Curtis Morgan

TTI Senior Research Scientist
Division Head

Education

• M.P.Aff., Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin, 2001
• B.S., General Engineering, United States Naval Academy, 1987

Short Biography

Mr. Morgan is the Program Manager in the Rail Research Program - one part of the Multimodal Freight Transportation Program at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. His work encompasses research, analysis, and evaluation of both freight and passenger rail system in Texas and throughout the United States. He has led several major research efforts regarding rail safety, statewide and local rail planning, and intermodal transportation. Among these are a major study of implementing Crew Resource Management human factors safety training in the rail industry, several studies regarding container movement and public-private partnership opportunities for rail transportation, and several studies related to passenger rail financing and technology. Prior to joining TTI, Mr. Morgan was a rail/multimodal and public transportation planner in the Multimodal Section of the Transportation Planning and Programming Division of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). In that position, he was responsible for coordination and development of TxDOT's rail planning activities with private railroad companies, metropolitan planning organizations, and local government representatives. Projects in which he was involved included the initial Austin-San Antonio Commuter Rail Feasibility Study, the Loop 1/U.S. 183 Improvement Study, and a study of grain transportation by truck and rail in the state of Texas. He researched and developed filings for submission to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board regarding rail line abandonment and drafted legislative testimony for members of the Texas Transportation Commission and TxDOT administrators. Additionally, he served as liaison for TxDOT with both Amtrak and regional commissions interested in development of high-speed passenger rail in the state. Before joining TxDOT, Mr. Morgan served for over eight years as a search and rescue helicopter pilot in the U.S. Navy while serving in a variety of operational and administrative positions. Mr. Morgan holds a B.S. in General Engineering from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland (1987) and a Masters of Public Affairs (M.P. Aff.) from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin (2001).