initiatives (Vision Zero, Toward Zero Deaths, and Road to Zero) and the Safe System Approach can inform safety plans and street designs in communities throughout New Jersey. Join us to learn about how to leverage the principles of safe system design to advance equity-focused Complete Streets and Zero Deaths Initiatives in your community.
- Jeevanjot Singh, PMP (moderator) – Chief, Office of Safety Program Management – New Jersey Department of Transportation
NJDOT Safety Resource Center
- Stephen Ratke, PE, RSP2I – Senior Safety and Geometric Design Engineer – Federal Highway Administration
How the Safe System Approach and Complete Streets Complement Each Other - Lyndsey Scofield, AICP, PMP – Senior Transportation Planner, Department of Infrastructure – City of Jersey City
Designing for Complete Streets and Vision Zero in Jersey City
- Michael Dannemiller, PE – Supervising Engineer – Middlesex County Office of Planning
Middlesex County, NJ Vision Zero Action Plan
Multi-Purpose Room
Transit-Friendly Planning is a key component of sustainable development, aiming to create vibrant communities that prioritize efficient transportation systems and reduce reliance on private vehicles. This session will include a discussion of NJ Transit’s Transit Friendly Planning (TFP) Program, which has worked with communities since the 1990s to encourage growth and development where public transportation already exists, as well as recent efforts to improve bicycle, scooter, and pedestrian access to transit. Speakers will also delve into the ways transit-oriented development can stimulate economic growth, create job opportunities, and improve social equity by providing affordable housing options and enhancing access to essential services.
- Stephanie DiPetrillo (moderator) – Senior Researcher, NJTOD – Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center
- Megan Massey, AICP, PP – Assistant Director, Transit Friendly Planning – NJ TRANSIT
Transit Friendly Planning: Complete Streets
- Courtenay Mercer, AICP, PP – Executive Director – Downtown NJ
Transit Friendly Planning
- Jacqueline Amado-Belton – Redevelopment Coordinator – City of Pleasantville
Room 108
10:30am
Coffee Break
10:40am
Session 2: Breakout Panels
As the demand for safe and accessible streets grows, so does the need for understanding various funding sources that support the implementation of Complete Streets projects. This session explores traditional and newer funding sources available at the state and federal levels. Speakers will highlight resources and provide tips on how to create winning applications. Join us to gain insights into strategies, lessons learned, and recommendations for navigating the funding landscape in New Jersey.
- Nazhat Aboobaker, PhD, PE, PMP (moderator) – Section Chief, Complete Streets Implementation – New Jersey Department of Transportation
- Dave Bruccoleri – Deputy Director of the Division Office, Local Aid and Economic Development – New Jersey Department of Transportation
NJDOT Local Aid Resource Center - Aimee Jefferson, AICP – Project Manager, Capital Programming & Project Development – North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
Exploring Resources for Advancing Complete Streets Initiatives in New Jersey
- Greg Woltman – Research Project Coordinator – Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center
Funding Your Complete Streets Project
Room 411
This year, Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation S-147 requiring an update to the NJDOT’s Complete Streets policy that includes addressing the needs of cognitively divergent individuals, such as those living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). How are New Jersey transportation professionals addressing these conditions in policies, procedures, and designs? Learn about the challenges people with ASD and IDDs face in the transportation environment and a first of its kind primer on Complete Streets for ALL abilities.
- Sam Rosenthal, AICP (moderator) – Research Project Coordinator – Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center
Navigating Complete Streets With Neurodivergence - Bettina Zimny, AICP, PP – Director of Planning – NV5, Inc.
Complete Streets, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities - Jennifer Toole, AICP, ASLA – President – Toole Design
Complete Streets, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
- Jeffrey Dennis – Senior Research Specialist – Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center
NJTIP @ Rutgers - Marcus Wilson – Travel Training Graduate – NJ Travel Independence Program
NJTIP @ Rutgers, Marcus Wilson Walk to Lowe’s
Multi-Purpose Room
As New Jersey’s transportation environment continues to evolve, the integration of micromobility devices, such as e-scooters and e-bikes, has become a significant aspect of transportation planning. Micromobility is an innovative transport solution aimed at providing first- and last-mile connectivity while lowering carbon emissions and creating a more equitable transportation network. How should municipalities plan for active transportation in their community? How can transit providers accommodate micromobility users and their devices at stations and on board? How can municipalities, agencies, and non-profits support increased access to micromobility options, especially for low-income residents?
- Paul Lenarczyk, PE (moderator) – Project Engineer – New Jersey Department of Transportation
- Hannah Younes, PhD – Post-Doctoral Researcher – Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center
Pilot Demonstration to Enhance Road User Safety in Asbury Park, NJ - James Bonanno, AICP, PP – Transportation Director – City of Asbury Park
City of Asbury Park – Experiences in Micromobility - Simone Gore, AICP – Manager, Project Development – NJ TRANSIT
Accessing NJ TRANSIT – Improving First- and Last-Mile Connections
- Jacob Thompson, AICP – Research Project Coordinator – Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center
E-Bike Incentive in Bridgeton, NJ
Room 108
11:40am
Break
11:50am
Lunch & Keynote
Multi-Purpose Room
In this keynote, Dr. Kelcie Ralph will explore how we think about transportation, how we talk about it when we interact with the public, and how it profoundly informs the strategies we pursue and the level of public support given to them. She will contend with our understanding of Complete Streets, how best to communicate its benefits to the public, and how to gain community support for its implementation.
