News

The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) has been awarded $1.9 million by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) in Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) grants for fiscal year 2024.

American commuters spent 54 hours stuck in traffic in 2022, matching exactly their experience from 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced a brief but sharp decline in daily travel delay, according to a new study by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.

What normally draws crowds to Bryan-College Station are the roaring Texas A&M Aggies. However, for two weekends in June, new faces will be attracting a new set of visitors to Aggieland. With a capacity hold over 100,000 fans, Texas A&M University’s Kyle Field is set to welcome a plethora of soccer fans and country music enthusiasts into its stands—and its surrounding streets—on June 8 and  June 15, 2024. Additionally, Olsen Field will host the NCAA baseball super regionals from June 8–10.

Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Associate Agency Director Bill Eisele and recently retired Senior Research Engineer Kevin Balke have been recognized as 2022–2023 Regents Fellows.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded a $2.12 million grant to Dr. Eun Sug Park from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) and Dr. Elaine Symanski of Baylor College of Medicine to support a four-year study evaluating the impact of a regulatory intervention to reduce shipping emissions on public health.

The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) recently welcomed visitors from the Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST) as part of a pilot program funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea.

One of the main ways the public transit industry conducts research that develops practical solutions to its challenges is through the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). In recent years, numerous contributors from Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), especially those in TTI's Transit Mobility Program, have performed research and published practical reports for TCRP.

With more than 12,000 employees and serving a state comprising nearly 270,000 square miles, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is responsible for the largest state transportation system in the nation. To better manage the vastly different mobility needs across the Lone Star State, TxDOT established 25 geographic districts and 34 disciplinary divisions. Organizing personnel […]

Commuters across Texas reaped time and cost savings valued at more than $3 billion last year, thanks to transportation improvements and pandemic-related trends that made their drives quicker than just a few years ago. The findings are drawn from TTI’s annual analysis, which measures traffic delays in more than 2,100 of the most congested road segments in the state.

On Sept. 20–21, the 2023 A Better Border for a Better America Conference, hosted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), brought together experts and professionals from various fields to focus on enhancing connectivity and streamlining mobility along the U.S.-Mexico border. This two-day event — sponsored by Port of Eagle Pass Texas, Global Grab, Sun […]

The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) recently signed a four-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM).

The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) is pleased to announce that Dr. Ipek N. Sener — a distinguished research scientist at TTI — has been presented a Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS) award by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund.

Sandra Rodriguez, Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) project manager III, has been promoted to program manager of the new Transportation Programming and Portfolio Management Program, effective Sept. 1, 2023.

In a striking display of intellectual collaboration and expertise, three Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers have jointly authored multiple articles featured in the July–August 2023 edition of TR News. Focused on the crucial theme of enhancing transportation and accessibility for all, these articles showcase the power of interdisciplinary teamwork in addressing complex challenges.

Dr. Eun Sug Park, a senior research scientist and accomplished statistician at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), has been honored as the recipient of the prestigious 2023 H.O. Hartley Award. The award is named in honor of Professor H.O. Hartley, an esteemed statistician who founded the Department of Statistics in 1963.

Texas A&M University’s Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering recently announced the appointment of four new instructors in the Master of Engineering in Engineering for Transportation Professionals program. Joining the program from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) are Jim Cline, senior research engineer; Brianne Glover, research scientist and manager of TTI’s Infrastructure Investment Analysis Program; and Phil Lasley, research scientist and assistant program manager of TTI’s Mobility Analysis Program.

Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Research Scientist Dr. Ipek Sener was recently appointed chair of the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB’s) Committee on Transportation and Public Health (AME70). According to trbhealth.org, this standing committee creates a space for transportation and health communities to expand knowledge about positive and negative health impacts related to transportation policies, procedures, and actions.

