The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) has been notified that its new State Headquarters and Research Building (SHRB) has been gold certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The award surpasses the silver certification that was required at the time by Texas A&M University for buildings located on its campus. The LEED (Leadership in Environmental […]
Archives for 2010
Borowiec Elected to Texas Airports Council
Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) Associate Research Scientist Jeff Borowiec became the first “non-aviation” board member of the Texas Airports Council when he was appointed to the panel recently. Through his work at TTI, Borowiec has conducted numerous projects related to aviation and the Texas Airport System Plan. He was nominated to the Texas Airports Council […]
Rafael Aldrete: A Citizen on the 4th of July
On June 28, in an El Paso court house, Texas Transportation Institute’s (TTI) Research Engineer Rafael Aldrete held up his right hand and repeated about 100 words. The United States Oath of Allegiance lasted only about a minute — but it was years in the making. “It’s been such a long and tedious process,” Aldrete […]
Mexican University Signs MOU with TTI
Thanks to its strong ties with Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) Research Engineer Rafael Aldrete, officials with Mexico’s Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Institute. “In Mexico, there is a lack of professionals with transportation backgrounds,” says Mario Garcia Valdez, the chancellor of the university, who came […]
Former Regent Joins TTI Advisory Council
The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) has a new and distinguished member for its Advisory Council. Erle Nye, chairman emeritus of TXU Corp. in Dallas, has achieved a long and successful career in the engineering, financial, legal, operations and regulatory areas of the energy industry. Nye joins more than 30 other members of the council, providing […]
TTI’s Research Umbrella: Safer Transportation in the Storm
Volume 46, Number 2 (2010) Adobe PDF version Inside This Issue: Editorial TTI Has You Covered — Weather You’re Coming or Going Operations and Design SPOTLIGHT: The Visibility Research Laboratory Planning, Policy and Environment Time Measured in Raindrops: TTI Software Predicts River Migration Patterns Using Bluetooth Technology to Aid in Hurricane Evacuation Materials and Pavement […]
Removing Excess Asphalt: Initial test of ultra-high-pressure water blasting a success
Summertime in Texas means rising temperatures, long days and the emergence of maintenance forces ready to take on approximately 186,000 lane miles of roadways. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) spends over $2 billion annually to maintain the state’s roadways, and seal coats are an important part of TxDOT‘s preventative maintenance program. But what happens […]
Using Bluetooth Technology to Aid in Hurricane Evacuation
In August and September 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita created many disturbing realities for Gulf Coast states, including the need for safely evacuating large numbers of coastal residents. Five years later, planning and implementation of improved hurricane evacuation information systems using Bluetooth® technology are emerging in Texas. After these storms highlighted areas for improvement in […]
Time Measured in Raindrops: TTI Software Predicts River Migration Patterns
Most of us know the time of day by glancing at our watches or cell phones. But another way to tell time is to watch nature itself. For example, you know winter is just around the corner when you see birds flying south. Would it surprise you to learn that rivers migrate too? While that […]
SPOTLIGHT: The Visibility Research Laboratory
“A dark and stormy night” is more than a clichéd way to introduce a story — it’s a dangerous driving scenario when the visibility of road signs becomes critical for safe passage. Nighttime traffic fatality rates are three times higher than their daytime equivalents. While fatigue and alcohol play important roles in nighttime crashes, Texas […]
TTI Has You Covered — Weather You’re Coming or Going
There’s an old joke in Texas: if you don’t like the weather here, wait five minutes. Texas weather varies greatly across the 268,820 square miles of the state. We have five distinct regions, conveniently named North, South, East, West and Central Texas, and each one is known for a unique weather aspect — frozen roads […]
Available reports and products
Technical Reports “Development of Decision-Making Support Tools for Early Right of Way Acquisitions,” by Paul Krugler, 0-5534-2, May 10, 2010. “Development of the Texas Revenue Estimator and Needs Determination System (T.R.E.N.D.S.) Model,” by David Ellis, 0-6395-TI-1, May 12, 2010. “Evaluation of Barriers for Very High Speed Roadways,” by Roger Bligh, 0-6071-2, March 26, 2010. “Guidelines […]
Awards and more
TTI and IBM Partner for Intelligent Transportation Solutions In a collaboration that could lead to future transportation improvements in Texas and around the globe, leaders from the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) and IBM signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) during a ceremony in Austin April 1. “This agreement is a starting point that allows us […]
THEN: TTI’s Contributions to Pavement Marking Started Early
The Hot-Melt Plastic Stripe as a Pavement Marking Material By Charles J. Keese (Excerpted from Bulletin No. 130, Texas Highway Department, March 1953) “PAINT IS THE STRIPING MATERIAL FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES OF STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. However, its resistance to wear and weathering is so poor, that frequent maintenance of stripes is necessary. Such maintenance […]
NOW: Marking the Way: Research project improves performance of raised pavement markers
The worst of driving conditions calls for the best of roadway markers. And with their reflective properties, retroreflective raised pavement markers (RRPMs) have guided many nervous drivers safely to their destination on rainy nights. That’s why RRPMs‘ durability and performance are of critical importance to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). A few years ago, […]
Cracking under Pressure: How Moisture and Heat Affect ASR and DEF Structures
Texas weather runs the gamut — cold winters in some areas, occasionally heavy rains, times of drought and always baking summer heat. Concrete structures are built to last, but it’s the little things that get you sometimes. Little things like moisture and heat over time can trigger reactions in concrete structures that cause cracking and […]
Supporters Turn Out for State Headquarters and Research Building Grand Opening
The grand opening celebration for the Texas Transportation Institute’s (TTI‘s) first state headquarters building March 26 not only highlighted the past accomplishments of the Institute’s 60-year history but also the crucial work yet to be done. “Quite frankly, this new facility is clearly the envy of our peers,” Agency Director Dennis Christiansen told the 200 […]
TTI Honors Those Who Serve
U.S. military veterans employed by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) received a standing ovation from their colleagues in recognition for their service to country at TTI Day, an annual gathering of employees. Naming his or her branch of the service, Executive Associate Director Bill Stockton called each of TTI’s 38 veterans to the stage. Holly […]
TTI’s TEC Puts on Popular Workshop
A workshop held at the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) Building in Washington, D.C. — the first activity of the Texas Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) new Transportation Economics Center (TEC) — was a huge success. The May 17 “Benefit/Cost Analysis for Transportation Infrastructure: A Practitioner’s Workshop” was attended by 150 people, with approximately 1,800 others […]
TDS Study Captures Nationwide Attention
A Texas Transportation Institute study has added to the mounting evidence that cell phone use while driving, especially at night, can be fatal. Details of the study — that examined crash data over a 10-year period — were reported across the nation when it was released May 6. The Teens in the Driver Seat (TDS) […]