- Kelcie Ralph, PhD – Associate Professor of Transportation Planning and Policy – Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Uncovering Our Deep Stories About Transportation
12:50pm
Awards Ceremony
Multi-Purpose Room
Complete Streets Champion and Complete Streets Excellence Awards recognize individuals, groups, or communities who have worked to further Complete Streets policies or implementation in New Jersey. This year’s awards are presented in memory of Jay DiDomenico.
See the full list of awardees here.
See the list of NJDOT awardees here.
- Elise Bremer-Nei, AICP, PP (moderator) – Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator – New Jersey Department of Transportation
- Daniel LiSanti, PE – Manager, Bureau of Safety, Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs – New Jersey Department of Transportation
- Sean Meehan – Research Project Manager – Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center
- James Sinclair – Senior Research Specialist – Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center
1:50pm
Session 3: Workshop
Multi-Purpose Room
The Building Better Neighborhoods Complete Streets Workshop will focus on the integration of Complete Streets design, policy adoption, and its connection to county-level safety action plans. Participants will engage in hands-on exercises, networking opportunities, and collaborative discussions that foster a shared commitment to making streets safer and more accessible for everyone.
- Leigh Ann Von Hagen, AICP, PP (moderator) – Managing Director and Adjunct Professor – Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center
- Jeff Perlman, AICP, PP – Senior Director, Planning – North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
Integrating Complete Streets into Local Road Safety Plans
- Cassidy Boulan, AICP – Associate Manager, Office of Transit, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Planning – Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A): DVRPC’s Regional Vision Zero 2050 Action Program
- Alan Huff – Program Manager, Safety Initiatives & Public Outreach – South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization
SJTPO Region Local Road Safety Plans - Laura Torchio, AICP – Technical Advisor and Director of Placemaking – NV5, Inc.
New Jersey Complete Streets Training - Peter Kremer, AICP, PP – Senior Associate – Michael Baker International
3:50pm
Closing Remarks & Adjournment
Multi-Purpose Room
4:00pm
End
Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti
Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti was confirmed as the 19th Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation on June 7, 2018. She was nominated on December 19, 2017 and began serving as Acting Commissioner on January 16, 2018.
A native New Jerseyan, Ms. Gutierrez-Scaccetti is a transportation professional with more than 33 years in the industry, and 41 years in government service. She possesses extensive executive, operational, and planning knowledge.
Prior to her nomination, Commissioner served as the Executive Director and CEO at Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, a part of the Florida Department of Transportation. Under her leadership, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise managed more than 460 centerline miles and a 5-year capital program in excess of $6 billion, supported by $1 billion in revenues.
This capital program included the construction of SunTrax, a 2.25 mile test track and research facility for the development of transportation technology, including automated and connected vehicle applications. She was instrumental in implementing Regional Toll Interoperability of SunPass in the Southeastern United States. SunPass, Florida’s statewide electronic toll collection system, was under her charge. As Executive Director and CEO, Gutierrez-Scaccetti was a member of the Executive Committee of the Florida Department of Transportation, a policy setting body that reports to the Secretary of Transportation.
Prior to the Commissioner’s Florida experience, she spent 21 years at the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, working her way up from a Contract Administrator to the post of Executive Director, a position she held from 2008 to 2010. During her tenure, she managed the day-to-day administrative operations and was chief negotiator for the agency’s several collective bargaining units.
Ms. Gutierrez-Scaccetti participated in several major agency initiatives, including the remediation of the E-ZPass System, the financial and operational consolidation of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and New Jersey Highway Authority, bringing the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway under a single organization. A major undertaking was the development and financing of a 10-year, $7 billion capital program that kicked off the widening of the New Jersey Turnpike from Interchange 6 to Interchange 9. This transformational project provided significant congestion relief to a major portion of the I-95 Corridor.
As NJDOT Commissioner, she oversaw the largest capital program in the Department’s history with $1.23 billion in construction contracts and $359 million in consultant design/inspection agreements awarded in Fiscal Year 2021. In addition, NJDOT has supported communities during the pandemic with staff logging more than 1,000 hours driving mobile vaccination trucks and continuing her tradition of encouraging community involvement by holding charitable drives.
As NJDOT Commissioner, she serves as Chair of NJ TRANSIT, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, the South Jersey Transportation Authority, the NJ Transportation Trust Fund Authority, and Vice Chair of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
The Commissioner’s accomplishments and leadership have been recognized by the Executive Women of New Jersey, WTS Central Florida Woman of the Year, and Orlando Business Journal’s 2015 CEO of the Year for the Public Sector. She received the 2019 Service to the People Award presented by the American Society of Civil Engineers Central New Jersey Branch and the 2020 Women of Achievement Award presented by the New Jersey Chapter of Professional Women in Construction. She is the recipient of the 2021 American Council of Engineering Companies of New Jersey Distinguished Service Award and was recognized with the Richard M. Hale Chairman’s Award at the 2021 47th Annual New Jersey Alliance for Action Eagle Awards ceremony. She was also the Women in Transportation New Jersey (WTSNJ) “Woman of the Year” honoree in 2021.
