The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Advisory Council met in College Station Oct. 19–20, 2016, at the Thomas D. Hildebrand, DVM ’56 Equine Complex on the Texas A&M University campus. The meeting began with a reception, dinner and update on the Port of Houston Authority from Roger Guenther, Port Authority executive director and TTI Advisory Council member.
The business meeting commenced with a welcome and introductions by David Cain, chair of the council. TTI Agency Director Dennis Christiansen provided an update on the Institute and its recent research initiatives. A panel discussion on truck traffic at Texas ports, moderated by TTI Transportation Policy Research Center Director Ginger Goodin, followed.
TTI research project updates included presentations on the Texas A&M Campus Transportation Technology Initiative, given by Bob Brydia, senior research scientist; an update on the RELLIS Campus development, provided by Ed Seymour, associate agency director; an update on The Texas A&M University System/TTI Infrastructure Technology Initiative, provided by Christopher Poe, assistant director and connected/automated transportation strategy lead for the Institute; and an update on the Texas A&M Gameday Traffic Initiative, provided by Tim Lomax, research fellow. Following these updates, TTI Executive Associate Director Bill Stockton led a discussion about potential research opportunities and transportation issues facing the state.
The lunch program was led by Marc Williams, deputy director of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), who provided an update on current TxDOT initiatives. After the meeting adjourned, members made a trip to the Freight Shuttle System Test and Evaluation Site in Bryan for a briefing and demonstration of the technology.
