Kay Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.E.

Fitzpatrick, Kay

Senior Research Engineer
Program Manager

Roadway Design Program - TTI Headquarters and Research Building, Room 278
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
The Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3135
ph. (979) 845-7321 Ext. 57321 · fax (979) 845-6481
k-fitzpatrick@tamu.edu

Short Biography

Dr. Kay Fitzpatrick is a Senior Research Engineer at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. She has both bachelor and master degrees from Texas A&M University and a doctor of philosophy degree from Penn State University. She is a registered professional engineer in Texas and Pennsylvania. Prior to joining TTI in 1989, she spent several years working for a consulting firm and for Penn State University as an instructor and a researcher. During her time with the consulting firm she participated on arterial design projects, traffic operations and safety projects, and traffic impact studies.

Her research interest includes the effects of roadway features on traffic operations and safety. She has been the principal investigator for numerous research projects for TxDOT, NCHRP, TCRP, and FHWA. Dr. Fitzpatrick recently finished the TxDOT research project that developed new criteria regarding design speeds over 80 mph and another TxDOT project that evaluated best practices regarding access to managed lanes located within an existing freeway. Dr. Fitzpatrick recently completed the TCRP/NCHRP project on Improving Pedestrian Safety at Unsignalized Roadway Crossings that recommended selected engineering treatments to improve safety for pedestrians. The project also developed modifications to the MUTCD pedestrian traffic signal warrant and encouraged consideration of the HAWK in the MUTCD. She has led several studies for the Texas Department of Transportation that developed guidelines and recommendations for urban intersection designs, speed management techniques, school site design, and traffic control devices for schools. She was responsible for a major FHWA project that developed a design consistency evaluation module for the Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM) and a NCHRP project that developed a handbook on accident mitigation techniques for congested rural and exurban two-and-three lane highways. She recently finished the TxDOT project that investigated when to convert a two-lane rural highway to a four lane roadway based on a safety evaluation. She is currently leading the FHWA project that is investigation engineering countermeasures for improving pedestrian and bicycle safety.

Dr. Fitzpatrick is a member of the TRB Operations and Preservation Group and a friend of the Intersection Task Force, and the Operational Effects of Geometrics and the Geometric Design Committees. She is co-chair for the 2003, 2007, and 2012 Urban Street Design Symposiums. She wrote the chapter on intersection design for the ITE Urban Geometric Design Handbook. She has been honored with the TTI/Trinity Researcher Award (1995 and 2004), the TRB Patricia Waller Award, the TRB Fred Burggraf Award, and several best of session paper awards from TRB and ASCE. She has authored or co-authored over 100 papers and 100 research reports or guides.

Education

  • Ph.D., Civil Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, 1989.
  • M.S., Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, 1984.
  • B.S., Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, 1983.

Experience

  • Senior Research Engineer, Roadway Design Program, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, September 2007 - Present.
  • Program Manager, Roadway Design Program, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, September 2002 - Present.
  • Research Engineer, Roadway Design Program, Texas Transportation Institute, September 2001 - August 2007.
  • Associate Research Engineer, Traffic Analysis and Design Program, Texas Transportation Institute, January 1995 - August 2001.
  • Program Manager, Traffic Analysis and Design Program, Texas Transportation Institute, March 1997 - February 2000.
  • Assistant Research Engineer, Transport Operations Program, Texas Transportation Institute, December 1989 - December 1994.
  • Instructor in Civil Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, August 1986 - December 1989.
  • Research Assistant, Transportation Operations Program, Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, August 1986 - December 1989.
  • Graduate Research Assistant, Texas Transportation Institute, June 1983 - August 1984.

Professional Registration

Registered Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania, Registration No. 037330-E, 1988.

Registered Professional Engineer in Texas, Registration No. 86762, 2000.

Affiliations

  • Chair, Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), Committee on Marking Patterns Used at Pedestrian Crossings, January 2009 - Present.
  • Chair, Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), Committee on Traffic Control Devices Near Schools, November 2006 - August 2008.
  • Member, Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), Traffic Engineering Council Executive Committee, January 2002 - January 2005.
  • Chair, Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), Task Force on Volunteer Management, October 2000 - January 2002.
  • Chair, Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), Traffic Engineering Council, January 1998 - December 2001.
  • Coordinator, Texas A&M University, Summer Enrichment Experience in Engineering Program, Civil Engineering Hands-On Activity, June 1996 - 1998.
  • TTI Representative, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Research Management Committee 4 (Roadway Planning and Design) Technical Advisory Panel, 1995 - 1999.
  • Mentor, Expanding Your Horizon Seminar, 1993 - 1998.
  • Member, Transportation Research Board (TRB), Committee A3A08, Operational Effects of Geometric Design, August 1993 - Present.
  • Friend, Transportation Research Board (TRB), Committee A2A02, Geometric Design, January 1988 - Present.
  • Member, Tau Beta Pi, 1983.
  • Member, Chi Epsilon - The National Civil Engineering Honor Society, 1982.