Ms. Gutierrez-Scaccetti is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials (NASTO) and is currently serving as the Chair of the AASHTO Committee on Transportation Communications (TransComm). She served as the 2022 President of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) and is currently serving as the Immediate Past President on the IBTTA Executive Committee and Chair of the IBTTA Nominating Committee. She is currently serving as chair of the Executive Committee of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), and Chair of The Eastern Transportation Coalition (formerly I-95 Corridor Coalition).
Commissioner Gutierrez-Scaccetti holds degrees from the University of Connecticut (BS) and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (MS).
Anthony Talerico, Jr.
Mayor Anthony Talerico, Jr. is a lifelong resident of the Borough of Eatontown. He is in his second term four-year term as mayor, elected after serving nine years on the Borough Council. Mayor Talerico is a strong advocate for Sustainable Jersey, championing his town’s Silver Certification. Eatontown has also adopted several noteworthy ordinances. They were the first town in NJ to adopt the NJDOT Complete and Green Streets for All Policy, by Ordinance. Eatontown also bans invasive species in all Zoning and Planning Board applications and has an ordinance requiring diversity in commercial tree plantings to eliminate monoculture. Mayor Talerico is proud of Eatontown’s ability to strike a palatable balance between development and sustainability which oftentimes brings different stakeholders together to be unlikely co-advocates. Mayor Talerico is a recovering Certified Public Accountant who now practices as a Registered Nurse in a local hospital. Peter Bilton, PP, AICP
Peter Bilton serves as Manager, Sustainable Transportation Planning at the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. He administers a variety of NJTPA-sponsored planning activities that promote cooperative regional transportation planning, livable communities, multi-modalism and Complete Streets, and the integration of transportation and land use decision making. Mr. Bilton holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Portland State University and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. Prior to joining the NJTPA, he held planning and research positions at nonprofits, a university, and private consultants.Pat Farley, PP, AICP
Patrick Farley is the Program Director at Cross County Connection TMA. He has been with the organization for 11 years. In his role, he oversees the organization’s work with local governments, businesses, social service organizations, and residents to plan and create a more equitable and sustainable regional transportation network that encourages walking, biking, and public transit. Patrick grew up in South Jersey and is deeply invested in Cross County Connection’s work in the region. He received a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Penn State University and a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University.
Michael Dannemiller, PE
Michael Dannemiller is Supervising Engineer at the Middlesex County Office of Planning. He has been planning and designing transportation safety projects for over 30 years. Mike is working to implement Middlesex County’s Vision Zero Action Plan. He is advancing the County’s Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan, and has prepared concepts for enhancing bicycle and pedestrian accommodation in projects from New England to Florida to Oregon. Mike has developed and presented training sessions on complete streets, traffic calming, bicycle and pedestrian planning and design, safe routes to school projects and senior mobility. He is trained by the Federal Highway Administration to facilitate complete streets and safe routes to school workshops; and serves on The Nikhil Badlani Foundation Board focusing on Traffic Safety Awareness, and as an Advisor to the New Jersey East Coast Greenway Committee and the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance.Stephanie DiPetrillo
Stephanie DiPetrillo is a Senior Researcher at the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University. Her work examines the intersection of transportation and land use. She uses mixed-method approaches to explore ways to promote the use of public and community transportation through improvements in the built environment and through transit-oriented development (TOD). Increasingly her work looks at how to improve access to transit for all users, including seniors and people with disabilities. In partnership with the Transit Friendly Planning (TFP) program at NJ TRANSIT, she leads NJTOD, an online resource that keeps planners, developers, officials, and the public up-to-date on how to create vibrant neighborhoods around transit facilities.Megan Massey, PP, AICP
Megan Massey is the Assistant Director of Transit Friendly Planning at NJ TRANSIT. The Transit Friendly Program was established in 1999 and has been committed to providing planning assistance to communities interested in planning for transit supportive land use and transit-oriented development at and surrounding NJ TRANSIT passenger facilities. Prior to joining NJ TRANSIT in 2018, Megan worked for Hudson County as a Transportation Planner. In her work at the County, she managed corridor studies, the update to the Open Space Trust Fund, as well as several NJTPA funded planning efforts. Megan was recently appointed to the Planning Board in Red Bank and serves as a board member on the Environmental Commission. Megan has a Masters of City and Regional Planning from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University.
Find out more about the Transit Friendly Planning Program and updated Guide at njtransit.com/transitfriendly.
