Traffic congestion is as familiar as bluebonnets on the roadside for anyone who’s traveled I-35 in the last twenty years. To meet capacity demands, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is expanding I-35 in its Waco District (a 96-mile stretch from Hillsboro to Salado). At an estimated cost of $2.5 billion, the overall effort is […]
Archives for September 2012
California High School Students Join Teens in the Driver Seat
In the first public event announcing the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI)-developed Teens in the Driver Seat (TDS) program in California, Franklin High School students in Elk Grove conducted a news conference for Sacramento-area media Sept. 19. The students outlined their efforts in combating teen car crashes, which is the number one killer of teens […]
Driving: Once a Dream, Now a Reality for Franklin McMurrian
In 1995, 16-year-old Franklin McMurrian had dreams of becoming a sports star — the NBA or NFL, it really didn’t matter. Achievable, perhaps, but for Franklin it suddenly became impossible. “A friend and me were horsing around with a gun,” McMurrian recalls of the incident that changed his life. It turned out the gun was […]
Franklin McMurrian: In His Own Words
I waited 17 years for August 22, 2012. The freedom of being able to take myself anywhere I could think of was unimaginable. It was a day full of excitement for me, plus my wife and kids. I barely slept the night before, filled with anxiety and anticipation of becoming more independent. The process was […]
Plan to Increase Research Projects Discussed at Director’s Q&A
Agency Director Dennis Christiansen outlined an aggressive, five-year proposal focused on growing research in areas new to TTI as well as strengthening the agency’s relationship with TxDOT and federal sponsors. Christiansen outlined the plan during his regular Question and Answer session with employees Sept. 11. Christiansen says the plan is needed as a result of […]
TTI Study Estimates Roadway Damage of the Texas Energy Boom
Nearly all regions of the state have benefited economically from unprecedented energy production over the last 10 years. However, significant road repair needs resulting from the energy boom are estimated to be $2 billion each year for the next 20 years, based on the findings of a Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) study performed for the […]
TTI in the News
There have been numerous mentions of TTI and our experts in recent media reports. Here are links to some of the stories. Infrastructure conference announced: Ultimate Fort Bend, Sept. 12 State’s most congested roads: The Texas Tribune, Sept. 7; San Antonio Express-News, Sept. 5 Roundabout considered for congestion relief: Houston Chronicle, Sept. 3 Infrastructure costs […]
2013 Nominations Underway for Texas Transportation Hall of Honor
The Texas Transportation Hall of Honor board is accepting nominations for 2013 inductees until October 1, 2012. Each individual selected for the Hall of Honor is recognized at an induction ceremony and with a plaque on permanent display in the Hall of Honor located at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute in the Texas A&M University […]
NIS Introduces New Staff, Initiatives at Q&A
Large scale improvements have been made within TTI’s Network and Information Systems over the last year, according to TTI Chief Information Officer (CIO) Brad Hoover. He detailed some of that progress during a briefing and Q&A with TTI employees Sept. 6. Hoover, who was appointed CIO one year ago, described the progress that’s been made […]
National Seat Check Saturday
Bev Kellner has a daunting task: teaching parents how to properly buckle up their children in a child safety seat. Sounds easy enough, but considering that most of the more than 19,000 kids in car seats she’s checked over the last 14 years have been buckled improperly or not at all, she won’t be out […]
New Name, Same TTI
In August The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents approved changing the names of all seven A&M System agencies to include “A&M” in the agency names effective September 1. As a result, the Texas Transportation Institute was renamed the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, but retains its acronym, TTI. “A&M” has been added to TTI’s […]
TTI Publications
Video Summary Reports Video Summary Reports are available on the Texas Department of Transportation’s Research and Technology Implementation Office’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/bestpracticesvsrs/. Develop Practical Field Guidelines for the Compaction of HMA or WMA, 0-6992. Development of Very Thin Overlay Systems, 0-5598. Evaluation of Modern Traffic Control Devices to Improve Safety at Rural Intersections, 0-6462. […]
Institute News
Safer Roads, More Work Highlighted at Traffic Safety Conference As part of the theme of improving safety on highways in Texas and across the nation, the leader of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the retiring state legislator known as “Senator Safety” were featured speakers for TTI’s fourth annual Traffic Safety Conference June […]
Providing Positive Protection for Work Zones
TTI conducted a project to develop more comprehensive guidelines for the Texas Department of Transportation’s use in assessing the need for positive protection in work zones.
Today’s Forecast: More Rain — TTI Hydraulics, Sedimentation and Erosion Control Laboratory Expands
New facilities for the TTI HSECL should be up and running by the spring of 2013.
Broader Shoulders Support Safer Roadways
Texas highways are safer now thanks to scores of projects completed in the last few years to add shoulders and width on more than 1,000 miles of rural, two-lane highways, according to an analysis by TTI.
Clear Approach: TTI Supports TxDOT’s Aviation Division
TTI supports the Texas Department of Transportation’s Aviation Division with various airport issues such as technical analysis, planning and outreach.
Safety Experts Focus on Motorcycle Fatalities
An entire session of the annual Traffic Safety Conference was dedicated to motorcycle safety this year in addition to related remarks made during the conference’s opening session.
The I-35 Expansion Project
The Texas Department of Transportation created MY 35, a citizen-driven effort to expand a 96-mile stretch from Hillsboro to Salado of I-35, and engaged TTI to provide independent technical support for the effort.
New Approaches to Traditional Research: Collecting and Analyzing Travel Data for TxDOT
Three programs at TTI work together to provide the Texas Department of Transportation with relevant and accurate data so it can make fully informed decisions on transportation priorities in Texas.