Honors & Awards

2009 Waller Award, Honors the best paper in the area of system users for the paper "Safety Effectiveness on the HAWK Pedestrian Treatment", 2010.

2009 Outstanding Paper Award, Transportation Research Board Committee on Pedestrians, for the paper "Safety Effectiveness on the HAWK Pedestrian Treatment".

2006 Outstanding Paper Award, Transportation Research Board Committee on Pedestrians, for the paper "Motorist Yielding to Pedestrians at Unsignalized Intersections: Finding from a National Study on Improving Pedestrian Safety", 2004.

2005 Top Research Innovation and Findings Award for TxDOT Project 0-4160: Managed Lanes.

2004 Top Research Innovation and Findings Award for TxDOT Project 0-4365: Urban Intersection Design Guidance.

Best Paper from the 2003 TRB Urban Street Symposium, "Left-Turn Lane Installation Guidelines", 2004.

2002 Top Research Innovation and Findings Award for TxDOT Project 0-4048: Low-Cost Design Safety Improvements for Rural Highways.

2002 Outstanding Paper in the Field of Geometric Design, Transportation Research Board, A2A02 Geometric Design Committee, for "Selection of Design Speed Values" paper, 2003.

Coordinating Council Award, Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), 2001.

Certificate of Recongnition for Outstanding Service as Traffic Engineering Council Chair, Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), 2000.

1998 Outstanding Paper in the Field of Geometric Design, Transportation Research Board Committee A2A02, 1999, for the paper, Driver Eye and Vehicle Heights for Use in Geometric Design.

1997 Best of Session Award for the Sight Distance Symposium for the paper "New Stopping Sight Distance Model for Use in Highway Geometric Design", Transportation Research Board, Committee A2A04, 1997.

Trinity Researcher Award 1995 and 2004, Texas Transportation Institute.

Fred Burggraf Award, Transportation Research Board (TRB), 1995, for the paper, Motorists' Comprehension of Exit Lane Drop Signs and Markings.

Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Service as Department 4 Chair of the Institute of Transportation Engineers Council, Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), 1994.

Technical Council Award for ITE 5B-28 Technical Committee Report "Geometric Design and Operational Considerations for Trucks", Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), 1992.

Best of Session Paper Award, American Society of Civil Engineers, Texas Section, 1991, for the paper, Mobility Impacts from Improvements to an Arterial Street.

1990 Oustanding Paper of Merit, Transportation Research Board (TRB), 1990, for the paper, Field Observations of Truck Operational Characteristics Related to Intersection Sight Distance.

1989 Outstanding Paper of Merit, Transportation Research Board (TRB), 1990, for the paper, Intersection Sight Distance Requirements for Large Trucks.

Best of Section Award for Timber Truck Traffic, Student Paper Competition, Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), 1984.

Eno Foundation Scholar, Texas A & M University, 1983.

Academic Courses Taught

Engineering Economy and Professional Practice. Pennsylvania State University.

Geometric Design. Pennsylvania State University.

Introduction to Transportation Engineering. Pennsylvania State University.

Traffic Operations. Pennsylvania State University.

Selected Publications

K. Fitzpatrick, S.T. Chrysler, M.A. Brewer, A.A. Nelson, V. Iragavarapu. Simulator Study of Signs for a Complex Interchange and Complex Interchange Spreadsheet Tool. 478530-5. September 2012.

S.A. Cooner, M.A. Brewer, K. Fitzpatrick. Dealing with Texas-Sized Problems Around Schools: Workshop Materials. 5-5470-01-P1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. March 2012.

K. Fitzpatrick, M.A. Brewer, P.W. Dorothy. Design Guidance for Intersection Auxiliary Lanes. 478750-1. February 2012.

S.A. Cooner, M.A. Brewer, K.M. Fitzpatrick. School Traffic Workshop: Dealing with Texas-Sized Problems around Schools. 5-5470-01-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. January 2012.

K. Fitzpatrick, S.T. Chrysler, S.R. Sunkari, J.M. Cooper, B. Park, L.L. Higgins. Evaluation of Modern Traffic Control Devices to Improve Safety at Rural Intersections. 0-6462-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. 2011.

D. Lord, M.A. Brewer, K. Fitzpatrick, S.R. Geedipally, Y. Peng. Analysis of Roadway Departure Crashes on Two-Lane Rural Roads in Texas. 0-6031-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. 2011.

