Tailoring construction and repair solutions to unique problems along a discrete part of the roadway — instead of applying a one-size-fits-all method — is gaining popularity as a pavement design/rehabilitation method for entire corridors. It’s just one innovation that Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers are using to help the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) […]
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Recipe in the Making: The TxDOT Balanced Mix Design Project Is Developing a New System for Mix Design of Asphalt Mixtures
Using recycled materials on roadways has been standard procedure in construction for several decades. The challenge lies in having a practical mix design process — think of it like a recipe, selecting the right ingredients and proportions — that agencies responsible for highway infrastructure can rely on for guidance. The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT’s) […]
IDEAL-CT — Simple, Reliable, Efficient, Repeatable, Cost Effective
State departments of transportation (DOTs) nationwide have long dealt with the problem of asphalt pavement cracking — the primary type of distress that creates the need for pavement rehabilitation. Many cracking tests have been developed, but no single test has been simple, reliable, efficient, repeatable and cost effective — until now. Over the past four […]
Making Space for Big Rigs: TTI Helps TxDOT Evaluate Technologies to Facilitate Truck Parking
Finding safe parking is a constant concern for the nation’s hundreds of thousands of truck drivers. There are typically not enough parking spaces along their routes, and there is no real way for truckers to know in advance about parking availability. How big is the issue in Texas? According to the Texas Department of Transportation’s […]
I-35 Traveler Information System Helps Waco Fire Department Navigate Routes, Improve Response Times
In 2008, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) began its massive My35 Reconstruction Project to improve mobility and safety along 100 miles of I-35 in Central Texas. While most of the project is complete, Project 4B in Waco is currently underway, providing travelers improved traffic control, updated access roads and better interstate access locally. Since […]
From Space Travel to Roadway Safety: LiDAR Helps Identify Pavement Sections Prone to Hydroplaning
A technology once focused on aerospace applications half a century ago is finding new utility to improve the safety of driving surfaces in Texas thanks to evolving research at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). The effort employs LiDAR — or light detection and ranging — which calculates distances by transmitting a laser beam to […]
Episode 3: Promises, Promises. Turns out, building a self-driving car is a lot harder than we thought.
Episode Preview with TTI’s Bob Brydia (audio, 24s): Episode Detail March 2, 2021Promises, Promises. Turns out, building a self-driving car is a lot harder than we thought. Featuring: Bob Brydia Autonomous vehicles were supposed to be more widely available by now, but they’re not. So, what happened? Those cars have to learn how to do […]
TTI Participates in TRB’s 100th Annual Meeting — Virtual for the First Time
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) was well represented at the 100th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Jan. 5–29. This was the first time in its history TRB has held the event virtually. The meeting program included more than 3,000 presentations addressing 350 sessions and workshops on topics aimed at policy makers, […]
TTI News
Transportation Planning Fellowship Named for TTI’s Andy Mullins The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents approved the Andy Mullins Transportation Planning Fellowship, established by colleagues at TTI. A TTI research scientist and the manager of TTI’s Travel Forecasting Program, Mullins passed away unexpectedly Oct. 22, 2020. His research explored travel demand modeling and transportation […]
Thinking Transportation… Good News, Bad News. A better grade for America’s infrastructure, but still no bragging rights.
TTI researchers Edith Arámbula Mercado and Charles Gurganus reflect on the American Society of Civil Engineer’s 2021 Infrastructure Report Card. They explain how taking care of America’s infrastructure is a lot like taking care of our homes — the longer you wait to make repairs, the more costly they can be. Download, listen and subscribe […]
The Last Stop with Greg Winfree: Harsher Weather? Build Better. Resiliency Should Be a Priority for Infrastructure Funding
In February, Texas suffered a brutal storm that made international news — an arctic blast knocked most of the state’s power grid offline and plunged millions of residents into darkness. The luckier folks only suffered rolling blackouts and had plenty of water. Others slept in their cars with the motor — and heater — running. […]
Video Summary Report — Comprehensive Manual on Assessing Safety Hardware
A total of 37 Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) roadside safety systems have been crash tested in accordance with new national safety standards called manual on assessing safety hardware (MASH). The testing was conducted in three phases over a three-year period by TxDOT’s Bridge, Design, Maintenance and Traffic Safety Divisions. The TTI video production group […]
Episode 2: Does the Road Go On Forever? We can’t just pave our way out of traffic congestion.
Our 2020 experience taught us we can reduce roadway gridlock drastically in the face of a public health crisis, by reducing the demand for road space. According to TTI Senior Research Scientist David Schrank, the bigger test will come in whether we can do so once the crisis is over.
Thinking Transportation: TTI’s New Podcast Explores the Future of Transportation
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) has officially launched its new podcast Thinking Transportation: Engaging Conversations about Transportation Innovations. Hosted by TTI Editor-at-Large Bernie Fette, the biweekly podcast examines all aspects of transportation, from the promise of smart cars to new approaches to improving traffic safety to the continuing challenges of traffic congestion. Thinking Transportation […]
Episode 2: Does the Road Go On Forever? We can’t just pave our way out of traffic congestion.
Episode Preview with TTI’s David Schrank (audio, 24s): Full Episode (audio): Episode Detail February 23, 2021Does the Road Go On Forever? We can’t just pave our way out of traffic congestion. Featuring: David Schrank Our 2020 experience taught us we can reduce roadway gridlock drastically in the face of a public health crisis, by reducing […]
Podcast Primer
What is a podcast? A podcast is an audio (or video) program that can be downloaded or streamed from the Internet and listened to or watched at your leisure. There are thousands of podcasts focused on multiple areas of interest, and new episodes are posted on a regular basis. Where do I find podcasts? If […]
Episode 1: Whoa, That Was Close! Can we prevent crashes from happening by studying the ones that almost happened?
Nearly all new vehicles have some degree of self-driving capability and internet connectivity. Every time one of those cars corrects a lane-departing drift, brakes hard, or senses a sharp speed boost, it sends a message. And if we listen to those signals, we could save a lot of lives. Host Bernie Fette talks with TTI’s […]
Episode 1: WHOA, THAT WAS CLOSE! Can we prevent crashes from happening by studying the ones that almost happened?
Episode Preview with TTI’s Shawn Turner (audio, 26s): Full Episode (audio): Episode Detail February 12, 2021Whoa, That Was Close! Can we prevent crashes from happening by studying the ones that almost happened? Featuring: Eva Shipp, Shawn Turner Nearly all new vehicles have some degree of self-driving capability and internet connectivity. Every time one of those […]
Andy Mullins, Former TTI Researcher and Program Manager, Honored with Transportation Planning Fellowship
The Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System approved the Andy Mullins Transportation Planning Fellowship, established by colleagues at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). A friend to many across the Institute, Mullins passed away unexpectedly Oct. 22, 2020. Mullins was a TTI research scientist and the manager of TTI’s Travel Forecasting Program. […]
TTI’s Zmud Helps Author Policy Brief on Infrastructures and Robomobility
TTI Senior Research Scientist Johanna Zmud helped author the recently published policy brief “Defining the Role of Automated Transportation Infrastructure in Shaping Sociotechnical Systems” in the Think20 (T20) Task Force publication Infrastructure Investment and Financing. T20 is an engagement group comprised of regional and international think tanks serving to research and generate policy proposals on […]