Between 1953 and 1962, the Texas Highway Department (THD) approved the construction of almost 16,000 miles of highway, bringing the state’s total system to 59,300 miles (more than any other state in the nation), and more than doubling the yearly construction and maintenance budget. Through the Cooperative Research Program and its partnership with THD, the […]
Texas Transportation Researcher
Technology wages war on the “average” commute
The morning cell phone beep of an instant message or the chime of an email around quitting time can be a commuter’s best friend when the message is a traffic alert about the drive ahead. That warning — making it possible for you to take an alternate route around a travel snag — can keep […]
Integrating advanced technology
Thanks to research, the toolbox of technologies for transportation decision makers has never been better stocked Rapid, effective deployment of technology seems always at the forefront of modern transportation research. Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers developed some of the first sophisticated and precise computer programs devoted to urban traffic management and the first implemented freeway […]
Awards and more
Williamson eulogized as “one of a kind” Ric Williamson, chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission, was eulogized by Governor Rick Perry and Texas Department of Transportation Executive Director Amadeo Saenz when several hundred people gathered inside the Weatherford High School auditorium for Williamson’s memorial service January 3. Texas Transportation Institute Director Dennis Christiansen and Associate […]
Available reports and products
Technical Reports “Heavy-Duty Flexible Bases: Field Performance and Draft Specifications,” by Tom Scullion, 0-4358-4, February 12, 2008. “Inventory of Utilities – Summary Report,” by Cesar Quiroga, 5-2110-01-4, January 29, 2008. “Hurricane Evacuation Traffic Operations,” by Andy Ballard, 0-4962-1, April 9, 2008. “Crash Testing and Evaluation of F-Shape Barriers on Slopes,” by Nauman Sheikh, 0-5210-3, March […]
TTI experience inspires careers, saves lives
At any given time, 200 students are employed by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI). Most of them, either graduate or undergraduate, are working on actual research projects funded by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Federal Highway Administration and research programs administered by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and other sponsors. TTI supplies the vital […]
Finding Solutions
Volume 44, Number 1 (2008) Adobe PDF version Inside This Issue: Guest Editorial Innovation through research Finding Solutions Building the system Integrating advanced technology Technology wages war on the “average” commute TTI experience inspires careers, saves lives 12 ways TTI initiatives impact transportation Saving lives The sound of safety— when hearing is seeing Increasing efficiency […]
Institute News
New TxDOT Leader, Meeting Place for Short Course The 81st Annual Transportation Short Course provided the transportation community with a chance to hear from recently appointed Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Executive Director Amadeo Saenz in his new role. The first Hispanic leader of TxDOT rose through the ranks in the Pharr District, beginning in […]
TTI Publications
Technical Reports “LoadGage User’s Guide,” by Emmanuel Fernando, 0-4519-P3, November 8, 2007. “Urban and Suburban Arterial Highways Workshop Materials,” by James Bonneson, 0-4703-P7, October 23, 2007. “Recommended Rehabilitation Options for Concrete Pavements,” by Thomas Scullion, 5-1731-01-P1, November 1, 2007. “Initial Assessment of Compliance of Texas Roadside Safety Hardware with Proposed Update to NCHRP Report 350,” […]
TTI: Going forward, going global
The Texas Transportation Institute is pursuing a number of initiatives. One of those, which is highlighted in this issue of the Researcher, involves identifying whether there is an appropriate and meaningful role for TTI in conducting international research and, if so, effectively developing that role. For a variety of reasons, this appears to be a […]
Research with a global reach
The Texas Transportation Institute’s new, international research initiative takes flight Transportation is a thread that knits countries and economies together worldwide. Innovations in congestion relief, safety and the reliability of roadway systems—many developed at the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI)—have made just-in-time inventories and next-day deliveries commonplace. And while reaching across oceans and continents to share […]
Congestion management solutions
Researchers look to improve North American trade Moving commodities efficiently is vital to the economies of North American countries. According to the San Diego Association of Governments and the California Department of Transportation, more then 80 percent of the total trade in North America is accomplished by truck and rail. In 2005, post-9/11 security requirements, […]
Transferring technology around the world
The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) is poised to expand its international research presence to the European Union state of the Czech Republic. Joe Button, senior research fellow with TTI, participated in the Central European (CE) T2 (technology transfer) meeting held last September. The objectives of the meetings were to offer participants the opportunity to learn […]
So far away, so close to home: TTI helps preserve WWII Memorial site
When more than 175,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, few of them had visions of glory. Most were simply scared young men barely out of high school who were assigned a rather daunting mission: to free Europe from Nazi domination. Under constant enemy fire, 200 men from James […]
TTI shares expertise with South America
In the fall of 2004, Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) Associate Transportation Researcher Carlos M. Chang-Albitres led efforts to help improve the transportation infrastructure in the Republic of Paraguay. Along with Joe Button, TTI Senior Research Fellow, Chang-Albitres used fluency in Spanish and his transportation research background to help craft a five-year memorandum of agreement (MOA) […]
Futuristic shuttle may transform freight transportation
It has the promise of revolutionizing the way freight is transported within ports, across borders and along highway corridors around the world. It could also drastically reduce emissions and delivery delays, while significantly increasing efficiency and security. In short, the Universal Freight Shuttle (UFS) could change the essence of the way humans do business. “The […]
A World of Research
Volume 43, Number 4 (2007) Adobe PDF version Inside This Issue: Institute News TTI Publications International Research TTI: Going forward, going global Research with a global reach Congestion management solutions Transferring technology around the world So far away, so close to home: TTI helps preserve WWII Memorial site TTI shares expertise with South America National […]
Pavement marking research on a national scale
For years, the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) has conducted groundbreaking research in the area of pavement markings and retroreflectivity. Now TTI is taking its expertise nationwide in a pavement marking demonstration project in Alaska and Tennessee. The project, sponsored by the United States Department of Transportation, is studying the safety impacts, environmental impacts and cost-effectiveness […]
Texas Transportation Hall of Honor Welcomes Class of 2007
The stately board room in the Texas Department of Transportation’s historic Dewitt Greer Building in Austin was an apt setting for the induction ceremony of three transportation visionaries into the Texas Transportation Hall of Honor September 25. The class of 2007 includes J.C. Dingwall, Ernest E. Howard and Marcus L. Yancy Jr. Director Dennis Christiansen […]
Step Lively
Award-winning research means safer ways to cross the street Why did the citizen cross the road? And more importantly, did he or she make it to the other side unscathed? Whether we’re after a cup of coffee and a croissant or sprinting for the bus, crossing busy streets is an everyday part of urban life. […]