TEXAS TRANSPORTATION A Publication of the Texas Transportation Institute • Member of The Texas A&M University System • Vol. 37 • No. 2 • 2001 TTI’s Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) research is directed toward easing congestion and improving emergency response The alarm sounds . communities today stem from LINKING “Station 4. House Fire at 1910 the fact that the transportation TRANSPORTATION Elm St. Engine 6 and Ladder 2 system does not operate as if ELEMENTS respond.” it is one seamless system — as Intelligent transportation systems The firefighters at Station 4 if it is under single ownership (ITS) establish ways for agencies immediately head for the trucks. and management,” says Tom to share information and work In this business, a matter of min- Urbanik, associate agency direc- together to improve operational utes can mean the difference tor and head of the Transporta- efficiency and safety of the Charley V. Wootan between life and death. The truck tion Operations Group (TOG) at entire system. In working toward is almost there, only one block to Texas Transportation Institute this goal, TOG is developing 1926 – 2001 go. As the truck approaches the (TTI). “For example, if fire last intersection, a train arrives, dispatchers had a complete pic- —continued on page 2 —see tribute beginning on page 7 blocking the route. If the dis- ture of the transportation system patcher had known exactly when as the result of communication the train would cross the intersec- and information technology, we INSIDE THIS ISSUE tion, the dispatcher could have could save lives and property. If directed the trucks to take a dif- cities’ traffic signal systems and ferent route or may have been able the state’s freeway management Managed to dispatch other trucks . but centers supported emergency Lanes: Dynamic now, all anyone can do is hope for vehicle dispatch, lives, time and Archiving the best. money could be saved.” ITS Data the future Message “Many of the transporta- of freeway Signs tion problems that we face in our 512travel 13 Seamless transportation, cont. innovative approaches for linking Link facilities can also be used all elements of the transportation for professional development and network. training purposes following Researchers have been study- implementation. ing methods of monitoring train movements and predicting arrival NEW ITS DIRECTIONS and departure times at highway TTI is pursuing new initiatives grade crossings. This information such as the Center for Transporta- is being used to better operate tion Infrastructure Management the traffic signals and improve during Emergency (CTIME). The emergency response. focus of CTIME is to optimize the Other areas of research focus use of the transportation infra- on improving and enhancing road- structure during major emergen- way sensors, motorist information cies through the application of systems and incident manage- existing technology, development ment processes, and better coor- of new technologies and unified dination of ramp metering and inter-agency response. This effort traffic signal operation. will focus primarily on two major areas of need: TRANSLINK® • major military deployments LABORATORY • natural disasters TTI’s laboratory facilities, field test Military branches continue to beds and research tools serve as modernize, work toward improved settings for ITS research. One efficiency and assume new respon- facility, the TransLink® Research sibilities. These new responsibil- Laboratory located in Texas A&M ities include the Army’s recently University’s Research Park in Col- established 96-hour deployment lege Station, Texas, is a state-of- goal and the new Joint Task Force the-art lab designed to promote for Civil Support. Both of these and facilitate research and train- new initiatives call for U.S. mil- ing in transportation operations. itary personnel (in conjunction TTI researchers use TransLink to with numerous other agencies in design, develop and evaluate new the case of the latter example) to technologies and concepts for mea- “do more with less,” actively col- suring and improving operations. laborate and cooperate with other Through the use of simulation operating agencies and integrate equipment and real-time connec- and/or exchange real-time data tions to traffic management cen- across physical and jurisdictional ters, researchers develop and test boundaries. ITS provides a means new concepts and strategies for of accomplishing these goals in managing almost every aspect regard to transportation issues. of the surface transportation ITS research also responds system, including: to needs that arise as a part of • traffic signal systems hurricane evacuations. Roughly • highway-railroad grade one out of every five Americans crossings resides in an area at direct risk The TransLink® Research Laboratory • deployment of emergency for hurricanes. The latest sta- vehicles tistics indicate the number is • transit operations rising, with an estimated 3,500 located at Texas A&M University is • freeway management persons per day (fueled primarily Once ideas are developed and by retiring baby boomers) relo- a state-of-the-art lab designed to tested under controlled laboratory cating to at-risk coastal regions. conditions, they are taken to TTI’s Given these conditions, massive promote and facilitate research and test beds for real-world refine- evacuations such as the one ment. This systematic approach experienced during Hurricane provides products and methods Floyd in 1999 will become more training in transportation operations. ready for implementation. Trans- commonplace. The evacuation 2 Texas Transportation Researcher State officials honor ‘Father of Texas highway system’ On May 31, state transportation officials The Texas Transportation Hall of Honor paid tribute to the man considered to be recognizes individuals whose vision and the father of the Texas highway system leadership made possible the transporta- TTI Assistant Research Scientist Bob Brydia gives a when they inducted Dewitt C. Greer into tion system Texas enjoys today. presentation to TransLink partners on state-of-the- the Texas Transportation Hall of Honor. “Dewitt Greer was a man of excep- practice review of alternative methods of data entry. “The impact he had on the state’s trans- tional honor, vision and integrity,” Texas portation system — not just the on roads Transportation Institute Deputy Director (Opposite page, top and center photos) TransLink but on the industries that help build the Dennis Christiansen said in announcing partners participate in a training session on railroad preemption. roads — and the method and structure Greer’s selection. “All of us who travel the he used to put together this system were highways of Texas today have him to thank (Opposite page, bottom photo) TransLink research- masterful,” Texas Transportation Commis- for the prosperity and quality of life those ers preparing hardware-in-the-loop simulation sioner Robert Nichols said during the highways have brought to our great experiment. induction ceremony. state.” Greer, a 1923 graduate of Greer was the chief admin- Texas A&M University, istrator of the Texas High- resulting from Hurricane Floyd was the joined the Texas Highway way Department during the largest evacuation in American history and Department in 1927 and construction of the inter- involved an estimated six million people. served as the engineer- state highway system. ITS technologies tested in the lab can ensure director of the depart- The Colson-Briscoe Act, smooth operations during these types of ment from 1940 until of which Greer was the emergencies. his retirement in 1968. chief architect, He then became a allocated funds for IMPROVING THE FUTURE OF member of the Texas statewide farm-to-mar- TRANSPORTATION Highway Commission ket roads. With the help “Through these efforts and others, TTI from 1969 until 1981, of federal funds, the legis- research is contributing to development of a serving under Governors lation enabled the depart- surface transportation system that operates Preston Smith and Dolph ment to nearly double the seamlessly while maximizing the effective- Briscoe. At the time of his number of paved rural roads ness and efficiency of the movement of people death in 1986, Greer had com- in the state within two years. and goods,” says Urbanik. “Using intelligent pleted more than half a century During Greer’s tenure, the number transportation systems, we can make sure of service to the state. of miles of paved roads in Texas grew from the correct people have the correct informa- “Mr. Greer spent the majority of his 22,000 to more than 72,000. tion to make the correct decision in a timely life developing, constructing, maintaining Ray Barnhart, former member of the manner.” and administering over 72,000-plus miles Texas Transportation Commission and of highway system in this state. He was former administrator of the Federal High- dedicated to developing the best trans- way Administration, noted, “It is fitting For more information, contact Kevin Balke at (979) 845-9899 or portation system possible for the state of that Dewitt Greer be inducted into this [email protected] Texas,” said Luther DeBerry, retired direc- hall of honor. For truly if ever a man’s life tor of the Texas Department of Trans- epitomized the meaning of that word, it portation. “He not only served Texas, by was his. In the instance of the man called developing a great highway system, he also Mr. Greer, words such as honor, principles, touched the lives of people