Courtenay Mercer, PP, AICP
Courtenay D. Mercer, PP, AICP is the Principal of Mercer Planning Associates, a boutique land use planning firm specializing in comprehensive planning and strategic community engagement. With substantial public and non-profit sector experience, Mercer has overseen diverse and complex projects within all types of communities. In her current role, and as the former Director of Planning at the NJ Office of Smart Growth and NJ Director of the Regional Plan Association, Mercer has been at the forefront of policy and planning initiatives of state and regional significance. Mercer also serves as Executive Director of Downtown New Jersey – a non-profit education and advocacy organization centered around downtown revitalization. In addition to public and private sector planning work, Mercer is involved with many civic and volunteer efforts, including public community boards and non-profit organizations. Mercer is a former Trustee on the Board of the American Planning Association and former President of the NJ Chapter. Mercer is a sought-after speaker and thought leader in redevelopment, downtown revitalization, bike/ped safety, state and regional planning policy, and equitable community engagement approaches.
Lyndsey Scofield, AICP, PMP
Lyndsey Scofield is a Senior Transportation Planner with Jersey City’s Department of Infrastructure, where she chairs a multidisciplinary Vision Zero Task Force that is involved in planning and implementing a Safe System Approach to achieve Jersey City’s goal of zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2026. From the first time she rolled out astroturf in a parking space for Park(ing) Day in 2013, Lyndsey recognized the power of tactical urbanism to transform streets into places that are safe and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. Lyndsey now gets to apply her passion for creating safe streets using pilot-to-permanent strategies with the team at Jersey City, where she has lived for over 10 years. Lyndsey has a Master of Urban Planning from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service and a B.S. in Environmental Science & Policy from the University of South Florida.
Jacqueline Amado-Belton
Mrs. Jacqueline Amado-Belton is the City of Pleasantville’s Redevelopment Coordinator. A 23-year career in Economic Development with the City of Pleasantville has given Jacqueline the opportunity to serve in various positions throughout her tenure. Jacqueline Amado-Belton’s professional work history includes committee member of the Pleasantville Planning Board from 2011 to current, where she also served as Vice Chairperson in 2015; Urban Enterprise Zone Program Coordinator from 2010 to current; a former member of the South Jersey Transportation Citizen Advisory Committee for NJDOT from 2014-2017, Coordinator of the Pleasantville Green Team, an active member of both the Atlantic County Economic Development Advisory Committee and Pleasantville Mayor’s Economic Development, Tourism, and Special Events Advisory Committee, serving both since 2017 and Coordinator of the Neighborhood Preservation Program since 2019.
Furthermore, Jacqueline Amado-Belton was instrumental in establishing a $7 million dollar Business Loan Program for the City of Pleasantville through the Urban Enterprise Zone. Moreover, Jacqueline is a contributing factor to the coordination of the City’s major past and current redevelopment projects such as an electrical retail construction project relocating to Pleasantville which created 30 full-time jobs, a $54 million dollar mix-use redevelopment project of an entire city block, called the City Center Redevelopment Project that created 100 jobs and has 18,000 sq. ft. of retail space and 200 apartment units in the downtown business district, and the City’s most current Lakes Bay Waterfront Project.
Mrs. Amado-Belton continues to contribute to the success of multi-business retention and recruitment within the City of Pleasantville.
Michael Kolber, PP, AICP
Michael Kolber, AICP, PP is Senior Planner for Trenton, NJ, where he focuses on land use, sustainability, resilience, and community development. He has served overseas as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Burkina Faso and as a Monitoring Specialist for the International Rescue Committee in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and domestically for the NJ Departments of Environmental Protection and Community Affairs, the United Way of Greater Union County, and the Manhattan Borough President’s Office. Michael has an M.S. in Urban Planning from Columbia University and a B.A. in Economics from Drew University. He serves as Immediate Past Chair of the American Planning Association International Division.
Stephen Ratke, PE, RSP2I
Steve is a member of the Federal Highway Administration’s Resource Center – Safety and Design technical service team as a Senior Safety and Geometric Design Engineer. His primary duties with the resource center include safety analysis in project development and advancement of the safe system approach. His 19 years with the FHWA includes time in various offices with work in highway design, general project delivery, operations and ITS, and primarily in highway safety. He has been supporting zero fatalities/vision zero programs since 2009 and been involved in activities to adopt the safe system approach in the United States for the last five years. Steve is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and received a BSCE from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, a MSCE from the University of Texas at Austin, is a Professional Engineer in Nevada, and is a Road Safety Professional level 2 infrastructure certificate holder.
Walid Jawawdeh, PE
Walid is the Project Manager for the NJDOT Complete Streets Policy Update. He is currently works on Complete Streets implementation on NJDOT projects. Walid has worked for several different NJDOT units over the past dozen years, with different capacities, ranging from NJDOT Tort Litigation Liaison to developing and updating the process for the Program Management Office, Bridge Reevaluation, Geometric Solutions, and Value Engineering. Walid worked for the Department of Community Affairs for several years as a Claim Analyst for Major Structural defects. Prior to becoming a public servant, he worked in the private sector as a Structural Engineer/Project Manager for the design and construction of high-rise buildings, parking structures, and ash handling systems. Walid employs his skills and experience to make NJ roads safer for all users.
