In Field of Dreams people from all over the country came to a baseball field to relive their childhood fantasies of playing alongside their favorite players. The playing field in the movie was magical…but how about polluted? Pollution is certainly a problem in the real world, and especially in our nation’s waterways. Everything from household […]
Texas Transportation Researcher
Oberstar outlines “future of transportation” during visit with TTI
U.S. Representative James Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, outlined his vision of the future of transportation when he met with leaders of the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) during a recent visit to College Station. It was Representative Oberstar’s first visit to TTI but not his first experience with the […]
Neither rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night:TTI research improves nighttime driving safety
Drivers have numerous tools they can use in their quest to drive safely. Properly maintained traffic signs and pavement markings are two of them. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) originally aimed its Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) at ensuring that signs and markings were uniform in their design and placement. This promoted consistent […]
Share the road: Look twice for motorcycles
When gasoline topped $4 a gallon, motorcycles became a popular alternative for drivers looking to be more fuel efficient and save money. While most cars average around 22 miles per gallon, motorcycles easily average 50 to 60 miles per gallon. It is hard to know for certain how many new riders chose to ride a […]
Setting the Standard
Volume 45, Number 2 (2009) Adobe PDF version Inside This Issue: Editorial An institute by any other name… Research in Action Share the road: Look twice for motorcycles U.S. benefitting from TTI’s research abroad New TRENDS in projecting transportation funding U.S. Rep. Oberstar Visits TTI Oberstar outlines “future of transportation” during visit with TTI Safety […]
An institute by any other name…
Understandably, we at the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) focus our research on Texas issues…it’s right there in the name, isn’t it? But often, the results of TTI‘s research reach far beyond the borders of the Lone Star State. TTI conducts research for national and international, as well as state and private-sector, sponsors. The Institute is […]
Gate keeping in the 21st century: New Anti-Ram Standard Enhances Safety, Security
In the Middle Ages, gate keepers had it relatively easy. Castles were considered the pinnacle of defensive warfare technology. Then gunpowder was invented, and holes blasted in stone walls caused medieval strategists to reevaluate their old way of thinking. A similar change has occurred following terrorist attacks of the last 15 years, where the preferred […]
A wall in the water: TTI researchers work to standardize water barriers
On the morning of Oct. 12, 2000, a small boat loaded with explosives approached the port side of the United States (U.S.) Navy destroyer USS Cole, which was harbored in Aden, Yemen, for a routine fuel stop. An explosion ripped a large gash in the side of the ship, killing 17 sailors and 2 perpetrators. […]
New TRENDS in projecting transportation funding
Detailed transportation funding information for Texas will soon be available to anyone with Internet access — thanks to an interactive website (called TRENDS) being co-designed by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). It’s the first time a state’s transportation funding projection model will be available to the public. TRENDS, […]
U.S. benefitting from TTI’s research abroad
If you have ever studied abroad, you know that experiencing a different way of doing things can provide a unique perspective. In short, seeing things from outside the box can help you build a better box. With a renewed focus on improving the United States’ national infrastructure, learning useful technologies and best practices from nations […]
Available Reports and Products
Technical Reports “Managed Lanes Handbook Training: Year 2 Report of Activities,” by Beverly Kuhn, 5-4160-01-2, March 23, 2009. “Implementing GPS into PAVE-IR,” by Stephen Sebesta, 5-4577-03-1, March 17, 2009. “Improvements to Video Imaging Detection for Dilemma Zone Protection,” by Dan Middleton, 0-5774-1, March 17, 2009. “Potential Policies and Incentives to Encourage Movement of Containerized Freight […]
TTI Contributes to 2030 Committee’s Texas Transportation Needs Report
On February 26, the Texas Transportation Commission adopted the 2030 Committee’s Texas Transportation Needs Report. The 221-page report concludes that meeting Texas’ transportation needs between 2009 and 2030 will require $315 billion, or about $14.3 billion per year. The 2030 Committee is comprised of 12 Texas business and civic leaders appointed in May 2008 by […]
Recycling the road: Full-depth reclamation uses old roadways to make new
Not only is recycling good for the environment, it is good for our pocketbook. Recycling is the process of turning used products into raw materials for making new products. With thousands of miles of roadway in place — many needing rehabilitation — reusing the existing pavement materials can make a big cash difference. Full-depth reclamation […]
Edwards announces Mobility Initiative at TTI
Rep. Chet Edwards detailed the “Bryan/College Station Mobility Initiative” — a unique agreement designed to improve the quality of transportation in smaller communities — during a news conference at the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) on January 30. Edwards secured $1 million in funding for the initiative, which will house a traffic management system at TTI’s […]
Available Reports and Products
Technical Reports “Managed Lanes Handbook Training: Year 2 Report of Activities,” by Beverly Kuhn, 5-4160-01-2, March 23, 2009. “Implementing GPS into PAVE-IR,” by Stephen Sebesta, 5-4577-03-1, March 17, 2009. “Improvements to Video Imaging Detection for Dilemma Zone Protection,” by Dan Middleton, 0-5774-1, March 17, 2009. “Potential Policies and Incentives to Encourage Movement of Containerized Freight […]
Awards and More
Horsley presented Director’s Research Champion Award John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), was presented with the 2008 Texas Transportation Institute Director’s Research Champion Award at TTI‘s January 11 reception at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. The award is sponsored by Trinity Industries […]
Measuring twice, cutting once: Integrating sustainability into transportation planning
Tailoring and transportation share at least one thing in common — the better the planning, the better the product. When tailors measure cloth twice before cutting, they’re maximizing efficiency and minimizing waste by first calculating carefully. In the transportation planning arena, that’s what sustainability is all about. “Sustainable transportation” means different things to different people. […]
A Different Perspective
Transportation, like many things in life, is easily taken for granted. As part of its bid to stimulate the national economy, the Obama Administration is focusing on improving our national transportation infrastructure. This discussion, while new to some, is actually part of a lengthier dialogue as old as the United States itself. Though there was, […]
Evaluating the 4Ts
What impacts do tolling, transit, technology and telecommuting/travel demand management have on reducing traffic congestion in major travel corridors? Researchers at the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) are part of a team helping the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) answer that question. The U.S. DOT is funding congestion reduction strategies at multiple sites throughout the […]
Senate and Legislative Ladies Day a smashing success
On March 4, 67 wives of Texas Legislators visited the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) and the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) for Senate and Legislative Ladies Day. In attendance were Julie Straus, wife of Speaker of the House Joe Straus; Sen. Steve Ogden’s wife, Beverly; and Michelle Dunnam, wife of Rep. Jim Dunnam of the […]