Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: Report Research Assessment Program (HB 2181)

The Texas Transportation Institute (TTl) was created by the Texas A&M University Board of Regents in 1955 to serve the transportation research needs of Texas. If required to do their own research, in-house research and development costs would be enormous for state transportation agencies to bear. A state university, however, presents a ready supply of expert problem-solvers in a variety of fields who can transfer their knowledge through research, teaching and publishing. Focusing academic land grant resources (including faculty, students and facilities) to help solve transportation problems benefits the university by funding research and provides the state with cost-effective solutions. TTl is the largest university-based transportation organization in the country. It serves as the federally designated Region VI University Transportation Research Center and is the single largest performing research agency for the Federal Highway Administration (FHW A) and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program(NCHRP). Based on a record of leadership within national and international professional organizations, volume and quality of research, number of graduate students, and number of research publications, TTl is a recognized world leader in transportation research. TTl research has contributed manyfold to the economic growth of the state. A SDHPT study estimated that for every dollar it invested in transportation research, the public received a twenty-two fold return measured in cost and time savings, enhanced mobility, reduction in pollution, and most importantly, the prevention of injury and accident- related deaths. Given the magnitude of the state's transportation-related expenditures (25 percent of GSP), incremental improvements gained through implementation of TTl research collectively translate to multi-million dollar savings. In addition to public benefits, TTl research sometimes generates products that have commercial value. These innovations spur growth in the private sector. Recently five TTl inventions have been patented and a sixth is pending. Two have been licensed for manufacture and national distribution. Building on its traditional strengths, TTl's research program is moving aggressively into advanced and emerging technologies, such as Intelligent Vehic1es/Highway Systems (IVHS), which will revolutionize mobility and safety for the future.