Jeevanjot Singh, PMP
Jeevan serves as the Section Chief, leading Safety Programs Management and Highway Safety Improvement Program at NJDOT. She has over 28 years of experience, 15 of which have been at NJDOT where she has been a Traffic Engineer, ITS Engineer, Project Manager and Safety lead. She holds a bachelor’s in civil engineering and three Masters in Highway Engineering, Environmental Engineering and Transportation Engineering. She also has a Masters certificate in Project Management and a PMP. Jeevan is an active participant in ITS NJ and ITE Met Section. She has represented NJDOT on NCHRP panels and published many research papers.
She oversees the Safety Resource Center which includes NJ 2020 SHSP Implementation, Lunch & Learn trainings, HSIP Reports and analytics.
Greg Woltman
Greg Woltman is a Research Project Coordinator at the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center. His work with the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center includes research focused on micromobility, pedestrian access for older adults, and federal zero deaths initiatives and grant programs. He is interested in multi-modal transportation planning, mixed-use development, and bolstering the car-free lifestyle in New Jersey. Before joining VTC, Greg worked as a freelance computational linguist at Lionbridge Technologies. He received his Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP) and Certificate in Transportation from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University and a Bachelor’s degree in French and Linguistics from New York University.
Sam Rosenthal, AICP
Sam Rosenthal, AICP, is a Research Project Coordinator at the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University. As a staff member at the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center, Sam has contributed to planning for safe and accessible active transportation. His work involves transportation research, report writing, and graphic and web design. Prior to joining VTC, Sam served as an AmeriCorps VISTA in Hoboken, NJ, coordinating community engagement and job training programs related to green infrastructure. Sam received a Master of City and Regional Planning from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University and a B.A. in Urban Studies from Vassar College.
Jennifer Toole, AICP, ASLA
Jennifer Toole is the founder and President of Toole Design, a consulting firm with 19 offices throughout North America and a staff of over 250 planners, engineers, landscape architects and data scientists. Toole Design is known for their ground-breaking work to create livable communities where people of all ages, abilities, backgrounds and incomes are able to move comfortably from one place to another, regardless of their mode of transportation. Jennifer is a certified planner with a degree in Landscape Architecture.
Bettina Zimny, PP, AICP
Bettina Zimny, AICP/PP, Vice President and Director of Planning for NV5, Inc., has over 35 years of experience in multi-modal transportation planning and facilities design. Based in NV5’s Parsippany, NJ headquarters, she oversees corporate planning efforts throughout east coast NV5 offices. She has prepared transportation master plans, greenway and trail plans, transit access studies, road safety audits, traffic calming analyses, pedestrian/bicycle studies, and corridor-wide “complete streets” plans. She served as primary author of NJ’s first statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, and has focused on development of transportation solutions for communities & state transportation agencies that connect people, places, history, and culture. She has been recognized nationally as a speaker and author, by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and the American Planning Association (APA), and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP).
Dave Bruccoleri
David Bruccoleri is the Deputy Director of the Division Office, Local Aid and Economic Development. David has been with NJDOT for 37 years, the past 18 with Local Aid. He currently leads and administers the Local Aid’s State Aid Grant Programs annually providing over $500 Million in aid to local Municipalities and Counties. This funding is administered over seven programs comprised primarily of roadway and bridge construction projects. In any given year approximately 600 new projects are created and funded. David also oversees staff in the administration of Local Aid’s Federal Programs. His previous experience with DOT includes Bureau of Project Scope Development, Roadway Design, Utilities, Survey and Materials. David attended Trenton State College.
Jacob Thompson, AICP
Jacob Thompson, AICP is a Research Project Coordinator for the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC) at Rutgers University. His professional interests include bicycle and pedestrian safety, equitable communities, and initiatives such as Vision Zero, Complete Streets, and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. Prior to joining VTC, Jacob was a Transportation Planning Associate at Greater Mercer TMA, where he focused on a variety of bicycle and pedestrian safety projects. Jacob received his B.A. in Romance Languages and Social Sciences from the University of Oregon and his MCRP from the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. He also holds an M.A. in Urban Affairs and Public Policy from the Biden School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Delaware.
Hannah Younes, PhD
Dr. Hannah Younes is a Post Doctoral Research Associate in the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University. Her research interests revolve around sustainable transportation and promoting equity. In her role at Rutgers University, Dr. Younes is focusing on accident detection from micromobility, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on everyday behavior, and on reducing vulnerability to crashes in New Jersey. Prior to her work as a post-doc, she was a research assistant for the Maryland Transportation Institute (MTI) in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UMD, focusing on transport geography issues. Some of her projects involved analyzing the role of the built environment in bike share ridership, the role of transit disruptions on a bike sharing system, and how vulnerable populations respond to evacuation orders during a hurricane. Her dissertation explored the potential of micromobility.
