Between 1953 and 1962, the Texas Highway Department (THD) approved the construction of almost 16,000 miles of highway, bringing the state’s total system to 59,300 miles (more than any other state in the nation), and more than doubling the yearly construction and maintenance budget. Through the Cooperative Research Program and its partnership with THD, the […]
Archives for 2008
Technology wages war on the “average” commute
The morning cell phone beep of an instant message or the chime of an email around quitting time can be a commuter’s best friend when the message is a traffic alert about the drive ahead. That warning — making it possible for you to take an alternate route around a travel snag — can keep […]
Integrating advanced technology
Thanks to research, the toolbox of technologies for transportation decision makers has never been better stocked Rapid, effective deployment of technology seems always at the forefront of modern transportation research. Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers developed some of the first sophisticated and precise computer programs devoted to urban traffic management and the first implemented freeway […]
Awards and more
Williamson eulogized as “one of a kind” Ric Williamson, chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission, was eulogized by Governor Rick Perry and Texas Department of Transportation Executive Director Amadeo Saenz when several hundred people gathered inside the Weatherford High School auditorium for Williamson’s memorial service January 3. Texas Transportation Institute Director Dennis Christiansen and Associate […]
Available reports and products
Technical Reports “Heavy-Duty Flexible Bases: Field Performance and Draft Specifications,” by Tom Scullion, 0-4358-4, February 12, 2008. “Inventory of Utilities – Summary Report,” by Cesar Quiroga, 5-2110-01-4, January 29, 2008. “Hurricane Evacuation Traffic Operations,” by Andy Ballard, 0-4962-1, April 9, 2008. “Crash Testing and Evaluation of F-Shape Barriers on Slopes,” by Nauman Sheikh, 0-5210-3, March […]
TTI experience inspires careers, saves lives
At any given time, 200 students are employed by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI). Most of them, either graduate or undergraduate, are working on actual research projects funded by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Federal Highway Administration and research programs administered by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and other sponsors. TTI supplies the vital […]
Finding Solutions
Volume 44, Number 1 (2008) Adobe PDF version Inside This Issue: Guest Editorial Innovation through research Finding Solutions Building the system Integrating advanced technology Technology wages war on the “average” commute TTI experience inspires careers, saves lives 12 ways TTI initiatives impact transportation Saving lives The sound of safety— when hearing is seeing Increasing efficiency […]
One Year on the Road: TTI’s Instrumented Vehicle
In March 2007, TTI researchers began monitoring drivers who volunteered for a variety of projects designed to study human behavior with the help of a $100,000 ‘smart car.’ TTI’s Instrumented Vehicle is a 2006 Toyota Highlander equipped with numerous video cameras, a Global Positioning System (GPS), radar and an on-board computer that is able to […]
Texas Perpetual Pavements: TTI Testing Reveals Good News
In 2000, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) began constructing sections of eight heavily traveled roadways (mainly on I-35 between Laredo and Dallas) with thick, 15- to 20-inch asphalt layers. The hope was that the extra cost of so-called “perpetual pavements” would be recouped over their estimated 50-year lifespan since reconstruction would not be necessary. […]
TTI Researchers Honored at TRB Annual Meeting
A prestigious “best paper” award was given to a team of TTI researchers during the Transportation Research Board (TRB) 87th Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. The paper, “License Plate and Telephone Numbers in Changeable Message Sign AMBER Alert Messages” won the D. Grant Mickle Award for outstanding paper in the field of operation, safety and […]
Man Credits TTI-Designed Guardrail with Saving Life
At only 23, paramedic Garrett Placke has a lot to look forward to. Following his crash into a guardrail, he says he owes the rest of his life to TTI and Trinity Industries. It was raining that Sunday afternoon as he traveled toward College Station on State Highway 47, ironically, not far from the entrance […]
Paul Brubaker Tours, Praises TTI
President Bush appointee Paul Brubaker, Administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), told TTI employees, “The world is going to look very, very different in 10 years.” Brubaker was referring to the nation’s growing and shifting population, the price of oil and the challenge of financing infrastructure projects. […]