Seven staff members from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)-Texas Division spent the day at TTI on Wednesday, July 26, to learn about current research initiatives and tour TTI laboratories. The group visited both the TTI Proving Grounds at the Texas A&M University System’s RELLIS Campus and TTI’s State Headquarters on the Texas A&M University campus for briefings and tours.
Some of the stops were the Environmental and Emissions Research Facility, the Sediment and Erosion Control Laboratory, the Driving Simulator and the Visibility Research Laboratory. TTI Executive Associate Director Bill Stockton provided a broad overview of TTI, followed by several individual briefings on TTI’s connected and automated vehicle research projects, I-35 traveler information system and Campus Transportation Technology Initiative. The visitors also were able to see a crash test of a pick-up truck hitting a pinned concrete barrier sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation. The device was being tested for compliance with the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) standards.
FHWA-Texas Division Administrator Al Alonzi summed up his thoughts following the visit. “This was a valuable day and brought to light the depth and scope of world-class research and innovation going on at TTI,” Alonzi said. “What we learned about today is a reminder that research is where transportation improvements begin, and FHWA’s partnership with TTI gives me more confidence in the future of transportation.”
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