By Michael Walk During a pandemic, public transit may illustrate the ultimate Catch 22, even as dire conditions underscore the vital need for transit services in many communities. In the widening battle against COVID-19, we’ve been admonished to distance ourselves from each other to lower our risk of contracting the disease or spreading it to […]
mobility
TTI Helps Coordinate the CAV Task Force: Connected-Automated Vehicles Are Becoming a Reality
Connected-automated vehicles (CAVs) were once a figment of our imagination, something we only saw in science fiction movies; now, they’re becoming a reality. What exactly is CAV technology? CAVs leverage a combination of on- and off-vehicle sensors, cameras and other technologies to connect with other vehicles and infrastructure to help guide vehicles, improving public safety […]
Looking to the Future with the Texas Connected Freight Corridors Project
Imagine yourself driving a truck along I-35 filled with perishable goods. You rely on your eyes to predict what you might encounter on the road ahead, though you can’t always see every hazard. Advanced transportation technologies can make the difference, noticing (and reacting to) things the human eye can’t. Mobility, safety, reliability, security — all […]
On a Typical Day, Texas Drivers Face Longest Delays on Houston, Austin Freeways
Fueled by the state’s steady growth and healthy economy in 2018, Houston’s West Loop this year is set to repeat its rank as the most gridlocked corridor in the state. Interstate 35 in central Austin comes in a close second, with the Southwest and Eastex Freeways in Houston and the Woodall Rodgers Freeway in Dallas […]
Texas Cannot Pave Its Way Out of Traffic Problems
Some simple adjustments to work schedules could dramatically reduce rush-hour traffic By David Schrank When we drive to work, we’re more than just commuters; we’re data points in a daily test of the laws of supply and demand. And the result is the same every day. The roadway space we want exceeds the space we […]
Texas Drivers Face Longest Delays on Houston, Austin Freeways
Fueled by the state’s steady growth and healthy economy, Houston’s West Loop this year repeats its 2018 rank as the most gridlocked corridor in the state. Interstate 35 in central Austin comes in a close second, with the Southwest and Eastex Freeways in Houston and Dallas’ Woodall Rodgers Freeway rounding out the top five. Researchers […]
Just Like the Big Kids: COMPAT Analysis Tool Helps Smaller Urban Areas Gauge Gridlock
Roadway congestion in Texas, like the weather, is a relative thing. How you define severe depends a lot on where you live. A sheet of ice on city streets in south Texas might mean it’s a day when schools are closed. The same conditions in the Panhandle mean it’s a winter day ending in Y. […]
Our Concept of Mobility is Transforming — But 3 Roadway Realities Are Unchanged
By Gregory Winfree This is not your grandfather’s mobility landscape. Not even your father’s. Not even close. Thanks to the sharing economy, we have more here-to-there options today than we would have dared to imagine a decade ago. And transportation today depends almost as much on smartphones as it does on steering wheels. How we […]
At a Glance — New Study Underscores Economy-Traffic Jam Link
See related story. https://mobility.tamu.edu/umr/ Source: 2019 Urban Mobility Report, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Innovative Technologies and Services: TTI Helps Texas A&M Create Greener, More Pedestrian- and Bicycle-Friendly Campus
Spanning more than 5,200 acres, Texas A&M University’s College Station campus is one of the largest public institutions of higher learning in the world. The recently completed 2017 Campus Master Plan provides the framework for future development of the campus with one of its focus elements being mobility and safety. The Texas A&M Transportation Institute […]
Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility in Austin: TTI Research Examines the Causes of Collisions
Austin is a modern, thriving city with a population that enjoys an active lifestyle, including the increased use of nonmotorized modes of transportation. Many appreciate the numerous benefits of active transportation, though the growing popularity of nonmotorized modes can also bring increased collisions involving pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. “Incidents like these aren’t as common as […]
Coordinating Bicycle, Pedestrian Count Data to Identify Active Lifestyle Patterns
Ever looked at mobility from big picture to small details? Imagine a map of Texas. Select a county. Zoom in to a metropolitan view, checkered with count locations for bicyclists and pedestrians. Clicking on a count location also brings up a screen of charts that display bicycle and pedestrian count data at various time intervals. […]
Urban Mobility Pooled Fund Study Surpasses Two Decades of Service to Sponsors Nationwide
For over 35 years, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) urban mobility research efforts have developed a comprehensive set of performance measures and tools to measure and monitor mobility conditions in urban America. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) was the founder and sponsor of the research and initial implementation of the tools developed from […]
Good News, Bad News: Urban Mobility Report Underscores Economy-Traffic Connection
To take the nation’s economic temperature, analysts follow a mix of indicators, like inflation, gross domestic product and consumer confidence. They can now add freeway congestion to the list because if more Americans are working, more of us are also tied up in traffic. That picture is painted clearly in the 2019 Urban Mobility Report, […]
The Last Stop with Greg Winfree — Choice, Convenience and Customer Service: What Mobility Means in a Data-Driven Marketplace
Our definition of mobility is changing. At its most practical in transportation, mobility describes the safe and efficient movement of people and goods. But today that’s only part of the story — an artifact of last-century thinking. Today, we’re linked through the Internet of Things, creating opportunities for efficiencies never dreamed of a mere generation […]
New Study Underscores Economy/Traffic Jam Link
If more Americans are working, a new report confirms, more of us are also tied up in traffic. The picture is painted clearly in the 2019 Urban Mobility Report, published by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). Along with illustrating the problem, researchers also stress the same straightforward solutions they’ve long advocated: more of everything […]
Identifying Transportation Solutions That Promote Healthy Aging
The quality of life and transportation access are inescapably tied, no matter who you are. But that link is especially critical if you’re among those Americans classified as older. And older is a fast-growing group. The Baby Boomer generation will be over the age of 65 by 2030, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, meaning […]
Managing the Human Capital of Transit Scheduling
The success of a transit system will rise and fall on the strength and integrity of its scheduling, which directly impacts operating and capital costs, customer satisfaction, and operator wellness. As such, scheduling constitutes the foundation of any transit operation. Agencies now have a guide to help them strengthen that bedrock, in the form of […]
Mobility Issues In the Spotlight at Annual SXSW Gathering
Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) experts joined thought leaders from around the world recently during the annual South By Southwest Festival in Austin. Agency Director Greg Winfree joined healthcare leaders for a focus on “Plugging into rural healthcare solutions” as part of the Texas A&M Power House presence at SXSW on March 12. Winfree focused […]
At a Glance — Dollars and Sense: The Texas Rural Transportation Network
See related story.