Game on: Brad Miller ’06 M.Eng. ’08 Sets up NJDOT to Score High-Tech Traffic Solutions for the World Cup

How much time is left on the clock?

Brad Miller ’06 M.Eng. ’08, associate vice president and national traffic leader at Michael Baker International, and his colleagues could be forgiven for asking that question many times during the four months they had to prepare New Jersey-New York metropolitan area roadways for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ on behalf of the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). Building on the team’s earlier planning study and concept development, they had just 12 weeks to perform final design of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) for 61 high priority locations across four northern New Jersey counties.

The goal? To manage the addition of as many as 1.2 million visitors – including many who are unfamiliar with the area – who would be navigating the area’s already congested highways while enhancing safety and mobility across the region. Their ITS approach included LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology to detect patterns and issues, strategically placed connected vehicle technology roadside units to monitor and provide real-time road conditions, edge computing to inform local response teams and AI-enhanced video analytics to help head off trouble before it starts.

It’s the kind of challenge Miller started preparing for well before he enrolled in the civil engineering program at Stevens.

“When I was about five, a traffic circle near my house was being converted into an intersection,” he recalls. “I was fascinated. I would watch the construction and then go home to make my own version for my Hot Wheels cars using construction paper.”

When a local county engineer visited his high school to describe a bridge reconstruction project, he was riveted. “Most of the class was nodding off,” he says with a laugh. “But I – and only one other person – was excited to be learning about the planning and analysis that goes into civil engineering.”

Once at Stevens, Miller launched right into the university’s co-op program, with assignments at multiple civil engineering firms. “The co-op program helped shape what I wanted to do going forward,” he says. “I was better prepared for the job market and for selecting a master’s track.”

He embraced college life as well, joining the Men’s Cross Country and Track & Field teams and serving as general manager of SITTV, Stevens’ student-run television station. “We recorded campus events and Student Government Association meetings,” he says. “We also created our own content, often collaborating with WCPR-Castle Point Radio. The university was very supportive of us, and of all the club organizations. They trusted us enough to give us resources and a lot of freedom.”

Miller, who is a licensed Professional Engineer in several states, is also a New Jersey Professional Planner, a Professional Traffic Operations Engineer and a LEED Accredited Professional. He began his career as a senior transportation engineer with the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (now the Sports and Exposition Authority).

He joined Michael Baker International in 2013 as an ITS traffic engineer, growing his expertise through roles as ITS traffic project manager, assistant department manager and later department manager for ITS and traffic engineering. Last year he became the firm’s national practice lead for traffic and ITS. He heads up a team of 35 transportation professionals, overseeing all phases of multi-disciplinary transportation infrastructure projects including planning, studies, systems and construction support.

Prior to the World Cup project, Miller supervised the development and deployment of the ITS devices at JFK International Airport to help manage traffic and maintain operations during the airport’s ongoing redevelopment. His team designed, planned and implemented systems to monitor and manage roadway conditions, support construction staging and phasing, and maintain safe and efficient access for passengers, airport staff, and freight operations. These systems included dynamic message signs, vehicle detection systems, CCTV cameras, and roadway monitoring technologies providing real-time information to support traffic management, safety, and operational continuity throughout construction.

As exciting as these projects are – his firm’s work for the World Cup was the cover feature in the April 2026 issue of ITE Journal – Michael Baker International’s role as the on-call traffic engineering firm for the city of Hoboken is particularly close to Miller’s heart. “It’s wonderful to be able to make a difference in the city you lived in for so long,” he points out.

Miller contributes to his profession through service on the Executive Board for the Institute of Transportation Engineers Metropolitan Section of New York and New Jersey. He has been the organization’s treasurer, secretary, vice president and president. He gives back to his alma mater as well. In November, he and a colleague presented a seminar titled, "Safer and Smart Streets: A Career in Transportation and Traffic Engineering," and he visited to speak with a senior design class about careers in transportation engineering.

“Thinking back to my time as an undergraduate, I found it really valuable to hear from alumni,” Miller notes. “It was helpful to learn from those who had been students at Stevens and to see what they did with their education.”

And of course, Miller returns to campus for Alumni Weekend activities whenever possible. “I try to get to the special receptions for the television and radio group and the cross-country alumni,” he says.

“Stevens has such a great alumni network,” Miller continues. “I’ve run into fellow Stevens grads in random places like airports. The community is small enough where we recognize each other. And I currently have a Stevens co-op working in my office. It is great to be able to give back by supporting the next generation of students.”