Norfolk Southern has awarded a grant to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Teens in the Driver Seat program. These funds will support rail safety education and outreach to 100 high schools and middle schools throughout Georgia. The partnership will seek to raise awareness of the dangers around by railroad crossings. Tragically, a majority of […]
safety
New Next-Generation Intersection to Enhance Safety for Vulnerable Road Users
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) and the Texas Department of Transportation have been selected for a $1.9 million federal grant to develop a next-generation intersection that promises to improve safety for the most at-risk road users. “Protecting pedestrians, cyclists, and others who share the road with vehicles is key to a safe and accessible […]
You in the Driver Seat Mobile App Wins “Best New Mobile App” Award
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Teens in the Driver Seat® (TDS) program was recently awarded the Platinum Award for Best New Mobile App by BestMobileAppAwards.com for their You in the Driver Seat (YDS) smartphone app. The app is aimed at encouraging safe driving behaviors in young drivers aged 16 to 25 and was selected […]
I-35 Waco Project Overview
This project will improve I-35 in Waco from 12th Street to North Loop 340 by improving safety and mobility, adding capacity, incorporating technology, and enhancing aesthetics. Improvements include widening main lanes to four lanes in each direction, improving frontage roads and ramps, reconstructing bridges, improving interchanges, adding U-turns, and improving bicycle and pedestrian access. The […]
Overcoming Barriers: Motorcycle Roadside Safety
Although motorcyclists make up only 3 percent of all registered vehicles, motorcyclists accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2020 in the United States. As these numbers have risen over the years, several state departments of transportation (DOTs) are taking matters into their own hands to address these related issues. In partnership with […]
Ribbon Cutting Marks Completion of I-35 Waco Project
The I-35 Waco Project is officially complete with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held Nov. 9. The $341 million project finished on budget and ahead of schedule, beating its originally estimated end date by approximately 18 months. The I-35 Waco Project is part of the larger My35 Waco District Construction Plan, begun in 2012, comprised of 17 […]
TTI Develops Hazmat and Train Derailment Guide for School Districts
TTI recently developed a Hazardous Materials and Train Derailment Emergency Planning Guide for School Districts and Community Colleges to help school district administrators, emergency managers, and safety officers plan for hazmat incident and train derailment emergencies. Hazardous materials are transported through almost every Texas community every day—by road, rail, pipeline, waterways, or air. Places where hazardous materials […]
Overcoming Barriers: Motorcycle Roadside Safety
Although motorcyclists make up only 3 percent of all registered vehicles, in 2020, motorcyclists accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities in the United States. As these numbers have risen over the years, several state DOTs are taking matters into their own hands to address these issues. In partnership with the Texas Department of […]
Teens Innovate Ways to #StopTrackTragedies
Every year, 2,100 North Americans are killed or seriously injured when they engage in unsafe behavior around tracks and trains. Operation Lifesaver Inc., Union Pacific Railroad and Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Teens in the Driver Seat® (TDS) program joined together Sept. 19–25 to observe Rail Safety Week (RSW) and urged the public to help […]
Transportation Leaders Discuss the Future of Technological Innovations at 2022 Transportation Technology Conference
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) hosted the 2022 Texas A&M Transportation Technology Conference Sept. 15–16 in partnership with The Texas A&M University System, Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Engineering and the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station. The event — sponsored by HNTB, Alliance Texas Mobility Innovation Zone, 3M and Cavnue — highlighted innovative projects […]
Clear the Way! Emergency Vehicles En Route
During an emergency, seconds matter. However, navigating through busy urban arterials may sometimes be a tricky task for emergency response vehicles, particularly through busy intersections. In 2021, of the 633,499 roadway crashes in Texas, nearly 37 percent occurred at intersections, emphasizing the importance of improving safety in these scenarios. An ongoing research project conducted by […]
TTI Provides Technical Assistance Study on Railway Grade Crossings in Mexico
Mexico’s national railway network consists of 16,700 miles of railway lines. Following a restructuring and privatization completed in 1998, the system is operated under long-term concessions to the federal government. The restructuring has resulted in the steady growth of freight rail traffic and increased efficiency. The road and rail systems intersect at more than 7,000 […]
Do Not Enter! You’re Driving the Wrong Way
Few scenarios are more terrifying for a motorist than encountering someone driving the wrong way on a freeway. When a crash occurs because of wrong-way driving (WWD), the results are often catastrophic. Such was the case on March 15, 2011, when San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) Officer Stephanie Brown was killed by an intoxicated WWD […]
How a More Forgiving Roadside Could Impact Severity of Crashes
Side roads, main roads, and highways have seemingly transformed into race tracks or obstacle courses during the last couple of years. Drivers slowing down, wearing seatbelts and not being under the influence can help reduce the number of deaths on roads; however, Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers are also working on other ways to […]
TTI Studies Parking Technology for I-80, I-94 Corridors
Researchers from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) are teaming up with The University of Wisconsin–Madison and ParkUnload to conduct a truck parking pilot study to better understand how truck drivers use existing parking spaces and to test the benefits of using a mobile parking app. Funding for this study is provided by the Federal […]
TTI’s Minjares-Kyle Promoted to Youth Transportation Safety Program Manager
After 35 years of service with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) — nearly 30 of that in a management position — Russell Henk resigned as program manager of the Youth Transportation Safety (YTS) Program effective June 30. “Creating the Teens in the Driver Seat® Program and leading the YTS team for the past 20 […]
TTI’s Warner Presents at Special Session on Trespass and Suicide Prevention at ILCAD International Rail Safety Conference
Recognizing the importance of increasing awareness of the safety dangers at highway–rail grade crossings (also known as level crossings), the International Union of Railways (UIC) began the International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) in 2009. Level crossing safety remains a major safety concern — especially regarding the dangers of trespassing on rail rights-of-way. In the […]
TTI’s Das Publishes Book on Artificial Intelligence in Highway Safety
Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Associate Research Scientist Subasish Das will publish the book Artificial Intelligence in Highway Safety (1st edition) September 29, 2022, with CRC Press/Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group. In this book, Das discusses advances in the highway safety field that involve artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. He specifically addresses how […]
Seeing the Road
Though highway striping technologies have evolved in the past 80 years, one constant has remained the same: Clear and highly visible highway markings ensure safety for drivers. Driving is a visual activity, and as we make our way down a road, we all look at a wide range of visual inputs — the roadway, the […]
Seeing the Road in Low-Visibility Conditions
Seeing the road is an essential component of safe driving. Drivers depend on a continuous flow of information as they move along the roadway to properly position their vehicle. Centerline and edge-line markings delineate the vehicle lane for drivers, while other markings such as stop bars and railway crossings provide key safety information and alert […]