Among the findings, researchers recommended that the NJDOT run demo events with local advocacy groups to get residents to try e-bikes and learn about the new state law.
Topic
New Jersey State Policy Lab
NJSPL Report Release: Advancing Language Equity in Chatbot Design for NJ’s Public Services
This new report examines how chatbots are used to deliver public information, where language equity gaps can occur, and how a prototype chatbot can support more equitable access to New Jersey’s SNAP services for English- and Spanish-speaking households
NJSPL: Ryan Lawrence (MCRP ’27) Examines NJ Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Laws
ccessory dwelling units or ADUs can provide an alternative to traditional housing, helping to remediate both the housing shortage and affordability issues while preserving rural land from further development. Several municipalities have passed ADU-related legislation, including Montclair, South Orange, Princeton, and Asbury Park, but a statewide bill on ADUs (Bill A2792) has not yet made it out of the legislature and onto the governor’s desk.
NJSPL: The Potential of Participatory Budgeting Within New Jersey
A state budget itself can be considered a moral document: a statement, made in dollar amounts, which outlines the financial needs that are prioritized by the government. The process of achieving an annual budget is difficult for many residents to follow and can lead to further resentments over the lack of transparency.
New Jersey State Policy Lab Holds 5th Annual Internship Presentations
On Wednesday, August 5th, the New Jersey State Policy Lab hosted the end-of-summer presentations for the 2026 intern cohort at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.
NJSPL Report: Historical Water Bodies, CSO, and Flood Vulnerability in NJ
As urban areas have developed in New Jersey, some water bodies such as ponds, streams, and wetlands have been filled in, developed over, or rerouted through stormwater systems. In some cases, this process may have increased local flooding.
NJSPL: Making Sense of NJ Hospital Consolidation in a Challenging Policy Environment
The recent wave of hospital consolidation has affected all of New Jersey’s Hospital Referral Regions (HRRs), which represent the distinct markets where most patients receive their hospital care.
NJSPL: Building Safer Streets: Rapid Response, Emergency Streets, and Lessons for NJ
New Jersey’s own Target Zero Action plan, adopted in 2025, identified a need to implement a Rapid Response program for municipalities to enable emergency services to deploy safety countermeasures immediately after a fatal or serious injury crash. Researchers recently interviewed a variety of transportation experts within the city of Denver, which adopted its own Vision Zero Action plan in 2017.
Report Release: R/ECON Forecast Summer 2026
The Garden State’s economic outlook for Summer 2026 presents a picture of tempered growth and a labor market that, while stabilizing, remains under pressure. The state closed out 2025 with solid GDP growth but is expected to ease to considerably to 0.9% in both 2026 and 2027, roughly a full percentage point below the national levels.
NJSPL: Why Do Eligible Workers Still Not Use Paid Family Leave?
Researchers found that when state paid family leave policies were in effect, like the one in NJ, women were much more likely to take paid leave only (60.4% to 33.8%), and less likely to take unpaid or a combination of paid and unpaid leave.