ALICE

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NJDOT Helps ALICE®

Mobility and Accessibility in South Jersey

Public transit is limited in South Jersey, leading to transportation challenges that affect everyday mobility and accessibility. 29% of New Jersey households are ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Restricted. Employed). Watch to learn more about how NJDOT works to help these households.​

What is ALICE®

Access to Opportunity

State transportation agencies across the country are uniting around the concept of accessibility and mobility. The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) has joined to focus on the concept of Access to Opportunity, specifically to help address the transportation needs of ALICE® in New Jersey. ALICE® stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.

Access
to Opportunity

Connection to Community

Access to Healthcare

Access to Jobs

Access to Recreation

Access to Education

ALICE® in New Jersey

Community-Centered Transportation Vision

AASHTO – NCHRP20-24(138)A

A transportation system focused on connecting communities, moving people and goods, and meeting customer needs at all scales, from local to global – delivered as a partnership between state departments of transportation and other public, private and civic partners.
AASHTO – NCHRP20-24(138)A

So, who is ALICE®?

avatars showing different potential ALICE
Developed by the United Way

Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed

  • ALICE® describes households or individuals who are employed and make just enough money to be above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), but not enough to pay for basic expenses.
  • ALICE® households span all races, ages, ethnicities, and abilities, however, ALICE® households disproportionately tend to be households of color.
  • ALICE® often includes essential workers and workers with two or more jobs who live paycheck to paycheck and must make impossible choices, like whether to receive healthcare or buy groceries.
  • Nationally, there were 35 million ALICE® households in 2022. Here in New Jersey, 26% of total households were ALICE®.
Alice® united way
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alice® data
Community Testimonials

ALICE® in Their Own Words

ALICE® households depend on transportation to connect with community and to reach jobs, school and childcare, healthcare, stores, and social services. However, transportation access can be unreliable, inflexible, and limited. The following community testimonials are detailed in the Transportation Accessibility in Southern New Jersey Report and were collected by the Rutgers Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs.

“
"Transportation is... a real problem. If you don't have your own vehicle, then your ability to get to any of the services that are available is relying on public transportation... there is very minimal public transportation or resources that are provided through programming that, again, are being stretched thin because there's only so much to go around."
“
"If you're not on the main road and you miss the bus, that's it. You won't be getting there."
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"Transportation is an issue also... Not everybody has a car, and even if you do, that gets expensive. It's not just gas, it's car insurance and AAA (American Automobile Association) and all the extras. So, [residents] might sacrifice their vegetable intake to save money by not driving to a grocery store further away."
“
"There are stretches of roads where there's not even access to the buses. There's a shuttle that you have to pay for, and it doesn't run all the time. I think transportation has always been an issue for our county [Atlantic], because our county is so big and that it's always been an issue."
Our Approach

Strategies to Address Mobility & Accessibility for ALICE®

  • This approach will align with Complete Streets policy, requiring that future roadway improvement projects include safe accommodations for all users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, transit riders and the mobility impaired.
  • Elements of project design will weigh the effects a project may have within a community and evaluate elements that can benefit ALICE® populations.
  • Through the entirety of the project delivery process, starting with concept development, the Department will serve as transportation advocates for ALICE® communities.
  • NJDOT has launched a pilot competitive mobility grant program, called the Transportation Accessibility & Mobility Program (TAMP), for southern New Jersey. The program will fund transportation projects that enhance accessibility, expand services, improve efficiency and flexibility, and open pathways to alternate modes of travel in the target region. The goal is to evaluate the pilot program to see how it can be replicated.
  • By supporting innovative and impactful projects, the Department can help eliminate some of the effects of transportation gaps and inflexible transportation services felt by ALICE® households, and provide ALICE® individuals with broader career, social, educational and medical care opportunities.
  • 2024 TAMP Grant Awards
  • The Department’s focus on the mobility insecurities being experienced by ALICE® individuals has deepened our understanding of who ALICE® is and has also heightened our awareness of the transportation challenges impacting our own workforce. This increased awareness has initiated mitigation efforts within the Department.

Who is your ALICE®?

ALICE® UNITED WAY