Recently, Discovery Channel Daily Planet Tech Correspondent Lucas Cochran visited the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI) Proving Grounds to film a Future Tech segment on portable barriers. Portable barriers have the potential to save state DOTs time and money, as they can be manufactured off-site and quickly installed. TTI Senior Research Specialist Matt Robinson was […]
Archives for September 2013
Fatal Crash Risk For Teens With Passengers Rising, Even as Traffic Deaths Show 10-Year Decline
New research suggests that novice teenage drivers (age 15-17) are about eight times more likely than young adult drivers (age 18-24) to have a fatal crash if teenage passengers are in the motor vehicle. Moreover, that teen passenger risk has grown greater over the past decade, even as total numbers of crash deaths have dropped […]
TTI Hosts Infrastructure Maintenance Symposium
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute recently hosted DBi Services’ 9th annual Infrastructure Maintenance Symposium. The symposium was held August 27–28 and showcased the latest developments and technologies in the fields of infrastructure maintenance, operations and management. The two-day symposium featured educational breakout sessions on topics that focused on the current state-of-the-practice in transportation infrastructure maintenance. […]
TTI Helps METRO Hear from Riders, Including Those with Disabilities
The number of people with disabilities requesting transportation assistance from the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County’s (METRO’s) METROLift services has grown significantly in recent years. This increase has prompted the transit agency to consider a change in its paratransit policies and practices to balance quality of service with financial sustainability. Researchers with the Texas […]
New SEC Lab Making it Rain
The expanded Sediment Erosion Control (SEC) Laboratory officially opened its sprayers on September 4 marking the completion of a year-long construction project that more than doubles the capabilities of the research facility. The grand opening was celebrated with a two-day event that also featured a sediment and erosion control workshop. During her remarks, Texas A&M […]
Briaud Presents Louis Menard Lecture in Paris, France
It was serendipitous that Jean-Louis Briaud, Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Program manager at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, found himself presenting the prestigious Louis Menard Lecture in Paris, France, September 2. The annual lecture is part of the International Conference of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. Forty years ago, as a young civil engineering lecturer at […]
Texas Cities, Counties Invest in New Pavements Developed by TTI
Thin pavements expected to last longer, save money If thin is in, then the new pavements being developed by researchers at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) are all that, and then some. Instead of the traditional two-inch overlays that are typical for road rehabilitation, TTI researchers have […]
Finding Ways to Stretch Our Transportation Dollars
Volume 49, Number 3 (2013) Adobe PDF version Inside This Issue: Research Points the Way to Progress How Do We Finance Transportation? That Is the (Philosophical) Question TTI’s SEC Lab Expands to Meet Demand TTI Sponsors Fifth Annual MBUF Symposium Texas and the Panama Canal Expansion Rider 42: “Bang for the Buck” and “Fast Planning” […]
Research Points the Way to Progress
Knowledge is only as useful as the benefits it provides. At the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), we pursue knowledge through our research. We test assumptions, validate results, and use the state of the art to advance the state of the practice. We work to make the transportation system better, safer and more efficient. In […]
How Do We Finance Transportation? That Is the (Philosophical) Question
Innovations in technology — like electric, hydrogen-fueled and hybrid cars — and improved gas mileage have resulted in flat gas-tax revenues…demands on the transportation network have continued to rise.
TTI’s SEC Lab Expands to Meet Demand
For years, TTI’s SEC Laboratory has provided sponsors with a state-of-the-art facility for assessing sediment and erosion control products. This expansion will more than double our current capabilities and reduce the waiting list.
TTI Sponsors Fifth Annual MBUF Symposium
TTI sponsored the fifth MBUF symposium, held this year in conjunction with the ITS America’s 23rd Annual Meeting and Exposition.
Texas and the Panama Canal Expansion
TxDOT formed the Panama Canal Stakeholder Working Group in 2012…TTI assisted TxDOT with the working group meetings, reviewed previous studies and prepared the working group report.
Rider 42: “Bang for the Buck” and “Fast Planning”
Lawmakers set aside money to get the state’s highest-priority roadway projects moving…They turned to TTI to help partner agencies prioritize projects to achieve the biggest bang for the buck.
Texas Legislature Redefines Transportation Reinvestment Zones
The term hasn’t made it into daily conversation yet, but “transportation reinvestment zone” (TRZ) will likely become a familiar phrase among Texas taxing authorities soon.
Pilot Virtual Open House Ushers in New Era of Public Engagement
TTI, working with TxDOT and CTRMA, recently developed a virtual open house website as an online forum for the general public to learn about possible improvements to the Oak Hill Parkway project in Austin, Texas.
Revisiting Rural Rail Districts
When a rural rail line is removed due to unprofitability, the affected towns are quick to seek options, like a rural rail transportation district (RRTD), to remedy
the loss.
NHTSA’s Strickland Highlights Advanced Vehicle Research at Bridges Conference Room Dedication
In his first visit to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) on June 17, David Strickland, administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), noted “we are on the precipice of being able to say that cars can’t crash.” Strickland detailed current NHTSA research in Ann Arbor, Mich., involving 3,000 connected vehicles equipped with […]
TTI Advisory Council
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Advisory Council is comprised of a small group of high-level transportation professionals from across Texas and every sector of the transportation world. The council, which meets annually, offers a tremendous service to the Institute by advising on transportation issues and trends and supporting TTI’s research programs and initiatives. TTI […]
TTI News
Lomax Moderates Panel at Houston LINK Forum As part of the 17th annual Leadership, Involvement, Networking, Knowledge (LINK) Program held May 15–18, a delegation of 110 metropolitan Atlanta leaders traveled to Houston to hear about metropolitan challenges and solutions experienced in that city. This year’s agenda focused on Houston’s economic development, transportation system, and the […]