Paul Lenarczyk, PE
Paul Lenarczyk, PE is a Project Engineer in the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Safety, Pedestrian and Bicycle Programs, which oversees project review, HSIP program implementation, Complete Streets projects, crash analysis, and occasional “Lunch and Learn” presentations. Paul’s previous NJDOT work involved roadway resurfacing, pavement preservation design, advertisement, bid and award, and construction oversight as a Resident Engineer and Field Manager. Paul’s private sector experience encompasses geotechnical work, environmental studies, and site civil work. He has worked on the Portal Bridge Capacity Enhancement Project, the Garden State Parkway Widening, Hudson River Hazardous Material Dredging Remediation in Yonkers, NY, Robert F. Wagner Jr., Middle School construction in Queens, and William G. Wilcox School geotechnical work in Staten Island, NY. Paul holds a Master’s degree from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and is a New Jersey Licensed Professional Engineer.
William Riviere
William Riviere is a Principal Planner and the Safe Routes to School Coordinator with the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Safety, Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs. As the lead administrator of NJDOT’s Local Technical Assistance Program for bicycle and pedestrian projects, Bill provides guidance and expertise in creating streets as corridors for all modes of transportation for all ages and abilities. As the statewide Safe Routes to School Coordinator, Bill oversees the technical assistance program working closely with the Safe Routes Resource Center at Rutgers and all eight New Jersey Transportation Management Associations.
Jeffrey Dennis
Jeffrey Dennis is a Senior Research Specialist and Travel Instructor with NJTIP @ Rutgers. He has been with the program since July 2015 and his primary responsibilities include teaching individuals with disabilities, senior citizens, and others how to utilize public transit safely and independently. Mr. Dennis creates individualized travel curriculums for his customers to meet their independent travel goals and is the lead content creator in creating and editing customer video testimonials to help further the NJTIP mission. Mr. Dennis is also the Principal Investigator for the One-on-One Training Program at NJTIP @ Rutgers which offers travel instruction to individuals who have gone through the NJ Transit Access Link Application Process and have been recommended for Travel Instruction.
In response to COVID-19-related travel restrictions, Mr. Dennis was the lead designer for virtual travel training and virtual field trips. These virtual tools provided the necessary continuity for NJTIP’s customers and small-group travel instruction. As a testament to the success of NJTIP’s virtual training, Mr. Dennis presented at a national conference for the Association of Travel Instruction on his virtual curriculum design and virtual field trips.
Mr. Dennis was named to the Board of Directors for the Association of Travel Instructors in August 2023. He has presented at several state and local meetings and conferences on travel instruction and mobility options throughout the state.
Mr. Dennis received a B.A. from Rutgers University in 2008 in Psychology with a focus on Child & Adolescent Development. He worked for the Douglass Developmental Disability Center from 2008-2015 serving the needs of young adult students with autism spectrum disorders.
James Bonanno, PP, AICP
James Bonanno received a Bachelors in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of West Chester Pennsylvania in 2010 and a Masters in City and Regional Planning with a Certificate in Transportation from Rutgers, The State University in 2015. He began his employment with the City of Asbury Park in February 2021 and is now in the role of Director of Transportation for the City. Prior to his employment with the City of Asbury Park he held positions within the Voorhees Transportation Center, EZ Ride Transportation Management Association, and the Monmouth County Division of Planning.
Aimee Jefferson, AICP
Originally from Minnesota, Aimee came east 12 years ago and graduated from the Rutgers Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy in 2013 with her Masters in City and Regional Planning. She worked for two years at the Rutgers’ Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) where she coordinated the center’s road safety audits (RSA) and conducted crash data analysis to inform roadway redesign recommendations. In August 2015, Aimee began working at the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) in Environmental and Sustainability Planning as a principal planner where she managed the Subregional Transportation Program, the Subregional Support Program, and walkability workshops. In June 2016, Aimee transitioned to the NJTPA Local Programs team where she manages the RSA program and Online Interagency Project Management System for local project tracking. In 2022, Aimee took on the role of coordinator for the Safe Routes to School and Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside programs.
Outside of work, Aimee is an active member in the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) and enjoys hiking, playing capoeira and spending time with her husband and two daughters.
Simone Gore, AICP
Simone J. Gore, AICP, is a proud alumna of the Bloustein School’s Planning Program (MCRP ’14). Currently, Simone is a Manager of Project Development at NJ TRANSIT where she works on bicycle and pedestrian access to transit projects. She has previously worked as a transportation demand forecaster for NJ TRANSIT and in the Transit Friendly Land Use unit. Before becoming a planner, Simone worked in social work research. She graduated magna cum laude from Barnard (2009) with a degree in Urban Studies and summa cum laude from the Albert A. List College with a degree in Jewish Gender Studies (2009). She enjoys cooking, baking, hiking, reading, traveling, and fiber arts.
