News Archives

Over 80 schools throughout Texas participated in National Walk to School Day activities on October 8. The event is promoted by the National Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program and is aimed at drawing communities and schools together to combat the problem of childhood obesity by encouraging a healthy, active lifestyle. “We’ve seen a drastic […]

Texans are among the most safety-conscious drivers in the United States, according to results of a statewide safety belt-use survey conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI). In the 2008 survey, observers determined that an estimated 91.2 percent of all drivers and front-seat passengers in Texas buckled up. It’s the third year in a row […]

Thanks to some hard work and a lot of planning, the Hurricane Ike evacuation of tens of thousands of southeast Texans, including residents of Houston, was much different than the disastrous 2005 Hurricane Rita evacuation. Russell Henk, a Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) senior research engineer, attributes much of the success to Governor Rick Perry’s Task […]

India’s landfills hold more than just refuse. They could hold the promise of an alternative, renewable fuel source that’s much easier on the environment than conventional fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal. The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) is currently leading an effort to evaluate the feasibility of using the gases generated by Maharashtra, […]

Some Texas school bus drivers dread this time of year. Many of them witness motorists illegally zipping by them as they pick up or drop off children along their routes. Pick ups and drop offs are the most dangerous times of the day for the estimated 1.4 million Texas children who ride a bus to […]

High-tension cable barriers that have been constructed along 700 miles of Texas roadways are apparently doing their job. A recent study of the effectiveness of these barriers found that 18 fatalities and 26 injuries were prevented last year. Cable barriers are designed to prevent vehicles from crossing into oncoming lanes of traffic. These crossovers often […]

For the second month in a row, Texans bought less gasoline then they did in the same month the year before. Associate Research Scientist Dave Ellis of the Texas Transportation Institute says the May 2008 fuel purchases in the state are down about 1 percent from the previous May. April figures were down 3.2 percent […]

What appears to be random and pointless words printed on a dozen street signs that dot the roadways in and around Bryan and College Station, Texas, may have implications for nighttime drivers across the country. The test signs are part of a three-year project to determine which signage materials provide the best reflectivity and are […]

A record number of students attended he 11th Annual TTI Summer Transportation Institute (STI), which was held on three campuses in June&#8212Paul Quinn College in Dallas, Texas A&M University, Kingsville and The University of Texas at El Paso. In all, 155 students attended TTI’s STI. “The Summer Transportation Institute is filled with success stories every […]

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 a cancer-related surgery at the time of his death. In an email he wrote to employees the week before he left for the surgery, Richmond, 54, described the […]

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 transportation personnel to operate the system […]

A group of 61 students—who normally would not have the opportunity to learn about engineering—toured TTI for a behind-the-scenes look at transportation research including crash testing, driving simulation and transportation technology. The idea was to focus on areas of interest for 12- to 14-year-olds and perhaps open their eyes to possible exciting careers in transportation. […]

Despite knowing the dangers of risky driving behaviors, a survey of young drivers at a Texas Panhandle high school shows that teens regularly adopt those behaviors anyway. The results of the survey, conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute’s (TTI) Teens in the Driver Seat (TDS) program, were compared to results from 34 other Texas high […]

Fourteen years after May was designated Clean Air Month by the American Lung Association in 1994, the quest for cleaner air has taken on added significance. In addition to the recent emphasis on global warming and greenhouse gases, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that more stringent ozone standards will be put in place […]

On April 30 and despite wind gusts of at least 30 mph, TTI and special guests celebrated the construction of TTI’s State Headquarters and Research Building. The crowd gathered on site under a large tent in the newly completed parking lot for the new building. Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) dignitaries and Texas Transportation Department […]

With over 100 Texas high schools now deploying Teens in the Driver Seat (TDS), new federal funding totaling $343,000, announced by U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriquez in April, will help the unique TTI teen driver safety program continue its expansion. TDS is America’s first peer-to-peer program that alerts young drivers to the distractions and behaviors that […]

Transportation engineers and economists in Texas and across the country are reflecting on the lifetime achievements and visionary guidance of G. Sadler Bridges, who passed away Wednesday, April 16. Bridges’ career spanned five decades and included a pioneering transportation appointment with the Texas governor’s office, accolades from a United States vice president and debts of […]

Results of a Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) study for the National Waterways Foundation and the U.S. Maritime Administration highlight the benefits of moving cargo by water. For example, barges move a ton of cargo 576 miles for each gallon of fuel expended. That’s a much better average than railroads (413 miles) and trucks (155 miles). […]

The 35 million passenger cars and trucks heading into Texas from Mexico every year are bringing a big dose of frustration with them. Crossing times vary widely and can range from thirty minutes to more than two hours before the vehicles clear U.S. Customs. Long and uncertain crossing times negatively impact local commuters and businesses […]

At a time when automobile deaths are on the decline in the United States, the number of motorcycle fatalities is skyrocketing. That sobering information has placed even greater emphasis on this year’s Motorcycle Safety Forum held in Austin, Texas, recently. In his opening remarks to the 100 attendees, Center for Transportation Safety (CTS) Director John […]