J.A. Bonneson, M.P. Pratt, P. Songchitruksa, K. Fitzpatrick. Development of Pedestrian Safety Based Warrants for Protected or Protected-Permissive Left Turn (PPLT) Control. 0-6402-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. 2011.

M.A. Brewer, S.P. Venglar, L. Ding, K. Fitzpatrick, B. Park. Super 2 Design for Higher Traffic Volumes. PSR. 0-6135-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. 2011.

K. Fitzpatrick, S.T. Chrysler, S.R. Sunkari, J.M. Cooper, B. Park, L.L. Higgins. Modern Traffic Control Devices to Improve Safety at Rural Intersections. 0-6462-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. December 2011.

D. Lord, M.A. Brewer, K. Fitzpatrick, S.R. Geedipally, Y. Peng. Analysis of Roadway Departure Crashes on Two-Lane Rural Roads in Texas. 0-6031-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. December 2011.

M.A. Brewer, S.P. Venglar, L. Ding, K. Fitzpatrick, B. Park. Operations and Safety of Super 2 Corridors with Higher Volumes. 0-6135-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. June 2011.

K. Fitzpatrick, S.T. Chrysler, R. Van Houten, W.W. Hunter, S.M. Turner. Evaluation of Pedestrian and Bicycle Engineering Countermeasures: Rectangular Rapdi-Flashing Beacons, HAWKs, Sharrows, Crosswalk Markings, and the Development of an Evaluation Methods Report. FHWA-HRT-11-039. March 2011.

K. Fitzpatrick, S.T. Chrysler, R. Van Houten, W.W. Hunter, S.M. Turner. Final Report for Evaluation of Pedestrian and Bicycle Engineering Countermeasures: Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacon, HAWK, Sharrow, Crosswalk Markings and Development of Evaluation Methods Report. 475860-4. 2010.

R.M. Aldrete, J.A. Shelton, A. Bujanda, E. Li, M. Farzaneh, S.M. Turner, K. Fitzpatrick, L.K. Cherrington, K. Cheu, C. Chang, I. Ibarra. Integrating the Transportation System with a University Campus Transportation Master Plan. 0-6608-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. 2010.

K. Fitzpatrick, A. Do. Findings from FHWA Study on Engineering Countermeasures for Pedestrians and Bicyclists. 475860-5. December 2010.

M.A. Brewer, K. Fitzpatrick. Operating Speed Characteristics in School Speed Zones in Texas. Crosswalk Marking Field Visibility Study, Research Report. FHWA-HRT-10-068. Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC. September 2010.

K. Fitzpatrick, S.T. Chrysler, V. Iragavarapu, E. Park. Crosswalk Marking Field Visibility Study. Research Report. FHWA-HRT-10-068. Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC. September 2010.

K. Fitzpatrick, R.J. Porter, G. Pesti, C. Chu, E. Park, T.Q. Le. Guidelines for Spacing Between Freeway Ramps. 0-5860-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. March 2010.

K. Fitzpatrick, S.T. Chrysler, E. Park, A.A. Nelson, J.A. Robertson, V. Iragavarapu. Driver Workload and Visual Studies. 0-5911-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. February 2010.

K. Fitzpatrick, S.T. Chrysler, E. Park, A.A. Nelson, J.A. Robertson, V. Iragavarapu. Driver Workload at Higher Speeds. 0-5911-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. February 2010.

K. Fitzpatrick. 60-Minute Hands-on Training Module. 0-5470-P1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. 2009.

K. Fitzpatrick, R.J. Porter, G. Pesti, C. Chu, E. Park, T.Q. Le. Guidelines for Ramp Terminal Spacing for Freeways. PSR. 0-5860-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. December 2009.

B.S. Bochner, L.L. Higgins, W.E. Frawley, R. Cheu, K. Fitzpatrick, E.N. Hard, R.R. Longmire, D.R. Middleton, C. Morgan, A.J. Wimsatt. Guidance on Mitigating Impacts of Large Distribution Centers on Texas Highways. PSR. 0-5335-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. October 2009.

J.A. Bonneson, K. Fitzpatrick, D. Lord, K.H. Zimmerman. Incorporating Safety into the Highway Design Process: Summary Report. PSR. 0-4703-S. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. October 2009.

K. Fitzpatrick, E. Park. C2002086.7-1. 475860-1. May 2009.

K. Fitzpatrick, M.A. Brewer, K.O. Obeng-Boampong, E. Park, N.D. Trout. Speeds in School Zones. 0-5470-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. February 2009.

M.A. Brewer, K. Fitzpatrick. Operating Speed Characteristics in School Speed Zones in Texas. Compendium of Technical Papers. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. January 2009.