A delegation of Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers was invited to Beijing, China, recently to help with the growing congestion and air quality problems that affect the city and other parts of the country. TTI co-sponsored the two-day workshop at the Beijing Transportation Research Center (BTRC) — an eight-year-old research institute similar to TTI. “Traffic […]
Archives for 2009
Available Reports and Products
Technical Reports “Analysis and Integration of Spatial Data for Transportation Planning,” by Stephen Sebesta, 0-6071-1, September 15, 2009. “Assessment of a Traffic Monitoring System for a Major Traffic Generator to Improve Regional Planning: Technical Report,” by Todd Carlson, 0-5531-2, November 4, 2009. “Capacity and Road User Cost Analysis of Selected Freeway Work Zones in Texas,” […]
Awards and More
Spiegelman Named Distinguished Professor Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) Senior Research Scientist Clifford Spiegelman has been appointed Distinguished Professor of Statistics at Texas A&M University’s College of Science. The title of Distinguished Professor is reserved for faculty who are recognized by their peers as being among the top 5 percent in their fields worldwide. Currently, there […]
Short Course Focuses on TxDOT Challenges, Changes
“We can do more” was the theme that emerged during the opening session of the 83rd Annual Transportation Short Course at Texas A&M University Oct. 13. The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT‘s) annual gathering attracted 2,000 participants. Short Course is co-sponsored by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) and this year celebrated the Institute’s 60-year relationship […]
Using Dirt to Clean Water: Bioretention Improves Runoff Quality
It’s every kid’s dream — that playing in dirt could make you cleaner than the dreaded bath time. But one Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) project is using soil and plants together to clean storm water runoff before it returns to the main water supply. As storm water washes down an embankment, it carries with it […]
Drive-In Environmental Research Chamber: New TTI testing facility expected to open new doors for research
At the Texas A&M University Riverside Campus in Bryan, Texas, workers have completed the finishing touches on another in a line of world-class testing centers offered by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) to its sponsors. The Drive-In Environmental Research Chamber, which opens in January 2010, is the largest of its kind in the country. The […]
TTI and the Environment
Volume 45, Number 4 (2009) Adobe PDF version Inside This Issue: Editorial It’s Not Easy Being Green—But It’s Worth the Effort Testing Facilities Drive-In Environmental Research Chamber: New TTI testing facility expected to open new doors for research Air Quality TTI MOVES Emissions Estimates Forward Enhancing Transportation in National Parks and Gateway Communities Green Institute […]
Drive Clean Across Texas — A Success Story
Think back roughly eight years ago — where were you? Some that were graduating high school are now out of college and in the work force, and fifth graders at that time are now in college. The Drive Clean Across Texas (DCAT) campaign was in its infancy then but now stands as an award-winning education […]
NOW: Testing 21st Century Sediment Control Devices
In 2010, Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers will enter the second phase of a project for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Maintenance Division to develop an Approved Products List (APL) for sediment control devices. Sediment runoff from construction sites is now the number one pollutant of our waterways, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. […]
THEN: Best Practices for Growing Grasses on Right of Way Are Determined
(Excerpt from Texas Transportation Researcher, October 1967) Best cultural methods to give an ideal stand of grass for erosion control along the highway have been determined by Dr. Wayne McCully and Mr. William J. Bowmer in research of the Texas Transportation Institute sponsored by the Texas Highway Department with the Bureau of Public Roads. Establishing […]
It’s Not Easy Being Green—But It’s Worth the Effort
It used to be that the solution to practically every transportation problem was to build, build, build. As more drivers took to the road, testing the system’s limits, we mainly added more capacity to address those needs. Some good things came out of this approach, notably the Interstate Highway System, which encouraged urbanization and spurred […]
10 Ways TTI Initiatives Support the Environment
Vegetation Management The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) conducts research into various roadside applications to provide sponsors with a more diverse set of tools and options to ensure a more sustainable roadside environment. Areas researched include water harvesting applications, grass communities and their successional processes, improved vegetation through soil restoration using compost and other organic materials, […]
TTI Brings the Green Indoors
The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) is known for leading the charge in solving all types of transportation problems. Over the last few years, TTI has developed a reputation as an environmentally conscious organization — and not just through its “green” research. In 2005, the agency implemented its Energy Management and Conservation Plan, which guides the […]
Enhancing Transportation in National Parks and Gateway Communities
Since they preserve the country’s natural beauty and heritage, many people would agree with Director Ken Burns that the National Parks are “America’s Best Idea.” The parks and their nearby communities — called gateway communities — have a symbiotic relationship. The communities rely heavily on tourist dollars generated by the parks, while the parks depend […]
TTI MOVES Emissions Estimates Forward
Change can be difficult…but it doesn’t have to be. Given that we live in the Information Age, change involving software can be the most painful of all — just ask Microsoft. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses software to enforce the Clean Air Act, which restricts certain pollutants found in urban areas with heavy traffic. […]
TTI Study Targets Highway Construction Pollution
In an effort to lessen the emissions from “off-road” construction equipment, TTI’s Center for Air Quality Studies has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The two-year project will monitor nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions of road construction equipment before and after the installation of an emission reduction system, called selective catalytic […]
TDS Honored Nationally for Saving Teen Lives
The Texas Transportation Institute’s Teens in the Driver Seat (TDS) program has been honored with one of the most distinguished national safety awards available: a Roadway Safety Award sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Roadway Safety Foundation (RSF). The award was presented to TDS Director Russell Henk during a ceremony in Washington, […]
TTI Contributes to High-Speed Rail Discussion
Thanks to $8 billion of stimulus money set aside for a high-speed rail network in the United States, proponents of a Texas passenger rail system have renewed optimism about the possibility of a project in the Lone Star State. That optimism was expressed by speakers and attendees of the Texas/European Union High-Speed Rail Symposium, held […]
TTI Helps Raise Awareness During School Bus Safety Week
“Avoid harm. Obey the Stop Arm.” That’s the theme of National School Bus Safety Week (October 19-23). The theme refers to the moveable red stop sign extending from the side of a school bus, warning motorists to stop because children are getting on or off the bus and may be crossing the street. The goal […]
Short Course Focuses on TxDOT Challenges, Changes
“We can do more” was the theme that emerged during the opening session of the 83rd Annual Transportation Short Course at Texas A&M University Oct. 13. The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT’s) annual gathering attracted more than 1,800 attendees. Short course is co-sponsored by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) and celebrates the institute’s 60-year relationship […]