by Eric Nava Near-real-time traffic information is no longer communicated exclusively through traditional news outlets or transportation agency channels. Instead, it is increasingly shared through community-driven social media platforms that have become part of how residents stay informed about roadway conditions, crashes and daily traffic disruptions.
by Erik Vargas and Okan Gurbuz
In its 2020 Texas Statewide Truck Parking Study, the Texas Department of Transportation noted that trucks carrying 1.2 billion tons of freight worth $1.7 trillion each year in the Lone Star State. That means 140,000 trucks must park somewhere in the state every day for drivers to rest and sleep. Noted in the study, truck volume is expected to grow by some 80 percent by 2040, making today’s shortage of truck parking facilities a crisis down the road.
by Jeff Shelton
When extreme events occur, the transportation network is vital to relief and recovery. For example, when a hurricane makes landfall, getting citizens to safety—particularly from low-lying areas at risk for flooding—is top priority. But once the heavy rain is falling, what routes should they take? Which roads are most likely to flood?
by Rafael Aldrete and Swapnil Samant
Transportation agencies are charged with the formidable task of keeping people and goods moving efficiently, reliably and safely. Sometimes, that’s not easy. When bad weather hits, for example, a transportation management agency’s limited resources and personnel are stretched thin by mass movements of cars and trucks stressing the local network.
This study explored how crowdsourced data can be used to better understand cross-border trips and travel patterns. Transportation officials can use these results to develop robust, data-driven policies regarding cross-border trips that, in turn, should make for more efficient, safe, and secure travel.
by Jason Wu The El Paso/Ciudad Juárez region is one of the world’s largest binational border metropolises. Multiple border crossings with heavy traffic (like this region has) can cause logistical challenges for transportation agencies. Secure, efficient technology solutions — including those that leverage the benefits of intelligent transportation systems — can help agencies while helping…
TTI researchers evaluated contact-tracing apps, a commonly used practice to slow down the spread of COVID-19, with a focus on the El Paso-Juarez region. Taking advantage of mobile technology is expected to help in transitioning back to daily life while managing the risk of future outbreaks.
Understanding the relationship between cross-border transportation and the spread of infectious diseases is vitally important to mitigating the spread of future waves of COVID-19 or other pandemics. This study clearly shows the significant effect border crossings have regarding the spread of infectious diseases in their surrounding communities.
In the transportation research business, we use the term “performance measurement” when we measure how a certain aspect of our transportation system is operating. For example, through crash reporting we can tell you with certainty how safe a road is operating, or, through commute times, how well traffic is flowing. Safety and mobility of a roadway are fairly easy to determine.
Travelers at the U.S.-Mexico border are experiencing longer and longer wait times. While NAFTA has proven economically advantageous for both countries—partly by encouraging tourism and trade in border towns—one negative consequence of increased economic activity has been longer lines at land ports of entry (LPOEs). The demand to cross from one country to the other usually exceeds a port’s capacity to efficiently process that traffic. This is particularly true in highly populated, bi-national regions such as El Paso-Ciudad Juarez.
