AASHTO Journal - TxDOT on the 100th Episode of ‘Thinking Transportation’

The Texas A&M Transportation Institute or TTI recently celebrated the 100th episode of its ‘Thinking Transportation’ podcast with Marc Williams, executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation, as one of its guest – a reflection of the cooperative research program that has existed between TTI and TxDOT for 75 years.

[Above graphic by TTI]

Podcast host Allan Rutter talked with both TxDOT’s Williams and TTI Agency Director Greg Winfree about TTI’s longstanding relationship with TxDOT.

Rutter noted that the Texas A&M College System created TTI in June 1950 to conduct highway research for, and on behalf of, the state of Texas and the then-named Texas Highway Department, which was subsequently renamed TxDOT in 1991.

TxDOT’s Williams noted that Gibb Gilchrist and Dewitt Greer helped found TTI and both were former Texas Highway Department leaders as well.

“Gilchrist went on to be the first chancellor of Texas A&M and Greer had a long tenure in history as the agency head with the Texas Department of Transportation; eventually became [Texas Transportation] commission chair, too,” Williams said. “It was really that partnership that I think put the seeds of the relationship that we enjoy, even to this day between TxDOT and TTI – a partnership between both of our agencies really oriented and fostered on addressing a lot of the most critical needs that we face in our industry.”

He said those “challenges” include autonomous vehicles, digital infrastructure, new communications technology, plus artificial intelligence and machine learning.

“We’ve got a rapid, rapid pace of change going on in our industry,” Williams stressed.

“And we have to collectively keep up with that pace of change and be fully engaged as an organization in looking at where these new technologies are taking us,” he added

Williams also noted that TxDOT’s partnership with TTI helps the agency stay up to speed with the pace of change in innovation, but also helps it seek out and validate and identify applications for those new technologies across TxDOT’s geographic area.

“At the end of the day, it makes things better in our industry and makes things better for those who rely upon and use our transportation system,” Williams said. “TTI is a valuable asset for us in that area.”

To listen to the full podcast episode, click here.