Lady Bird Johnson, former first lady of the United States and highway beautification advocate, was inducted into the Texas Transportation Hall of Honor at a reception and ceremony in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, Oct. 17. The event was co-sponsored by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin and the […]
Archives for October 2012
Assessing the Condition of Our Texas Airports
Texas is home to nearly 300 general aviation (GA) airports that stretch from the upper corner of the Panhandle down to the Rio Grande Valley. Overseeing this expanse of airports is the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Aviation Division, which is responsible for the planning and programming, engineering project management and grant management for what […]
TxDOT’s Renewed Focus on Safety Emphasized at 86th Annual Short Course
Change was the dominant theme for the 86th Annual Short Course, which took place at Texas A&M University, October 16-17. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) event, which is hosted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) each year, provides a unique opportunity for the two agencies to collaborate on a common goal: improving the […]
LSU Joins the Southwest Region University Transportation Center
Winning coaches seem to have at least one thing in common: an emphasis on teamwork while utilizing the talents of each individual. In the case of the Southwest Region University Transportation Center (SWUTC) — a consortium of five schools with transportation research and education programs — that philosophy has paid dividends for 25 years. “Louisiana […]
University Student Groups Start Peer-Based Driving Program
Impaired driving is a persistent problem in Texas, particularly among college students. A new peer-based program aims to change that — Texas A&M University-San Antonio and the University of the Incarnate Word have started the U in the Driver Seat (UDS) program, which organizers hope to eventually spread statewide. Car crashes are the number-one killer […]
Another TTI First: Broadcasting Crash Tests
On Sept. 26, for the first time in Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) history, a crash test at TTI’s Proving Grounds was broadcast live via the Internet to clients and stakeholders across the country. Providing live streaming crash tests was the brainchild of Dean Alberson, assistant agency director and manager of the TTI Crashworthy Structures […]
Nondestructive Testing — Saving Time and Resources
A recently completed project led by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) focused on improving the safety, cost and performance of bridge barriers by using a nondestructive testing (NDT) approach. “This project is part of the Transportation Pooled Fund Program and was proposed in 2011 by the Louisiana Department of Transportation,” says TTI Associate Research […]
Support Staff Views Crash Test, Learns Riverside Campus History
There was record attendance for the latest TTI Support Staff Development Seminar, Sept. 26. For the first time, the group — which meets every other month — attended a crash test at the Riverside Campus. Members witnessed an 18-wheeler plowing into a guardrail retaining wall at a speed of 50 miles-per-hour. “Most of our members […]