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 […]
MyTTI News
TTI-Designed Information System Helps Keep I-35 Travelers Informed
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Partnering for Texas
Better, Stronger, Together: TTI and the Texas Department of Transportation by Dennis Christiansen Agency Director Shortly after it was formed in 1917, the Texas Highway Department came to the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas looking for answers. Can we make this road last longer? Can we save taxpayer dollars and still do a better […]
Parrish Joins TTI Advisory Council
Colin Parrish, Gov. Rick Perry’s advisor for budget, planning and policy, has recently joined TTI’s Advisory Council. Parrish advises the governor on all transportation-related issues at the state, federal and international levels. He also serves on several advisory groups related to broad policy initiatives, finance and economic development. Previously, Parrish served as an aide to […]
Hawkins Honored with Educator Award
Dr. Gene Hawkins, associate professor in the Texas A&M Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, is the recipient of a prestigious educator award from the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). Hawkins, who is also a research engineer with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), received the 2012 Wilbur S. Smith Distinguished Transportation Educator Award at the […]
Mixed Emotions Evident at Mounce/Hobbs Farewell
Despite what was billed as a shindig, the atmosphere was a bit somber as friends and colleagues gathered to say goodbye to Safety Center Director John Mounce and Senior Graphics Designer John Hobbs on Thursday, August 23. After decades of working for TTI, the popular duo decided to hold their retirement farewell party at the same […]
Odd Names, Good Times: TTI Bowling League Ends
After 10 weeks of heated battle, the TTI Summer Bowling League ended Aug. 15. Nine teams made up the league this year, including Insane in the 10thFrame, and The Bald and the Beautiful (named in part after its handsome team member Tommy Clement). With 28 wins and only 12 losses, Off Constantly, captained by Ed […]
Motorcycle Fatalities Focus of Safety Experts
Sixteen percent of all vehicle fatalities in Texas involve motorcyclists, according to David Strickland, the administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A recently licensed motorcyclist himself, Strickland was a speaker during the opening session of the 4th annual Traffic Safety Conference in San Antonio this summer. “I love motorcyclists and I love motorcycling, […]
TTI Researchers Attend Workshop on Future of Road Vehicle Automation
Within the last year there has been an upsurge of activity related to road vehicle automation, notably vehicular development activities from automobile manufacturers, Google, and research underway throughout the world. Recently, Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers Ginger Goodin and Ed Seymour attended a three-day workshop to share the state of the practice and participate […]
Adding Highway Shoulders, Width, Reduce Crash Numbers and Save Lives
AUSTIN — Texas highways are safer now thanks to hundreds of projects completed in the last few years to add shoulders, width on more than 1,000 miles of rural, two-lane highways. An analysis of 189 Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) road projects around the state shows that wider pavements make highways safer and result in […]
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. Name changes proposed for Texas A&M University System state agencies (The Eagle), July 29 Nation’s heat wave damages pavement (Daily Mail), July 26; (The New York Times), July 25 Plano intersection safer despite […]
Off the Field, Texas A&M Transportation Institute and University of Florida Team Up
When it comes to safety, Texas A&M University and The University of Florida are on the same team. Football, however, is a different story. Even among avid football fans, the 1976 Sun Bowl was a distant memory in 2004. And for three University of Florida civil engineers, the last Gator-Aggie match-up was never even on […]
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