Thirty-four employees have been named recipients of the inaugural TTI STAR Awards, designed to honor staff that go above and beyond their regular duties. The nomination process began in September, an anonymous committee (appointed by Agency Director Dennis Christiansen) reviewed the nominations, and winners were notified in November and December. There are three levels of […]
MyTTI News
TTI’s AWAM Getting Deployed Worldwide
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) invention known as AWAM — which stands for Anonymous Wireless Address Matching— is a perfect example of the old saying “success is the intersection of hard work and luck.” Though AWAM might never become a household word, for those in the transportation business, it’s quickly becoming the next breakthrough […]
What We’ve Done TOGETHER
TTI Celebrates 50 Years with NCHRP by Dennis Christiansen Agency Director In 2012, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). As I’m sure you know, NCHRP sponsors research in a wide range of topics critical to state departments of transportation. Doing so saves time, effort and resources in solving […]
Study Suggests Using Two License Plates Saves Resources for States, Law Enforcement Agencies
A recent study by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) suggests that states that require vehicles to have two license plates save valuable time and resources in the areas of enforcement, tolling, parking and homeland security. The study also found that the use of two license plates for vehicle identification purposes increases the efficiency and […]
First Port of Houston General Manager Honored
Benjamin Casey Allin III, the first general manager of the Port of Houston Authority, was inducted into the Texas Transportation Hall of Honor Sept. 12. All six of his grandchildren were present to accept the honor on his behalf at a luncheon in Houston co-sponsored by TTI and the Houston East End Chamber of Commerce. […]
Texas Safety Belt Use at All Time High, Other Restraint Surveys Indicate Need for Improvement
Texas motorists are once again buckling up in large numbers, especially compared to years past. Despite the improving numbers, the Center for Transportation Safety (CTS) — part of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) — has documented some areas where still more improvement is needed. TTI has been conducting these surveys since 1984. Among the […]
John Maddox Joins TTI/UMTRI
In a groundbreaking partnership, John Maddox has joined the University of Michigan Transportation Institute (UMTRI) and Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) as the director of collaborative program strategies. Maddox was formerly the associate administrator of vehicle safety research at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Maddox will be based out of UMTRI’s headquarters in Ann […]
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. Funding ideas for state roads, The Rancher, Oct. 31 Inland waterway interactive map, Farm Futures, Oct. 30 Nation’s fastest roadway opened in Central Texas, KUT Radio, Oct. 24 Pedestrian improvement in Mason, Mason […]
Employees Unite for SECC
The final figures are in: TTI employees raised $23,459.05 for the 2012 State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC). In fact, just two weeks into the campaign, TTI surpassed its goal of $16,900, supplying critical funding to local organizations in our communities. The campaign began September 1 and ended October 31. “When I heard the news, I […]
Plan to Be Safe This Thanksgiving
Traditionally, Wednesday, Nov. 21, is the most traveled day during the Thanksgiving holiday. It doesn’t take a mathematician to figure that more cars on the road mean more potential for injuries and fatalities. So, as you travel to be with family and friends this Thanksgiving, choose your route carefully, know what to expect along the […]
Jerry Ullman Receives Regents Fellow Service Award
On Nov. 2, 2012, the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents designated TTI Senior Research Engineer Jerry Ullman to receive the Regents Fellow Service Award. Ullman manages TTI’s Work Zone and DMS Program. The Board established the Regents Fellow Service Award program in 1998 to recognize employees who make exemplary contributions to their university […]
TTI Researcher Presents at Human Factors Annual Meeting
Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Associate Transportation Researcher Christine Yager gave a presentation, “The Effects of Reading and Writing Text-Based Messages While Driving,” at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. The meeting was held in Boston, MA, October 22–26 and was attended by more than 1,450 participants from the United […]
Halloween Day Blood Drive First for TTI
For the first time in TTI history, the October blood drive this year occurred on Halloween Day. To celebrate the occasion, organizer Nancy Stratta wanted to put donors in the appropriate mood to give blood. A smoking caldron of witch’s brew greeted donors at the front door, Halloween decorations adorned the room, lights were turned […]
Lady Bird Johnson Inducted into Texas Transportation Hall of Honor
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 […]
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 […]