TxDOT TransLink Research Program

Project Description

TransLink^® was a multi-year, multi-modal research, development, and testing program focused on developing new and innovative methods for improving the efficiency and safety of the entire surface transportation system through integration of systems and the application of advanced technologies. TransLink^® researchers examined and developed techniques, procedures, and technologies for linking the various elements of the transportation system with the overall objective of improving the efficiency of the entire surface transportation system. The program was developed through a cooperative partnership between the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO), the Texas Transportation Institute (ITI), and Rockwell International.

Research innovations resulting from this project include

• a system for monitoring train movements in urban corridors;
• the identification of a preempt trap that occurs at grade crossings and an interim solution;
• a prototype system for retaining, managing, sharing, analyzing, and transforming into useful information the data generated by transportation management systems;
• incident management and coordination workshops;
• the assessment of center-to-center (C2C) communications in low-bandwidth environments; and
• the use of real-time performance measures to assess freeway measures to assess freeway management operations.

The overall finding of this research is that integration is the key to maximizing the return on the investment that TxDOT is making with its ITS deployments. Through integration and innovation, TxDOT will be able to achieve the primary goal of ITS: getting the right people the right information they need to make the right decision at the right time.

Project Publications

ITS Data Management System: Year One Activities 0-1752-2

TransLink: Innovations in Managing the Surface Transportation System 0-1752-S

A Model for Evaluating Integration Strategies for Operating Diamond Interchange and Ramp Metering 0-1752-14

The Preempt Trap: How to Make Sure you do Not Have One 0-1752-9

ITS Data Quality Control and the Calculation of Mobility Performance Measures 0-1752-5

Center-to-Center Communications in Low-Bandwidth Environments 0-1752-11

Proceedings from the Texas ITS Data Uses and Archiving Workshop 0-1752-4

Integrating Train Information for Advanced Transportation Management 0-1752-7

Performance Measures for Analyzing Real-Time Freeway Operations 0-1752-12

Advanced Transportation Management System (ATMS) Evaluation -- User Interface 0-1752-10

Overview of the State-of the-Practice in Disseminating Traffic Information by Advanced Traffic Management Systems 0-1752-1

For More Information