Marcus Wilson
Marcus Wilson is a graduate of the NJ Travel Independence Program at Rutgers (NJTIP @ Rutgers). He started with virtual training during the COVID-19 Pandemic and continued with In-Person Travel Training once COVID restrictions were lifted. Marcus graduated from NJTIP in 2021. He currently resides in East Brunswick and enjoys walking to his job at Lowe’s Hardware on sunny days. Marcus is an avid public transit rider and uses it to travel to many destinations throughout Middlesex County, including his job.Kelcie Ralph, PhD
Dr. Kelcie Ralph is an Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Policy Development Program and Research Associate at the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning Public Policy at Rutgers. Dr. Ralph joined the Bloustein School from UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs, where she studied the travel behavior of special populations. She earned her Ph.D. from UCLA, where her dissertation project evaluated the causes and consequences of the decline in driving among young adults. Before attending UCLA, Dr. Ralph studied as a Marshall Scholar in England where she earned a Masters of Environmental Policy from Cambridge University and a Masters of City Design and Social Science from the London School of Economics. Dr. Ralph studied economics as an undergraduate at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Elise Bremer-Nei, AICP, PP
Elise Bremer-Nei is the Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator and a licensed professional planner with the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Safety, Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs. Over the last 25 years, she has worked on active transportation issues in both the private and public sector, at the county and the state level. Among other responsibilities, Elise oversees implementation of NJDOT’s Complete Streets Policy and supports updates and improvements to designs and guides for Complete and Green Streets, heads the Bicycle and Pedestrian Emphasis Area team for the State Strategic Highway Safety Plan, and supervises implementation of the statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
Sean Meehan
Sean Meehan is the Research Project Manager for the New Jersey Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Resource Center at the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University. With over ten years of experience, Sean works in the area of pedestrian and bicycle mobility and safety with a goal of- making it easier and safer for both children and adults to walk and cycle more. Sean oversees projects for the New Jersey SRTS program in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Transportation and with the state’s eight Transportation Management Associations (TMAs). As part of his work with the NJ SRTS Resource Center, Sean provides services, training, coordination and technical assistance to TMAs, local and regional governments, schools and school districts and other organizations to encourage students to walk and bicycle to school and to identify opportunities for infrastructure and policy improvements that make walking and biking to school safer.
The focus of Sean’s work has been on active, sustainable transportation and working with multi-disciplined stakeholders and partners to help individuals and communities integrate these healthy and physically active forms of transportation into daily routines. Working with a wide array of partners, Sean helps to cultivate a culture of safe walking and bicycling by providing technical assistance and community outreach, contributing to research, creating instructive resources, and developing and distributing informative training programs for a variety of audiences.
Prior to joining VTC in 2008, Sean worked for five years as a Transportation Planner and Program Coordinator for Keep Middlesex Moving TMA based in New Brunswick, NJ. Sean received a Master of City and Regional Planning degree from the Bloustein School at Rutgers University and a BS degree in Environmental Policy from Cook College at Rutgers.
James Sinclair
James Sinclair is a Senior Research Specialist at the Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center. His work includes developing Complete Streets Implementation Plans, analyzing solutions to address distracted driving in New Jersey, and evaluating the New Brunswick Ciclovia.
James is a graduate from the Master of City and Regional Planning program at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. While there, he focused on transportation and urban design, with a special emphasis on bicycle and pedestrian planning. With his undergraduate degree in business administration from Boston University, he was previously involved in bringing a bike share system to the Boston region. That experience solidified his interest in planning for sustainable transportation.
Laura Torchio, AICP
Laura Torchio is a certified planner specializing in active transportation, healthy communities, and placemaking. She is a seasoned facilitator with a forte to inspire thoughtful, creative initiatives and coalitions that strengthen the social, physical, and economic vitality of communities. Her expertise applies to public, private, and not-profit sectors and she passionately believes communities are empowered by zealous civic engagement. She is a proud member of the NJ Bike Walk Coalition and Bike&Walk Montclair and currently serves as the Chair of the Montclair Vision Zero Task Force.
Alan Huff
Alan Huff is the Program Manager of Safety Initiatives and Public Outreach with the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization (SJTPO), the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem Counties in southern New Jersey. Alan, who began with SJTPO in 2009, oversees SJTPO’s Local Safety Program, bicycle and pedestrian activities, including its new South Jersey Trails program, as well as public outreach, communications, Title VI, Environmental Justice, and freight activities.
In addition to his work with SJTPO, Alan has worked with MPOs in Des Moines, Iowa; Omaha, Nebraska; Brockton, Massachusetts; Cape Cod, Massachusetts; and Knoxville, Tennessee. Alan holds a Bachelor of Science in Community and Regional Planning from Iowa State University and a Master of City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University.
Cassidy Boulan, AICP
Cassidy Boulan is the Assistant Manager of Bicycle Programs in the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Office of Transit, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Planning, where she focuses on bicycle and pedestrian planning and counting. She has a BA from the University of Michigan in Sociology and Environmental Studies and continued her education by completing a Masters of City Planning at the University of Pennsylvania. She began her time with DVRPC in 2010 and has since worked on a variety of projects including access plans for transit stations and developing a complete streets design handbook for Trenton. Her current work includes managing a regional cyclical bicycle count program and working on tactical urbanism projects as part of DVRPC’s Expo (experimental pop-ups) program. After growing up in the Detroit area, she continues to be interested in the importance of a diversity of transportation options in providing a foundation for healthy, sustainable places.