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 […]

After 44 years of service to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), Tim Lomax retired on Feb. 3. A lifelong Aggie who received his bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, Tim has embodied TTI’s mission of saving lives, time and resources across Texas. Learn more about Tim’s career in an article by Texas […]

TTI Associate Agency Director Bill Eisele was recently featured in a CNBC news video on Feb. 6 about traffic and congestion. According to Eisele, “Just like congestion doesn’t have a single cause, there isn’t a single solution. And for the most part, we recommend more of everything in growing regions, especially where there’s high population […]

Texas A&M Transportation Institute Senior Research Scientist David Schrank was recently featured in a Washington Post article on September 16 about hybrid work schedules and congestion. According to the story, “with more workers returning to offices since Labor Day, the Washington region’s notorious rush-hour traffic has returned with a vengeance, as pandemic-era hybrid schedules have […]

Two Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers recently authored articles featured in the 2022 March–April edition of TR News. TTI Senior Research Engineer Kay Fitzpatrick published the article Determining the Posted Speed Limit — which focuses on the National Cooperative Highway Research Program Project 17-76: Guidance for the Setting of Speed Limits. The project investigated […]

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 […]

For many years, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) has provided travel demand model (TDM) technique support for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) as the base of the urban transportation planning process. The TDM is critical to the transportation planning process since it is used to predict future demand for transportation facilities and services. […]

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 […]

Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Graduate Research Assistant Xiaoqiang “Jack” Kong was recently presented a 2022 Association of Former Students Distinguished Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Research — Doctoral by Texas A&M University’s Graduate and Professional School at an awards ceremony Apr. 25 in the Rudder Forum. One of Texas A&M’s highest honors, the […]

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) recently appointed Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers and staff members as chairs and co-chairs on TRB committees and groups. These newly appointed chairs and co-chairs started their term April 15. Committee chairs may serve two consecutive three-year terms, and group chairs a three-year term. TRB staff make recommendations for […]

Xiaoqiang “Jack” Kong, Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) graduate research assistant, published the article “Work from Home in the Post-COVID World” in Case Studies on Transport Policy. The transport policy field blends engineering, economics, sociology and law to develop key solutions. Case Studies on Transport Policy pairs theoretical analyses with case studies to better inform […]

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) published an article on Brittney Gick, Texas A&M Transportation Institute associate transportation researcher, in the TR News January–February 2022 issue. Gick serves as a co-chair for the Transportation Sustainability and Resilience Group on TRB’s Young Members Council (YMC). Within the group, Gick represents the Transportation and Society Section. Gick and […]

Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers attended the March 24–25 Land Ports of the Future Workshop in Laredo, Texas. TTI co-sponsored the workshop as part of TTI’s memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Texas A&M International University (TAMIU). Katie Turnbull, TTI executive associate director, and Juan Villa, research scientist and regional manager for Latin America, represented […]

Unintended encounters with cars and trucks are nearly always bad news for animals. But not only do creatures face dangers on existing roads, they’re often imperiled from the moment that road construction begins. Animals of all types and sizes need to move about their habitats to forage, breed and simply exist, and that movement can […]

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones as they are commonly referred to, can carry out many impressive tasks, such as capturing stunning visual images, delivering packages, or carrying out complex military operations. While the use of UAVs is not new, their widespread use and seemingly unlimited potential in urban and rural areas have necessitated the […]

The behavior of the brown pelican, the fascinating migration of monarch butterflies, and rangeland management are not usually associated with transportation research. But all that is changing. Over the last few years, researchers with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) have developed a portfolio of environmental projects never considered part of transportation research. TTI already […]

Hazardous materials (hazmat) travel daily by road, rail, pipeline, waterway and air through the Lone Star State. Most transport vehicles safely arrive with their cargo. It’s when things go wrong — such as a hazmat incident or train derailment near a school — that a well-informed, thorough safety plan can save student, teacher and staff […]

Getting accurate, continuous travel information can be difficult for binational metropolitan regions like El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. As a result, international cross-border trips often go underrepresented in travel demand and behavior analysis studies. This can be caused by a number of factors, including time and budget limits and boundary issues associated with […]

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) published the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) paper “Using an Interpretable Machine Learning Framework to Understand the Relationship of Mobility and Reliability Indices on Truck Drivers’ Route Choices.” (Note: To access the full article, readers will need a subscription.) A member of the TTI Mobility Division, Graduate […]

Transit agencies increasingly acknowledge social media’s value in providing customers a voice, boosting ridership and presenting new solutions to the public. To help codify best practices for transit agencies using social media, Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers authored Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Synthesis 156 — Uses of Social Media in Public Transportation: A […]

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents named Shawn Turner, Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) senior research engineer, a 2020–2021 recipient of the Regents Fellow Service Award. Turner is nationally recognized for his expertise in mobility analysis, multimodal travel data collection and analysis, and performance measures and monitoring. Turner has spent more than 30 […]

