NCTIP's research program is driven by the multimodal and intermodal nature of transportation systems and travel behavior present in the New Jersey/New York metropolitan region. Particular emphasis is placed on improving access to regional port and airport facilities. Optimization of modal interfaces will result in increased mobility as well as the improved productivity of companies engaged in providing transportation and logistics services.

As embodied in its name, NCTIP ascribes relatively broad interpretations to the terms "industrial" and "productivity."

For its purposes, industrial encompasses all economic sectors of our society that either use transportation as part of their production processes or provide transportation and transportation-related services. This includes both manufacturing and service sector areas, such as traditional retailing, electronic commerce, logistics, and public transit.

In the same context, productivity relates to achieving both economic and social gains from the improvement of processes, applications of new technologies, and innovative changes in the operating practices of enterprises involved in the provision of transportation functions.

Examples of productivity are:

• Improvements in truck fleet operations through more accurate and less expensive freight transfer, routing and management strategies.
• Improvements in transit system operations through enhancements in traveler behavior forecasting and resulting proficiency in scheduling and coordination of equipment
• Improvements in personal productivity by ensuring timely arrival at destinations through the implementation and evaluation of traveler information systems and the development of more accurate methods of collecting and delivering real-time information, and
• Improvements to institutional productivity by providing state DOTs and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) with the necessary tools to support quantitative decision making and more efficient execution of their mandated functions.

NCTIP webmaster: hu@njit.edu