With a growing population and improved economy, Argentina is facing some unique challenges related to highway safety and road construction and design. The Asociación Argentina de Carreteras (Argentine Roads Association) and the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) will be working together to find transportation solutions in Latin America. The agreement was signed by the president of the association, Miguel Salvia and, on behalf of TTI, Assistant Agency Director Dean Alberson.
The agreement was made at the conclusion of the Argentina Roads Safety and Traffic Congress in Buenos Aires this summer. In part, the memorandum of agreement (MOA) “recognizes that a collaborative effort will be of mutual benefit and will serve to establish enduring ties of cooperation.” The MOA will last for five years and is renewable.
“Argentina is serious about improving its roads and the safety of its traveling public,” says Alberson. “We are honored to work with them in this endeavor, sharing with transportation colleagues in Latin America what has worked here in the United States, and applying that to the unique challenges in Argentina.” In addition to his assistant agency director duties, Alberson is the program manager of TTI’s Crashworthy Structures in the Safety and Structural Systems Division.
This agreement is an example of how TTI is establishing partnerships worldwide to improve the global transportation network. In addition to these initiatives, TTI researchers are reaching out individually to share their expertise. For example, Associate Transportation Researcher Carlos Chang-Albitres was recently elected to the International Road Federation board of directors for a three-year term. “The need for transportation improvements is not only great in the United States, but in every country I’ve visited,” Chang-Albitres says.