Getting accurate, continuous travel information can be difficult for binational metropolitan regions like El Paso and Ciudad Juárez. As a result, international cross-border trips often go underrepresented in travel demand and behavior analysis studies. This can be caused by a number of factors, including time and budget limits and boundary issues associated with international jurisdictions. […]

Truck drivers cover hundreds of miles a day carrying goods from distribution centers to store shelves. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires truckers to take regular breaks and stop driving altogether once they pass a certain time behind the wheel. That means they must park their trucks and rest somewhere, and that can be […]

The efficient movement of goods is vital to the Texas economy, whatever the mode of transportation — via airports, highways, railways or waterways. Any disruption in the supply chain that prevents goods from moving efficiently can add not only to the costs of producing and shipping goods, but also to the variability and pricing of […]

The COVID-19 pandemic rattled industries and crippled supply chains worldwide. The results were also evident in the Lone Star State, as research by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) illustrates. Institute experts conducted research studying the impacts of COVID-19 at the Texas–Mexico border and found that the effects of the viral outbreak were felt almost […]

As part of a classroom assignment at Harvard Business School in 1978, Dan Bricklin created the prototype for spreadsheet software. Not only did it make paper-based account ledgers with handwritten figures obsolete, but Steve Jobs credited Bricklin’s invention — dubbed VisiCalc (short for visible calculator) — with the success of the Apple IIe, the personal computer […]

By Jolanda Prozzi The formula for surviving hurricanes and other weather disasters is part preparation and part recovery. The more effort and resources we invest in the former, the more success we can expect with the latter. That’s especially important to consider now that the nation’s infrastructure needs become more urgent. Extreme weather events disrupt […]

America’s worst public health crisis in a century flattened roadway congestion to levels not seen in 40 years, but the respite was short lived, according to the 2021 Urban Mobility Report (UMR) from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). In the pandemic shutdown of spring 2020, daily commuter traffic dropped by almost half compared to […]

By Tim Lomax, David Schrank, and Bill Eisele COVID-19’s impact on roadway traffic was deep and widespread, and it was entirely predictable given the shutdowns that occurred. What’s equally clear, is the lesson we can draw from our experience, particularly now, as American infrastructure needs are once again top of mind. That lesson is: the […]

Mass Transit recently named Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Graduate Research Assistant Ahmadreza Mahmoudzadeh to the 40 Under 40 list for 2020. Mahmoudzadeh began working in TTI’s Transit Mobility Program in fall 2018 and is a Ph.D. candidate in Texas A&M University’s Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He recently graduated with an M.S. […]

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 […]

Ensuring connected-automated vehicle technology benefits pedestrians, bicyclists and other vulnerable road users is vital to transforming our transportation system in a way that meets the needs of all users. Aiming for zero traffic deaths by the mid-century mark, the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT’s) Enhance Safety goal “promotes safe driving, bicycling and pedestrian activities.” TxDOT […]

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 […]

By Ed Hard, Shawn Turner, and Michael Martin Every day, your travel may be recorded, thanks to the apps on your mobile communication device. Whether our phones tell us about storm warnings, travel times, or lunch specials, we have enabled them to do so by clicking ‘yes’ when we’re prompted that an app wants to […]

As the lifeblood of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), the almost 220 standing committees cover all areas of transportation, with a variety of volunteer members from the public and private sectors. Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers currently serve TRB in various capacities, from committee chairs to technical paper peer reviewers to session planners, and […]

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. […]

Visibility Research Laboratory TTI’s Visibility Research Laboratory supports research evaluating transportation-related visibility products. The lab is equipped with photometric equipment to evaluate the products while traveling at night or in inclement weather. Contact: Adam Pike, [email protected] Smart Intersection TTI’s Smart Intersection tests connected vehicle applications, traffic signal control and connected infrastructure interoperability. For one research […]

AV-CV Strategy Guide Designed for Public Decision Makers The required public transportation project delivery process can be slow, methodical and risk averse. The technology industry, by contrast, moves quickly, often takes risks, and may treat failures as learning moments. It’s hard to imagine a greater potential for culture clash, but those are the players in […]

See related story. https://mobility.tamu.edu/umr/ Source: 2019 Urban Mobility Report, Texas A&M Transportation Institute

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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, […]

