Hint: it isn’t oil… In the not-too-distant future, water might just prove more valuable to our national transportation system than gasoline. Rising gas prices are making it harder for truckers to make ends meet. Shipping goods in general is becoming ever more expensive, and those costs are being passed on to consumers. In short, the […]
Texas Transportation Researcher
Gone to Texas!
Mobility demands meet historic trends at the Texas Transportation Forum When asked where they were headed to homestead in the 19th century, many Americans famously answered, “Gone to Texas!” Back then, wagon trains were lucky to find wheel ruts to follow to the Lone Star State. These days the roads are just a little bit […]
TTI’s Richmond remembered for humor, humanity
Greg Richmond, long-time Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) employee and director of TTI Human Resources, lost his courageous, three-year battle with cancer on June 25. Richmond was undergoing cancer-related surgery at the time of his death. In an e-mail he wrote to employees the week before he left for the surgery, Richmond, 54, described the rare […]
Awards and more
TTI aids Mexican government with GPR In an effort to make sure its new road construction meets specifications, the Mexican state of Coahuila has turned to the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) for help in obtaining a ground penetrating radar (GPR)-equipped vehicle. Officials from Coahuila took possession of the system June 4. TTI also trained Mexican […]
Early and often
The importance of coordination in land development A ride down many state highways in Texas—IH-35 for example—yields an obvious conclusion to the driver: land is being developed along these corridors faster than ever. This rapid development brings with it many issues such as access management, right-of-way preservation and drainage. For this reason, early coordination between […]
Available reports and products
Technical Reports “Verification of the Load-Thickness Design Curves in the Modified Triaxial Design Method,” by Emmanuel Fernando, 0-4519-1, June 10, 2008. “Evaluation of Traffic Control Devices: Fourth-Year Activities,” by Gene Hawkins, 0-4701-4, June 20, 2008. “Traffic Signal Warrants,” by Gene Hawkins, 0-4701-P2, April 17, 2008. “Evaluation of Chevron Markings on Freeway-to-Freeway Connector Ramps in Texas,” […]
Engineering the future
STI pairs minds with opportunity Imagination. Every good idea begins with it. And inspiring young people to think about the future begins with sparking their imaginations. The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) coordinates the Summer Transportation Institute (STI) program, which aims to keep those good ideas flowing for years to come. Thinking about the future—and, specifically, […]
Getting the Word Out: TTI’s Research Speaks Volumes
Volume 44, Number 2 (2008) Adobe PDF version Inside This Issue: Editorial Actively sharing research knowledge Workshops The road doctors A shot of asphalt Early and often Shining a light on nighttime crashes Webinars encourage global knowledge exchange Engineering the future The best of all roads TTI State Headquarters Breaking ground Conferences Turning the roundhouse […]
Shining a light on nighttime crashes
TRB’s 18th Visibility Symposium encourages collaborative solutions Seeing the road ahead is just about the most important requirement for driving safely. And just as importantly, a driver’s ability to process and understand what he or she sees is vital to maintaining a safe driving environment. Since 1968, the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Visibility Symposium has […]
A shot of asphalt
New courses offer ground-floor training on seal coats With a tight budget and thousands of miles of paved roads to care for, the importance of effective preventive maintenance is a priority for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Seal coats, the process by which a layer of liquid asphalt is applied to an existing roadway […]
The road doctors
Got a road that’s ailing? Many older ones are. Perhaps the proper treatment requires a radical and expensive replacement of the entire roadway. But what if a less expensive procedure can cure what’s ailing that road…how’s a pavement engineer to know? Using tools such as falling weight deflectometers (FWD) and ground penetrating radar (GPR), Tom […]
Webinars encourage global knowledge exchange
Traditionally, professionals have had to travel to a distant hotel conference room if they wanted to share information face to face. Yet with today’s escalating travel costs, making that trip is increasingly and often prohibitively expensive. Web-based seminars (or webinars) now provide a convenient, cost-effective alternative to in-person seminars. Individuals interact online to share information, […]
Bridges leaves legacy of excellence, compassion
Transportation professionals in Texas and across the country are reflecting on the lifetime achievements and visionary guidance of G. Sadler Bridges, who passed away April 16. Bridges’ career spanned five decades and included a pioneering transportation appointment with the Texas governor’s office, accolades from a U.S. vice president and debts of gratitude from numerous colleagues […]
Managed lanes research shows broad reach
The managed lanes strategies that maximize existing roadway use and help minimize the need for new construction were first deployed in just four places — two in Texas and two in California. A look at the list today reveals 39 projects nationwide that already exist, are under construction or are in development. More than 816 […]
12 ways TTI initiatives impact transportation
Teens in the Driver Seat To address the growing crisis of teen deaths from driving, TTI developed Teens in the Driver Seat (TDS), a peer-to-peer driving safety program unlike any safety program in Texas or the nation. TDS relies upon young drivers themselves to create safety messages and then serve as the messengers to make […]
Saving lives
Living to tell about it — there’s nothing our researchers take more seriously Nationally, in 2006, there were 5,973,000 police-reported motor vehicle crashes, which killed a total of 42,642 people — 3,475 right here in Texas. Here are some sobering national numbers from 2006: 13,470 people were killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes, nearly 32 percent of […]
The sound of safety— when hearing is seeing
Navigating through a construction zone is dicey enough for drivers under the best circumstances, but the stakes rise considerably for pedestrians trying to make their way, even through familiar territory. For visually impaired pedestrians, the challenge can be life threatening. TTI Assistant Research Engineer Brooke Ullman recently undertook a study, sponsored by TxDOT, to find […]
Innovation through research
Consider for a moment light bulbs, plastic and transportation. An unusual mix, but they share two important common characteristics. Each, in some way, impacts every day of our lives, to the point that we can scarcely imagine doing without them. And each evolved from crude beginnings, with the original idea bearing little resemblance to what […]
Increasing efficiency
How do we maximize the transportation system we already have? Through research. For over 20 years, through support from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), multiple states and metropolitan planning organizations, the American Road and Transportation Builders Association and the U.S. Department of Transportation University Transportation Centers Program, the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) has helped […]
TTI researchers active in TRB
Throughout its history, researchers at the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) have actively participated in the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies and served in leadership positions. This tradition of participation and leadership continues today. TRB is the focal point for transportation research in North America. The mission of TRB is to provide leadership […]