Technical Reports “GIS Models for Analyzing Intercity Commute Patterns: A Case Study of the Austin-San Antonio Corridor in Texas,” by Benjamin Zhan, 0-5345-2, Nov. 18, 2008. “A Review of Performance Models and Test Procedures with Recommendations for Use in the Texas M-E Design Program,” by Fujie Zhou, 0-5798-1, Oct. 23, 2008. “Traffic Control Strategies for […]
Volume 44, Number 4
Awards and more
Briaud seeks top job of international society Next year, TTI Research Engineer Jean-Louis Briaud will learn if he will become president of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE). Briaud, a Texas A&M University Zachry Department of Civil Engineering professor and holder of the Spencer J. Buchanan Chair in Civil Engineering, has […]
School zones as safety zones
Helping motorists reduce speeds near schools SCHOOL SPEED LIMIT 20. That’s one sign we’re all likely to pay attention to. But those who don’t may potentially put children at risk. Some may think that making school speed zones longer is the answer. Or maybe it’s flashing lights or a lower speed limit. To find the […]
Safer routes, healthier kids
A generation ago, the typical morning routine for school-aged children involved eating a hearty breakfast around the table, and then bounding out the door with books in tow to either walk or ride a bike to school. Along the way other children in the neighborhood joined in, transforming the walk into a lively neighborhood promenade. […]
Texas Safe Communities
National results begin at home You’re driving down your neighborhood street, maybe past an elementary school where parents are picking up their kids. You’re conscientious and slow down, even beyond the school zone speed limit. And you notice the dangers — children crossing the street between parked cars, several drivers competing for one parking space […]
Pay Attention!
Enhancing Visibility to Improve Safety on Houston’s “Red Line” Visitors to downtown Houston, Texas, have probably seen Houston METRO’s “Red Line.” It’s a 7.5-mile stretch of light rail transit (LRT) that links the Central Business District with Midtown, the Museum District, the Texas Medical Center and Reliant Park. What visitors might not have noticed is […]
Tracking trends: Planning for air solutions, not pollution
As the old saying goes, you shouldn’t compare apples to oranges. But sometimes evaluating them together can yield interesting information about fruit in general — as long as there’s a valid way to accurately assess the two relative to one another. Each of Texas’ 254 counties is different from the others, from highways to air […]
Walk, bike and be counted
Automated sensors are watching out for you Take a walk down most busy urban streets and you’ll see any number of traffic devices to help keep pedestrians and bicyclists safe — pavement markings, crossing signals and warning signs. What you don’t see is what goes on behind the scenes. Several traffic safety devices need sensors […]
2008 Traffic Safety Conference showcases gains, needs
The inaugural gathering of traffic safety professionals, policymakers and practitioners was a rousing success, according to John Mounce, director of the Texas Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Center for Transportation Safety. Mounce moderated the conference. The 2008 Traffic Safety Conference was held in Houston, Texas, Nov. 17-19, 2008. TTI hosted the event in conjunction with the Texas […]
TTI-TxDOT partnership highlighted at Short Course
The historic relationship between Texas Transportation Institute and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) was the focus of Agency Director Dennis Christiansen’s remarks to the 82nd Annual Transportation Short Course, Oct. 14-15, held at Texas A&M University. “The universities in this state take great pride in the relationship we have with TxDOT,” Christiansen, the Short […]
Charles J. Keese inducted into Texas Transportation Hall of Honor
Charles J. “Jack” Keese was inducted into the Texas Transportation Hall of Honor on Oct. 22. Keese served as the first full-time director of the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) from 1962 to 1976. Friends and family joined TTI staff to celebrate Keese’s contributions to transportation at the Gibb Gilchrist Building in the Texas A&M University […]
Houston versus the hurricane
There’s no way to be 100 percent ready for the unpredictable power of a hurricane. But three years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, one thing is certain — this time, Texans were better prepared. The 2005 disaster Rita caused in southeast Texas was only amplified by the chaos of evacuation. Tens of thousands of Houstonians […]
Moving toward a CULTURE OF SAFETY
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for citizens from 4 to 34 years of age. Even though progress has been made in the reduction of traffic fatalities in this and other age groups, many in the traffic safety community believe that we may have reached the point of diminishing return in terms […]
Hazmat on the move
In June 2004, a chlorine spill from a rail tank car caused three deaths in San Antonio. While other similar incidents have occurred around the country, railcars are still the primary method for transporting this chemical used by water treatment plants to make drinking water safe. In order to address concerns about hazardous materials (hazmat) […]