TTI Graduate Research Assistant Jinuk Hwang is the recipient of a $6,500 scholarship from the American Public Transportation Foundation (APTF). The APTF Americans with Disabilities Act 25th Anniversary Scholarship will be awarded during the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA’s) TRANSform Conference held Oct. 13–16, 2019, in New York. This scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate […]

Why and when should transportation agencies try to address health concerns? “The simple answer is because transportation decisions can impact health in the community. Considering these impacts early, as decisions are made, supports better outcomes.” — Federal Highway Administration In 2016, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published the Health in Transportation Corridor Planning Framework, a […]

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 […]

Many Texans rely on public transit to go to work or school, keep medical appointments, shop and run errands, and travel to recreational activities. In fact, in 2016, more than 30 million trips were made on Texas’ 67 transit systems (sometimes called districts) that receive state funding. Going to work was the most common trip […]

The peace and quiet rural Texas is known for can sometimes contribute to the notion that a quiet life in the country means that no problems exist. Yet many Texans who enjoy country living still have mobility needs, and that tranquil image can make it difficult for rural transportation providers to secure funding to meet […]

By Katie Turnbull This article was originally published in Dallas News, Dec. 26, 2018. For all the contrasts that distinguish urban and rural Texans, one thing that unites us all is the need for reliable transportation. Exactly what that reliable transportation looks like depends on where we choose to live. Regardless of that choice, certain […]

El Paso, Texas, holds a number of distinctions: the state’s only major city in a separate time zone, the only city that borders both a foreign country and another U.S. state, and perennial bragging rights as one of the nation’s safest cities. But when it comes to public transportation, the El Paso region is pretty […]

Consider this scenario: Dan lives in a small rural town and suffers from several health issues. He’s a very-low-income senior, making him eligible for Medicaid health care. Three times a month he must travel an hour away to the nearest city for medical care. Since he doesn’t own a vehicle or drive, Dan arranges to […]

Public transit vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists share roads in urban, suburban and rural environments. Signalized intersections in urban areas represent complex shared spaces. “Intersections are busy places, with passenger vehicles, trucks, buses, pedestrians and bicyclists all sharing space,” notes Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Executive Associate Director Katie Turnbull. “Transit stops are typically located near […]

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases (IIAD) a 10-year grant to lead its new Center of Excellence for Cross-Border Threat Screening and Supply Chain Defense. The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) is part of the interagency Texas A&M team. “Texas A&M looks […]

By Johanna Zmud Texas A&M Transportation Institute What do self-driving cars and teenage drivers have in common? Experience. Or, more accurately, a lack of experience. Teenage drivers – novice drivers of any age, actually – begin with little knowledge of how to actually operate a car’s controls, and how to handle various quirks of the […]

The Texas Marine Transportation System includes 1,000 harbor channels; 25,000 miles of inland, intracoastal and coastal waterways; and 3,700 terminals handling passenger and cargo movements. And it connects with 152,000 miles of rail, 460,000 miles of pipelines, and 45,000 miles of interstate highways. With 11 deepwater seaports as international gateways and more than 1,000 miles […]

TTI’s smart cities research focus gained an international partner on March 9 when the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Smart City Institute (SCI) of the University of Liège in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium. The purpose of the MOU, which was signed by TTI Agency Director Greg Winfree and SCI […]

Numerous Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) researchers and students were recognized during the Transportation Research Board (TRB) 97th Annual Meeting Jan. 7–11 in Washington, D.C. This year’s gathering of transportation professionals from around the globe included more than 5,000 presentations in nearly 800 sessions and workshops. Best Paper Awards The paper “Field Evaluation of Pilot […]

The traditional data used to estimate the transportation impact of urban development are not appropriate for smart growth or infill development, according to a study conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). (Infill development refers to building on vacant land within a developed area.) As a result […]

For the past 50 years, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) has provided assistance to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to make the nation’s transportation system safer, more efficient and more resilient. Across the DOT’s spectrum of modal agencies—air, highways, motor carriers, rail, transit, maritime, traffic safety, and pipeline and hazardous materials—TTI expertise has […]

For years, Gene Hicks thought there had to be a better way to count the number of vehicles traveling his state’s roadways. As director of the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s (MnDOT’s) Traffic Forecasting and Analysis Section, Hicks oversees the tedious task of laying out road tubes at approximately 33,000 sites (about 12,000 each year) to […]

