By William R. Stockton Your car’s next tank of gas is on its way to you. You can be assured of that, even though the journey it takes to get there is a sometimes arduous one. That journey could begin at one of hundreds of active oil wells in Texas, located predominantly in remote rural […]
economics
Rural Transportation Needs Highlighted at Policy Symposium
Local and statewide policy makers from around Texas gathered on November 13 to discuss a wide range of challenges facing rural sectors of the state, and transportation issues were high on the agenda. “The Future of Rural Texas” symposium on the Texas A&M University campus was hosted by The Texas Tribune and co-sponsored by the […]
A Lesson in Economics, Featuring Seaports and Your Stuff
By Jim Kruse The next time you’re trying to understand the global economy — the next time that hearing about tariffs and trade deficits makes you want to tune out — just remember that much of the study of economics boils down to just two things: seaports and your stuff. That’s because you use a […]
Quicker Funding, Shorter Project: TRZs Can Speed up Construction Projects from the Get-Go
According to the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT’s) Accelerated Construction Guidelines, a typical major highway project might take anywhere from 8 to 15 years. TxDOT says decreasing the time it takes to complete the preconstruction phase alone can save $100,000 to $500,000. The construction phase of transportation improvements is often thought of as the determining […]
Reaching the Worldwide Marketplace — TTI’s Center for International Intelligent Transportation Research Solves Cross-Border Transportation Problems
For the international economy to thrive, economic development can’t stop at national borders. Facilitating growth requires moving goods efficiently from one country to another, which in turn requires a vital, robust transportation system. In 2006, the Texas Legislature established the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Center for International Intelligent Transportation Research (CIITR). Through applied research, […]
The Best Surprise Is No Surprise
Utility engineering helps agencies and contractors avoid unseen expenses and delays Transportation project design and construction, even under the most ideal circumstances, is a challenge for all concerned: the agency who’s paying for the project, the engineer who’s designing it, the contractor who’s building it, and the travelers who are waiting for it to be […]
Texas A&M’s Infrastructure Renewal Symposium Brings Together Industry Experts, Leaders to Discuss Critical Issues
Optimism about future transportation funding and new efforts to modify regulatory restrictions were prominent themes of Texas A&M University’s National Symposium on the Barriers and Opportunities for Infrastructure Renewal, held at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center Sept. 18. Members of the Trump Administration and other high-level state and federal officials, as well as private-sector stakeholders, […]
Economic Indicators Graphs Provide Quick Access to Key Trends
When researching transportation in Texas, analyzing economic trends that impact transportation is a critical component. Therefore, having quick, accurate access to many of these trends is of great benefit to transportation researchers. The Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI) Infrastructure Investment and Analysis Program has developed a set of economic indicators that directly and indirectly affect […]
TTI-Texas A&M Engineering Collaborations Enhance Educational Opportunities
A transportation revolution is about to take place, the likes of which we’ve not seen since the invention of the internal combustion engine. Connected and automated vehicles (CV/AVs) hold the promise of vastly improving safety, mobility and the economy. We’re on the cusp of this transformation, and The Texas A&M University System’s engineering community is […]
Follow the Leader: Two-Truck Automated Platoon Test Is a Winner
Can an automated, commercial two-truck platoon be deployed on specific corridors in Texas in the next five to ten years? Thanks to a successful test by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the agencies are one big step closer to answering that question. […]
The Many Modes of Transportation Economics
Building and maintaining Texas’ transportation infrastructure are costly endeavors. Research conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Infrastructure Investment Analysis Program (IIAP) helps inform policy makers how best to mitigate those costs and provide the greatest return to Texas taxpayers. “The importance of transportation to the economy is obviously significant,” says IIAP Manager David […]
The Infrastructure Magnet: How Essential Is Transportation to Pulling In and Retaining Businesses?
A system that supports the efficient movement of cars, trucks, aircraft, trains and ships — and the people and goods on board — is central to any economy. That’s a given. But what’s less clear is how (and to what degree) Texas’ transportation system is important to various industry sectors. A Transportation Policy Research Center […]
Next Level Trucking: Autonomous Truck Platooning a Game Changer for Fuel Efficiency, Safety
It’s a technique that’s been used for years in the trucking industry, but now drafting, or truck platooning, is about to enter the world of autonomous driving known as level 2 truck platooning. The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) is beginning phase one of a project to test the feasibility of level 2 truck platooning […]
TTI Supports Texas Policy Makers
Public policy serves the greatest good when based on objective information. TTI research supports the legislative process by providing science-based findings to facilitate informed decisions and actions.
Toward a National Freight Data Architecture: TTI Researches the First Steps
Although much information exists on all aspects of freight movement and their intricacies, a comprehensive catalog of freight-related data sources does not exist.
Providing Positive Protection for Work Zones
TTI conducted a project to develop more comprehensive guidelines for the Texas Department of Transportation’s use in assessing the need for positive protection in work zones.
Celebrating 60 Years of Innovation: A history of saving lives, time and resources
Celebrating 60 Years of Innovation: A history of saving lives, time and resources The original 1950 charter of the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), given by the Texas A&M Board of Directors, charged the Institute with enlisting the broad resources of the college in all forms of transportation research, while giving students the opportunity to study […]
What Goes Around Comes Around: Transportation drives economic prosperity
Money makes the world go ’round. In the classic 1873 Jules Verne novel, Around the World in Eighty Days, Phileas Fogg races the clock, traveling by boat, rail, hot-air balloon, stage coach and elephant in hopes of winning £20,000. Today’s rapidly changing technology is making virtual world travel an everyday occurrence. But as long as […]