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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.

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Finding safe parking is a constant concern for the nation’s hundreds of thousands of truck drivers. There are typically not enough parking spaces along their routes, and there is no real way for truckers to know in advance about parking availability. How big is the issue in Texas? According to the Texas Department of Transportation’s […]

Local government officials often refer to their general aviation airport as “the most valuable mile of pavement in the county.” The Texas Aviation Economic Impact Study, released in 2018, proved just how true that perception is. The study was prepared for the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT’s) Aviation Division by CDM Smith, with assistance from […]

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 […]

The world seems to be moving faster. Our transportation system, however, seems to be slowing down. Expanding economies place increasing demands on our current transportation system. While economic growth is good, increased freight and commuter traffic is filling roadways that, when built 50 years ago, seemed luxurious in their emptiness. Given this reality, how can […]

Growth is a good thing. In economic terms, it can mean increased opportunity for businesses and more choices for consumers. But economic growth also means more demands on — and often more congestion for — our transportation system. Sometimes, the rate of economic expansion can outpace the capacity of our transportation infrastructure. In its 2013 […]