Using GPS Devices to Get Better Emissions Estimates The World Trade Bridge crossing in the Laredo–Nuevo Laredo region is the most used Texas-Mexico port of entry (POE). The crossing’s popularity helps explain the location’s relatively high vehicle emissions, caused by high truck volumes and slow speeds as traffic makes its way across the bridge. A […]

In 2016, Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Associate Transportation Researcher Phil Lasley came to James Moughon, TTI software applications developer, looking for a way to make the congestion-mitigation strategy website, developed for TTI’s Transportation Policy Research Center, more user friendly. At the time, the website listed more than 100 congestion-mitigation strategies using static graphics, but […]

In 2009, researchers at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) began compiling its Texas 100 Most Congested Highways list as part of an interagency contract with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Over the past nine years, the list has helped TxDOT identify and begin to address the most congested highways in the state. It’s […]

The Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Sediment and Erosion Control Laboratory (SEC Lab) was awarded the Environmental Excellence Award during the International Erosion Control Association (IECA) annual conference and expo in Atlanta, Georgia, Feb. 22. “This was certainly a pleasant surprise,” says Assistant Research Scientist Jett McFalls, who manages the SEC Lab. “We had no […]

A new University Transportation Center (UTC) will combine experts from two disciplines traditionally not known for research collaboration—transportation and public health. The Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy and Health (CAR-TEEH) will focus on the impact of transportation emissions on human health. The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) leads the CAR-TEEH consortium consisting […]

Katie Turnbull, executive associate director of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), has been appointed vice chair of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Executive Committee.  The appointment was made by Marcia McNutt, President of the National Academy of Sciences and Chair of the National Research Council (NRC). “This is a significant milestone not only for […]

Texas is a big state. Serving the mobility needs of rural residents is important. Public transit plays a key role in getting people where they need to go and might play a future role in getting goods to people. As part of a Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) project, researchers at the Texas A&M Transportation […]

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 […]

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 […]

For years transportation safety officials have encouraged impaired drivers to find a sober ride home — be it designating a driver, catching a cab or riding the bus. Another option became available in 2009, when transportation network companies (TNCs) first appeared. TNCs provide on-demand taxi-like transportation via self-dispatched independent drivers. Riders summon drivers through a […]

Vital to economic growth, transportation can also be a detriment to human health and the natural environment. That’s among the reasons why the concept of sustainable transportation is emerging in countries around the globe, among most state departments of transportation in the United States and, in increasing cases, as part of transportation engineering curricula. “Sustainable […]

In the United States, more people live in suburbs than in central cities, and suburbanites drive automobiles or rely on mass transit to get to and from work. The construction of highways with multiple lanes and faster speed limits has been a common response to meet the growth of sprawling cities and the widespread ownership […]

From automated cruise control to Google self-driving cars to trucks platooning, the world of connected, automated and autonomous vehicles is rapidly evolving. A research project sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) is examining connected and automated vehicle applications to improve transit, bicyclist and pedestrian […]

TTI, TAMHSC Lead Global Research Effort It’s no secret that we are living longer, healthier lives. But, does that also mean we are driving longer and traveling more? If so, it could have a dramatic impact on congestion, safety, public transportation and numerous other transportation issues — not only in the United States, but around […]

Action Needed to Reduce Traffic Congestion’s Impact on Drivers, Businesses and Local Economies America’s traffic congestion recession is over. Just as the U.S. economy has regained nearly all of the 9 million jobs lost during the downturn, a new report produced by INRIX and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) shows that traffic congestion has […]

Since 1989, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Sediment and Erosion Control Laboratory (SEC Lab) has generated an Approved Products List (APL) for the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT’s) use of erosion-control products. Some 25 years later, the SEC Lab continues to be the nation’s premier facility for performance evaluation of roadside environment management. TTI’s […]

When researchers at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) need a place to test vehicle emissions, they don’t have to go far — one of the largest drive-in environmental chambers in the United States is housed at Texas A&M University’s Riverside Campus. But the Environmental and Emissions Research Facility (EERF) does more than just emissions […]

Three programs at TTI work together to provide the Texas Department of Transportation with relevant and accurate data so it can make fully informed decisions on transportation priorities in Texas.

Seeing a smoking vehicle traveling down the highway makes us think about the air we’re breathing. When rainfall causes the road to be slick from tire residue and engine spills, we don’t often think of what happens when the pollutants wash off the road. But what the roadside does with the polluted water and how […]