Independence Day traditionally ranks among the deadliest holiday periods on Texas highways, and last year was no exception with 133 alcohol-related crashes. In an effort to curb alcohol-related crashes and save lives, the Texas Department of Public Safety has stepped up statewide patrols during the 10-day Fourth of July holiday period that began June 28 […]
TTI and TxDOT Urge Drivers to Stay Safe This Holiday Weekend
TTI Welcomes Students of PVAMU’s Summer Transportation Institute
In a program designed to open the world of employment possibilities in science and engineering to interested high school students, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) hosted a visit June 25 by 20 scholarship recipients of Prairie View A&M University’s (PVAMU‘s) Summer Transportation Institute (STI). The tour of TTI included a full-scale crash test, a hands-on […]
TTI State Headquarters Conference Room Named for Former Interim Director
Described as a visionary leader and a moral compass for his colleagues, the late G. Sadler Bridges was honored June 17 by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) when the agency dedicated and named its new State Headquarters and Research Building conference room after the long-time employee. The dedication ceremony included emotional reminiscences from those […]
2013 Traffic Safety Conference Draws Upon Multiple Perspectives
The 250 transportation safety professionals who attended the 2013 Traffic Safety Conference in Fort Worth were told that Texas fatalities rose last year for the first time since 2005. But they were also given a behind-the-scenes look into connected vehicle technology that could drastically improve safety by eliminating a majority of car crashes in the […]
Spring 2013 Safetynet Newsletter Now Available
The newest issue of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s Center for Transportation Safety’s newsletter is available. View it here. Sign up to receive Safetynet via email. In this Issue: USAA, TTI Begin Extensive Distracted Driving Study New Study Shines Light on Pavement Markings and Safety Taking Research Further with the Driving Simulator Remotely Controlling Work […]
Simulated Crash Testing Saves Time and Money
Researchers at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI) Proving Grounds have run over 3,000 full-scale crash tests on everything from subcompact cars to 80,000-lb tractor-trailer rigs. The Center for Transportation Computational Mechanics (CeTCoM) at TTI has a history for being able to help predict the outcome of such crash testing using computer simulations and publicly […]
Pilot Virtual Open House Ushers in New Era of Public Engagement
Public input in the planning and implementation of transportation projects is a vital part of the project development process for agencies that are responsible for our transportation system. But in today’s environment of ever-increasing time constraints, it can be difficult for the public to take time out of their busy schedules to attend a meeting […]
Sediment Erosion Control Lab Expansion Nears Completion
The first thing a visitor to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s new Sediment Erosion Control (SEC) Laboratory notices is “this place is really big!” And indeed with over 3,600 square feet of expanded research capabilities featuring the ability to conduct ASTM testing, the SEC Lab is poised to become the go-to place for sediment and […]
TTI Participates in Global Symposium on Connected Vehicles, Looks Ahead to New Research Opportunities
With many of the vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) interested parties in attendance, the first annual Global Symposium on Connected Vehicles and Infrastructure took place in Ann Arbor, Michigan, May 14–16. Hosted by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI), the symposium examined all the key issues of V2V and V2I and included the […]
Click It or Ticket Enforcement Mobilization Begins
While many Americans are preparing to travel during the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, law enforcement will be ramping up their seat belt law enforcement efforts. With overwhelming evidence that seat belts save lives and help prevent serious injuries from automobile crashes, Texas’ Click It or Ticket campaign has had over 10 years of success. Since […]
TTI Pavement Testing Technology Voted SHRP2 Top Ranked Implementation Product
A recent state survey conducted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) of all the products developed under the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2) ranked a project conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI) Flexible Pavements Program as its highest ranked for implementation. The project was led by Senior Research […]
TTI Earns Recognition From Women’s Transportation Seminar
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute has been named Employer of the Year by the Heart of Texas Chapter of the Women’s Transportation Seminar. The organization also honored as its Woman of the Year, Cinde Weatherby, Director of TTI’s Strategic Transportation Solutions Center. The Chapter’s Employer of the Year award each year goes to a business […]
In Texas, Most Motorcycle Crashes Happen in May
May marks the start of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month when drivers of all other vehicles and all road users are reminded to safely “share the road” with motorcyclists, and to be extra alert to help keep motorcyclists safe. Consider these facts: In 2012, motorcyclists accounted for 14% of all traffic-related deaths in Texas. 460 motorcyclists […]
TTI Assistant Director Steve Roop Recognized at Patent Awards Luncheon
Texas A&M Transportation Institute Assistant Agency Director Steve Roop was honored by the Texas A&M Office of Technology Commercialization for three patents he received as part of the Freight Shuttle System, an innovative freight-movement system. The annual Patent and Innovation Awards Luncheon was held Friday, April 26, at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center at the […]
TTI Conducts Eagle Ford HazMat, Truck Traffic Study in South Texas
In 1849 Sacramento Valley, California, it was gold. In 1901 Spindletop, Texas, it was black gold. And now, thanks to advances in hydraulic fracturing (commonly called “fracking”) of rock formations to enable access to crude oil and — the Eagle Ford Shale region of South Texas is already producing another energy boom for the Lone […]
New Study Shines Light on Pavement Markings and Safety
When you drive at night and your headlights illuminate a lane marking, it makes you feel safer, right? After all, bright pavement markings are designed to help you stay in your lane and prevent you from running off the roadway. Called retroreflectivity, special materials in edge lines and lane lines create the brightness. With age […]
Getting Disabled Drivers on the Road Again: A TTI Tradition Continues
For the last 28 years, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) has been quietly improving the lives of people suffering from a myriad of life-changing illnesses — from debilitating arthritis to paralysis — that prevent them from driving. The four-member TTI team from the Riverside Campus responsible for improving mobility for this population has just […]
Voice-To-Text Apps Offer No Driving Safety Benefit; As With Manual Texting, Reaction Times Double
Texting drivers may believe they’re being more careful when they use the voice-to-text method, but new research findings suggest that those applications offer no real safety advantage over manual texting. The study was sponsored by the Southwest Region University Transportation Center and conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). SWUTC is a part of […]
Sequester, Business Aviation, Hot Topics at Upcoming Conference
In the past month, news of the potential closure of 14 air traffic control towers as a result of the March 1 sequester deadline made headlines throughout Texas. And even though the Federal Aviation Administration recently announced plans to delay tower closures until June 15, the topic is still expected to be a major point […]
Work Zone Safety: We’re All In This Together
Roadway work zones are hazardous both for motorists who navigate through lane changes and slowed speeds and for the dedicated workers whose office is often mere feet away from moving vehicles. Each year in April, National Work Zone Awareness Week is held to bring national attention to motorist and worker safety and mobility issues in […]