Volume 59, Number 2 (2023) Adobe PDF version Inside This Issue: TTI Facilities by Research Area Driving Innovation Forward: TTI’s EERF Unveils New Cutting-Edge Capabilities Navigating the Future: TTI’s Driving Simulator Presents New Research Opportunities TTI’s Roadside Safety and Physical Security Division Spearheads Safety and Security Transportation Advancements Seeing the Road — TTI’s Visibility Research […]
Texas Transportation Researcher
TTI Facilities by Research Area
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) stands as a renowned institution at the forefront of cutting-edge transportation research. With world-class facilities and multidisciplinary expertise, TTI is a global leader in shaping safer, more efficient and environmentally sustainable transportation systems. Through innovative facilities in connected transportation, infrastructure, safety, environment and traffic operations, TTI pushes the boundaries […]
Driving Innovation Forward: TTI’s EERF Unveils New Cutting-Edge Capabilities
Accounting for about 29 percent of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the transportation sector is the largest contributor of GHG emissions in the United States. In an effort to reduce those numbers, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Environmental and Emissions Research Facility (EERF) has emerged as a leader in the race to find […]
Navigating the Future: TTI’s Driving Simulator Presents New Research Opportunities
Revolutionary advancements in vehicle technology and the changing dynamics of the modern roadway system have propelled the act of driving into uncharted territories, demanding a profound transformation in the driving experience. The current technological landscape — with its manifold innovations and tantalizing prospects on the horizon — holds the potential to revolutionize road safety and […]
TTI’s Roadside Safety and Physical Security Division Spearheads Safety and Security Transportation Advancements
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Roadside Safety and Physical Security Division has been protecting occupants from roadside hazards since the 1960s. From the early days, this facility — located on the Texas A&M-RELLIS campus — has served as a test site for countless research projects improving both safety on the roadways and security of […]
Seeing the Road — TTI’s Visibility Research Laboratory Built for Visibility Testing
Seeing the road and everything around it while driving is not a preferred option; rather, it’s an essential component of safe driving. Driving is a visual activity, and as we make our way down a road, we all look at a wide range of visual inputs — the roadway, the surrounding terrain, other vehicles, roadside […]
CIR: Pioneering the Future of Transportation
As the nation grapples with the pressing need for new and improved infrastructure, the Center for Infrastructure Renewal (CIR) stands as a beacon of innovation and research. Located in Bryan, Texas, CIR offers a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to addressing the challenges and demands of modern infrastructure. With a focus on developing sustainable, resilient and efficient […]
TTI’s Connected Transportation Facilities
Connected transportation is a major evolution in how vehicles and infrastructure will interact in the future, affecting every facet of transportation safety and mobility. Vehicles and the infrastructure will be able to talk to each other and communicate their real-time conditions. The lifespan of this research is expected to be decades as communication and message […]
Investigate. Communicate. Innovate. TTI Assists TxDOT in Sharing Local Solutions Statewide
With more than 12,000 employees and serving a state comprising nearly 270,000 square miles, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is responsible for the largest state transportation system in the nation. To better manage the vastly different mobility needs across the Lone Star State, TxDOT established 25 geographic districts and 34 disciplinary divisions. Organizing personnel […]
Rain or Shine: TTI’s SEC Lab Pioneers Roadside Environmental Management
As the wear and tear of time puts a toll on our roads and our environment, it’s imperative to have measures in place to combat potential issues that may arise. With the ever-changing climate and increasing environmental regulations, now more than ever it’s essential that the best products are being used on our roadways — […]
TTI News
Captain Clyde A. Barbour Inducted into Texas Transportation Hall of Honor Captain Clyde A. Barbour was posthumously inducted into the Texas Transportation Hall of Honor at a luncheon on June 26 at Sylvan Beach Pavilion in La Porte, Texas, near his namesake facilities: Barbours Cut inlet and Barbours Terminal at Port Houston. He was nominated […]
Thinking Transportation Podcasts
Download, listen, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Every other week, we interview a TTI expert or special guest on a wide range of transportation topics and discuss how those topics impact the average person. Is America’s Infrastructure Turning a Corner? Featuring: Charles Gurganus and Nasir Gharaibeh Episode 61 Two years have passed since […]
The Last Stop with Greg Winfree: A (Research) House Is Not a Home
We’ve devoted much of this edition of our magazine to showcasing some of the most advanced transportation research facilities anywhere on the planet. Throughout its history, TTI has devoted significant financial investment to building and continually refining these spaces to ensure that our laboratories are every bit as monumental as the transportation challenges they’re designed […]
A Job Well Done
Volume 59, Number 1 (2023) Adobe PDF version Inside This Issue: I-35 Waco Project Overview Planning Makes Perfect — Addressing Construction Issues Before the Project Begins Overcoming Barriers: Motorcycle Roadside Safety Ribbon Cutting Marks Completion of I-35 Waco Project Spotlight on Caroline Golden: From TTI Intern to Communications Professional TTI News Thinking Transportation Podcast The […]
I-35 Waco Project Overview
This project will improve I-35 in Waco from 12th Street to North Loop 340 by improving safety and mobility, adding capacity, incorporating technology, and enhancing aesthetics. Improvements include widening main lanes to four lanes in each direction, improving frontage roads and ramps, reconstructing bridges, improving interchanges, adding U-turns, and improving bicycle and pedestrian access. The […]
Planning Makes Perfect — Addressing Construction Issues Before the Project Begins
A common sight on Texas roadways is noise walls and retaining walls. Noise walls, or barriers, are helpful in keeping the sound of a busy highway out of neighborhoods and business districts. Retaining walls reduce the need for a sloped area at grade changes and are used extensively for highway overpasses. Noise walls and retaining […]
Overcoming Barriers: Motorcycle Roadside Safety
Although motorcyclists make up only 3 percent of all registered vehicles, motorcyclists accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2020 in the United States. As these numbers have risen over the years, several state departments of transportation (DOTs) are taking matters into their own hands to address these related issues. In partnership with […]
Ribbon Cutting Marks Completion of I-35 Waco Project
The I-35 Waco Project is officially complete with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held Nov. 9. The $341 million project finished on budget and ahead of schedule, beating its originally estimated end date by approximately 18 months. The I-35 Waco Project is part of the larger My35 Waco District Construction Plan, begun in 2012, comprised of 17 […]
Spotlight on Caroline Golden: From TTI Intern to Communications Professional
The ribbon cutting celebrating the completion of the I-35 Waco Project on Nov. 9 had personal significance for Caroline Golden, who’s done some construction of her own as a result of the project. In 2019, when the project began, Golden was a senior at Baylor University in Waco. Thanks to innate talent, opportunity and a […]
TTI News
Dennis Christiansen Inducted into Texas Transportation Hall of Honor Dr. Dennis L. Christiansen, P.E., agency director emeritus, was inducted into the Texas Transportation Hall of Honor at a reception and dinner at Traditions Club in Bryan on Sept. 14. During his 50-year career of transportation leadership and innovation, he served in numerous leadership roles over […]