Internationally known transportation leader Dr. Katie Turnbull has been honored with a lifetime achievement award by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association’s Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF). Turnbull, executive associate director for the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), received the Ethel Birchland Lifetime Achievement Award July 26 in Lansdowne, Virginia. Turnbull received the award through ARTBA’s […]
MyTTI News
High School Students Experience Life as Engineers during Tour of TTI, A&M
Cesar Martinez grew up near the Boeing and Lockheed Martin facilities in Houston. It gave him an appreciation for aircraft and inspired in him a dream for what he might one day become: an aeronautical engineer. Martinez and 50 other Houston-area high school students arrived on the Texas A&M University campus July 22 for a […]
Extreme Heat Leads to Pavement Failures
Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) Senior Research Engineer and Regents Fellow Tom Scullion is no stranger to pavement failure investigations. Scullion has been involved with pavement research for over 35 years and is often called upon to offer his expertise in finding causes and providing solutions to pavement failures throughout the country and the world. (see […]
Norboge Presents Paper at Eno Center for Transportation
In a time of increased scrutiny about where transportation dollars are spent, the need for sound economic analysis in transportation planning is greater than ever. Nick Norboge, Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) assistant transportation researcher and fellow at the Eno Center for Transportation, recently presented a paper that examines how economic analysis can help states make […]
Road User Fee Idea Slowly Gaining Momentum
Attendance for the most recent mileage-based user fee (MBUF) conference nearly doubled from last year, signaling growing interest in what many proponents admit could be years, if not decades, before implementation. MBUFs, also known as vehicle-miles-traveled fees, are viewed as a promising approach to replace the current way transportation projects are funded. Instead of relying […]
TTI Included in White House Meeting Focused on Reaching Women
Thanks to a recent meeting with a newly formed group designed to attract women (and raise awareness of women’s contributions) to the transportation industry, White House staff members have become familiar with the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI). Chaired by TTI Director of External Initiatives Melissa Tooley, the Women Leaders in Transportation Design and Construction Council […]
Retirees Come Home as ‘Part of TTI Family’
A dozen TTI retirees spent much of June 19 at the Riverside Campus reminiscing about their affiliation with TTI. For some, those memories go as far back as 1966. The former employees were invited to see a crash test (called off, unfortunately, because of rain) and tour other parts of the Crashworthy Structures Program. Years […]
Geiselbrecht Receives IAP2 Certification
Texas Transportation Institute Assistant Research Scientist Tina Geiselbrecht has successfully completed 40 hours of instruction by the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2), receiving the IAP2 Certification in Public Participation. Geiselbrecht’s work centers on public opinion research and public outreach. In assessing public opinion about planned transportation projects, she has conducted numerous stakeholder interviews, focus […]
Body Snatchers and Slugs Part of Carpooling Culture
It’s a U.S. phenomenon that’s happening in just three cities. Tens of thousands of people congregating in crowded parking lots. In some circles they call themselves either “body snatchers” or “slugs,” and their motive is simple: they want to save time and money. It’s called casual carpooling. It occurs in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and […]
Applying TTI Research in the Dominican Republic
Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) Senior Research Engineer Tom Scullion recently visited road builders in the Dominican Republic (DR) to help them upgrade their transportation network. This small island nation is upgrading its infrastructure by building their equivalent of the United States Interstate Highway System. The upgrade is over a billion dollar effort. One of the […]
Safer Roads, More Work Highlighted at TTI Safety Conference
With the theme of improving safety on highways in Texas and across the nation, the leader of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the retiring state legislator known as “Senator Safety” were featured speakers for the Texas Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) 4th annual Statewide Traffic Safety Conference, June 4-6, in San Antonio. David Strickland, […]
“Senator Safety” Honored at Annual TTI Safety Conference
State Senator Steve Ogden was recently honored jointly by the three state agencies most involved in realizing his vision for enhancing roadway safety in Texas. The recognition came in response to Ogden’s keynote address at the annual Texas Traffic Safety Conference in San Antonio on June 5. “Mention the name ‘Senator Safety’ to just about […]
Mitchell Retires as Dozens Share Laughter, Tears
After 35 years at TTI, Anna Jo Mitchell told the crowd attending her retirement party June 1 that she’s moving on to greener pastures. “It’s time to spend more time with [my husband] Fred. He’s going to be so happy,” she said to an eruption of laughter. The assistant chief financial officer watched as Don […]
Turnbull Cited for Excellence in Applied Research
Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) Executive Associate Agency Director Katie Turnbull received recognition from the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Managed Lanes Committee on May 23 for her contribution to high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) and high-occupancy toll (HOT) research, an effort spanning more than 20 years. The citation states that “[Turnbull’s research findings] and her hands-on involvement in […]
The Future Requires Original Thinking
When I became director of the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) in 2006, I inherited a number of initiatives from our Director Emeritus Herb Richardson. Herb built on the accomplishments of previous directors and left TTI in excellent shape, especially in terms of our relationships with the academic sector. Before becoming agency director, Herb served as […]
Updated Geometric Design Research Report Released
A report that builds on research conducted by Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers over a decade ago has recently been released. Transportation Research Board’s (TRB’s) National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 432: Recent Roadway Geometric Design Research for Improved Safety and Operations reviews and summarizes roadway geometric design literature completed and published from 2001 through […]
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. Click It or Ticket campaign underway (Star-Telegram) May 23, (CBS-DFW 11) May 21 The battle for the worst traffic in the country (KPCC-Radio) May 23 Truck lanes to ease congestion? (Bloomberg) May 22 […]
Historic Architectural Feature Could Help Thwart Terrorist Attacks
A potential new physical security barrier—historically known as a “ha-ha wall”—was first tested this week at the Texas Transportation Institute Proving Grounds in Bryan, Texas. On hand to witness the test were Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp and Texas A&M System Vice Chancellor and Dean of Engineering M. Katherine Banks. The test, sponsored […]
Delta-T Makes Recommendations for Representing Research
The 2011 Delta-T Leadership Class presented a Research Development Seminar May 24, detailing its study of new ways TTI research results can be presented to the public. The class project, Evolving Our Research Deliverables, examined the use of video, webinars and other methods — including the use of social media — to reach a broader […]
United Arab Emirates Project Addresses Crash Investigation and Reporting
Despite the vastly different cultures between the United Arab Emirates and the United States, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is finalizing a nine-month contract agreement with the Texas Transportation Institute’s Center for Transportation Safety (CTS). The project will center on crash investigation and post-crash site inspection and analysis. “The United Arab Emirates, and especially the […]
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