As part of a new Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) project, Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers are looking into Texans’ attitudes on marijuana use and analyzing the traffic safety impacts in states that have legalized, decriminalized or made marijuana available for medical purposes. Several U.S. states have relaxed their marijuana laws, and during the […]
public policy
Transportation Leaders Explore Congestion, Funding, Alternative Modes at Policy Symposium
Roadway congestion challenges and solutions were front and center on November 3 as transportation policy followers gathered for a symposium hosted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) and the Texas Tribune. Throughout the morning, policy makers and other leaders stressed the need for careful planning in anticipation of continued rapid population growth, most of […]
Uber, Lyft and Other TNCs: How Governments Are Approaching Ride-Hailing Regulation
When is a technology company not a taxicab company? That question illustrates one of the challenges in regulating transportation network companies (TNCs), the businesses that provide prearranged rides through a digital network, most often via a smartphone app. Since 2010, those companies have argued that they’re not like traditional taxicab enterprises, and as such, they […]
Roping Revolution: CV/AV Deployment and Public Policy
Transportation research often focuses on the technological side of things: how a process is done, what materials are used, and what minimum standards should be applied to promote our transportation system’s safety and sustainability. That’s certainly the case when it comes to implementing connected and automated vehicle (CV/AV) technologies on our nation’s roadways. Although transportation […]
Reinventing Transportation: Change Is Coming. Are We Ready?
The transportation revolution is on its way. In fact, it’s already here. Partially automated vehicles (AVs) are on the nation’s roadways right now, connected vehicles (CVs) are just around the corner, and autonomous vehicles may not be far behind. Standards and policies are evolving as well. For example, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is […]
Transportation Is Primary Focus of Area 41 Think Tank at Texas A&M
The Lone Star State is facing future challenges that cut across traditional lines of thinking and require cross-cutting solutions as well. The Texas A&M University System has created the Area 41 Institute to help solve these multidisciplinary problems. The Institute’s name is a nod to the military installation called Area 51, which is known for […]
TTI Helps Texas Stay on Course for the Future
As Texas lawmakers prepare for the 84th Texas Legislative Session, one of the topics on their agenda is the Texas transportation system. How to maintain and enhance all modes of transportation in the state to benefit residents, business owners and travelers has been discussed in recent sessions. Given innovations in technology and a growing population, […]
TOSTADA Uses Stacked Data Layers to Provide the Best “Bang for the Buck”
If the concept of layering works for a popular Mexican food dish, why can’t the same concept work when analyzing data to prioritize roadway improvements? That’s the thinking behind a new approach that examines a comprehensive set of condition and performance measures, and weighs those factors to help determine where transportation improvement projects make the […]
TTI Study Examines Policy Implications of Automated Vehicles
The widespread presence of self-driving vehicles is still many years away. To manufacturers, those years represent a long and anxious wait to get their products to market. Government decision-makers, on the other hand, might view the wait as a good thing, since they will need all the time they can get to work through the […]
TTI’s Advanced Traffic Forecasting Helps Austin Prepare for 2035
ACCORDING to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), 180,000 vehicles per day drive I-35 between US 183 and SH 71, the 10-mile central artery for travel and commerce in Austin. The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) estimates the city’s population will almost double over the next 20 years. Considering that 85 percent of current […]
Estimating Economic Impacts for Policymakers
Finance When it comes to selecting and funding transportation improvements in Texas, communities have a wide array of alternatives, with each having its own advantages and disadvantages. Frequently, vigorous debate occurs about how best to solve traffic problems. The key question is often how best to increase mobility in the most cost-effective way possible. Should […]
TTI’s New Policy Research Center to Facilitate Innovation
“Everything about the Texas transportation system is changing,” says Ginger Goodin, director of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) new Policy Research Center (PRC). “The old way of doing things just isn’t feasible anymore.” Goodin is essentially referring to the old solution of simply building more roads to meet our state’s mobility needs. While adding […]
How Do We Finance Transportation? That Is the (Philosophical) Question
Innovations in technology — like electric, hydrogen-fueled and hybrid cars — and improved gas mileage have resulted in flat gas-tax revenues…demands on the transportation network have continued to rise.
Rider 42: “Bang for the Buck” and “Fast Planning”
Lawmakers set aside money to get the state’s highest-priority roadway projects moving…They turned to TTI to help partner agencies prioritize projects to achieve the biggest bang for the buck.
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.
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