Leigh Ann Von Hagen, AICP, PP
Leigh Ann Von Hagen is a Managing Director and Adjunct Professor with the Voorhees Transportation Center at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. As a licensed professional planner, Leigh Ann has over 20 years of experience in transportation and land use planning, specializing in creating healthy, active communities for all ages and abilities through design, research, education, and training. Leigh Ann is currently the managing director for the NJ Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes and Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Centers and conducts research and training on Health Impact Assessment and health in all policies.
Dan LiSanti, PE
Daniel LiSanti is the Manager for New Jersey Department of Transportation’s, Bureau of Safety, Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs. The Bureau is part of NJDOT’s Planning Division. The Bureau is responsible for the management of the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and provides safety subject matter expertise on a wide variety of analyses, programs, projects and initiatives. In addition, the Bureau is the home of the Office of Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs, which includes a variety of bicycle and pedestrian planning and program activities along with the Complete Streets initiative and SME support to the Safe Routes to School program. Daniel holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota, and has over 25 years of professional experience, including 15 years with the NJDOT. Daniel holds a current Professional Engineer (PE) license in New Jersey.
Peter Kremer, AICP, PP
Peter brings more than 30 years of project and managerial experience to his planning practice focused on multimodal transportation systems, mobility, and safety. Peter has a diverse background in project planning, policy analysis, and travel demand modeling with expertise in Complete Streets, county plans and master plans, statewide and metropolitan planning, bicycle pedestrian and trails planning, safety, land use and redevelopment, community engagement, and traffic capacity and operational analysis. As project manager, his projects have won fifteen statewide and national planning awards.
Jeffrey Perlman, AICP, PP
Jeffery Perlman currently serves as the Senior Director of Planning at the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. He is responsible for overseeing and integrating metropolitan transportation planning initiatives for the North Jersey region. Previously, Jeffrey has worked as a planning consultant for a number of New Jersey municipalities, where he conducted a variety of planning studies including master plans, redevelopment studies, and affordable housing plans. Jeffrey holds a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University, and a Master’s Degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Jeffrey is a licensed planner in the State of New Jersey and certified with the American Institute of Certified Planners at the American Planning Association.
Andy Swords
Andy Swords serves as the Director of the Division of Statewide Planning at the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). In that role, Andy leads several teams responsible for a variety of transportation planning functions, including long range, performance based and asset management planning, safety programs, bicycle and pedestrian planning and Complete Streets, traffic congestion analysis, air quality planning, the Transit Village Initiative and State Planning Commission coordination. The Division also manages the Department’s research and innovation program, the State Planning and Research (SPR) program, and the work programs of the state’s three Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs).
Andy has 34 years of experience with New Jersey DOT and is a licensed Professional Planner in the State of New Jersey.
Nazhat Aboobaker, PhD, PE, PMP
Nazhat is the Section Chief for the Complete Streets Implementation Office of the NJDOT Bureau of Safety, Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs. The Office champions the implementation of the Department’s Complete Streets Policy through the review of capital and local aid projects administered by NJDOT. Nazhat has over 18 years of experience with NJDOT, where she has worked with several units, including Local Aid, Statewide Planning, and Research. She was the lead for the Transportation Research Program at the Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Research, past President of the American Society of Civil Engineers -Philadelphia Section, and past Chair of the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE– Phil. She has also worked as a structural engineer in private firms. Nazhat holds Master and PhD degrees from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Eric Powers, AICP, PP
Eric Powers joined the New Jersey Department of Transportation in 2001 as a Transportation Planner in the Division of Statewide Planning serving as project manager for the State’s first Statewide Freight Transportation Plan. From 2008 to 2011 he worked directly for the Assistant Commissioner of Planning. In 2011, he returned to the Division of Statewide Planning to lead the MPO Liaison unit. He was promoted to Section Chief in the Bureau of Trucking services in 2013 and in 2014 he joined the Division of Capital Investment Planning and Development as the Manager of the Bureau of Capital Program Coordination. He was promoted to Director of Capital Investment and Program Coordination in 2017 and served in that capacity until being appointed to the position of Assistant Commissioner of Statewide Planning, Safety and Capital Investment in October of 2023.
Eric earned a BS in Economics with a concentration in Public Sector Finance from Florida State University and a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University. He is a licensed Professional Planner in the State of New Jersey and is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners.
Jay DiDomenico
This year’s Complete Streets Champion Awards are being presented in honor of Jay DiDomenico, the long-serving Executive Director of the Hudson Transportation Management Association, who passed away in 2022. Jay was a Champion for Complete Streets and for Safe Routes to School. Whether he was leading students on a Walk to School Day with Buster the Walking School Bus, training PE teachers on-bike for safety education programs, helping children learn to ride, or organizing Shakespeare in the Park-ing Spot to show people the benefits of public spaces with fewer cars, Jay led by example. He embraced innovative approaches and new ideas, engaging with the community to educate and inspire change. Jay had a gift for communication, and it didn’t matter if he was speaking to a Kindergarten class or addressing professionals at a national conference, he always captivated his audience with his sense of humor and infectious enthusiasm. Jay’s work as Director of Hudson TMA and a Complete Streets Champion exemplified what a small but mighty organization – and a truly caring individual – can accomplish for all New Jerseyans. He is deeply missed.