Areas of Innovation
Artificial Intelligence
| District | CY | Innovation Project Title | Summary | TTI Contact | TxDOT Contact | PPTX | Tech Memo | Area of Innovation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Angelo | 2023 | Traffic Sign Identification And Location Extraction From Pathweb Roadway Images | This project will demonstrate a method to develop a road sign inventory using content from PathWeb, a current TxDOT resource. The inventory can enhance the effectiveness of the night-time asset inspection system. | Leonard Ruback | Roy Wright, District Maintenance Engineer | SJT-2 PPTX | SJT-2 Memo | Artificial Intelligence | |
| Waco | 2023 | Blocked Grade Crossing Detection and Alerting Using Artificial Intelligence Technologies | This project would establish a railroad crossing monitoring system in Nolanville for 2 significant crossings and trial new technology for detecting crossing blockages. | Leonard Ruback | Michael Bolin, Deputy District Engineer | WAC-3 PPTX | WAC-3 Memo | Artificial Intelligence | |
| Yoakum | 2023 | Machine Vision and Artificial Intelligence-Based Lane Marking Assessment | Demonstrate an automated method for assessing the quality of roadway stripes using video and image analysis techniques. | Leonard Ruback | Michael Brzozowski, Director of Operations | YKM PPTX | YKM Memo | Artificial Intelligence |
Border
| District | CY | Innovation Project Title | Summary | TTI Contact | TxDOT Contact | PPTX | Tech Memo | Area of Innovation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso | 2023 | Pedestrian Detection and Alerts on Cesar E. Chavez Border Highway | Pedestrians are entering the Border Highway after crossing over the border wall, where they are being struck by vehicles. The District is investigating the use of motion sensor technology to detect these pedestrians and activate alerts when pedestrians are detected. | Rafael Aldrete, PhD | Eduardo Adame, P.E., Transportation Engineer | ELP PPTX | ELP Memo | Border | |
Climate
| District | CY | Innovation Project Title | Summary | TTI Contact | TxDOT Contact | PPTX | Tech Memo | Area of Innovation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amarillo | 2023 | Dynamic Winter Weather Alert Messaging | This project focuses on deploying a remote weather and pavement condition sensors to support travelers’ information and snow removal operations on remote portions of I-40 in the Panhandle. | Kevin Balke, Former Senior Research Engineer | Wes Kimmell, Director of Transportation Operations | AMA PPTX | AMA Memo | Climate | |
| Paris | 2023 | Ice Mitigation Procedures for Permeable Friction Course | This District has several sections of roadway that use PFCs. These sections tend to experience icing conditions before other roadways. Limited guidance on pre-treatment strategies. District wanting to install mini-RWIS to monitor roadways and develop deicing procedures. | Kevin Balke, Former Senior Research Engineer | Noel Paramanantham, District Engineer | PAR-2 PPTX | PAR-2 Memo | Climate | |
Data Analytics
| District | CY | Innovation Project Title | Summary | TTI Contact | TxDOT Contact | PPTX | Tech Memo | Area of Innovation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laredo | 2023 | Selecting Emerging Safety Hot Spots for Priority Funding | This project would augment an existing initiative started in the District to identify roadway segments and intersections with the highest rate of increase in crashes by superimposing detailed connected vehicle (CV) event data over the crash data to look for predictive patterns. | Ioannis Tsapakis, PhD | Rafael Guzman PE, Director of Transportation Operations | LRD PPTX | LRD Memo | Data Analytics | |
| Odessa | 2023 | Connected Vehicle (CV) Data Analysis for Before/After Analysis of a Safety Project | This project will reduce the timeline to analyze the effectiveness of safety improvements. Apply CV data and other data sources (including CRIS data) to shorten the time to evaluate the effectiveness of projects without waiting for multiple years of CRIS data alone. This methodology also demonstrated the ability to identify the highest turning movement locations to drive design decisions and program future improvements. | Mahin Ramezani | Eric Lykins, PE, District Engineer | ODA-2 PPTX | ODA-2 Memo | Data Analytics | |
| Tyler | 2023 | Using ITS and Other Innovations to Reduce Rural Two-Lane Roadway Departure Crashes | This project will explore using CV data to develop a tool to identify potential locations and causes for run-off-road crashes and deploy innovative strategies to reduce crash potentials. | Robert Wunderlich, Former Senior Research Engineer | Juanita Daniels-West, Director of Transportation Operations | TYL-2 PPTX | TYL-2 Memo | Data Analytics | |
| Waco | 2023 | Multi-Resolution Modeling Methods to Quantify Construction Impacts into Monetary Values | This project would establish the road-user costs for the Waco 4C construction section based on updated traffic and models as well as potentially, the impact of CV data. | Jeff Shelton | Victor J. Goebel, Director of Transportation Planning & Development | WAC-4 PPTX | WAC-4 Memo | Data Analytics | |
| Wichita Falls | 2023 | Access Management Considerations on US Hwy. 82 “The Gap” | This project would look at using CV and crash data for 30% design reviews to examine access management considerations, such as driveway consolidation and raised median locations. | Minh Le | Kyle Poirot, Transportation Engineer | WFS-2 PPTX | WFS-2 Memo | Data Analytics |
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
| District | CY | Innovation Project Title | Summary | TTI Contact | TxDOT Contact | PPTX | Tech Memo | Area of Innovation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Childress | 2023 | Automated Lane Closure Alerting Using Smart Work Zone Technologies | This project would examine The potential of using electronic hazards beacons and other smart work zone technology to provide automated notification of lane closures at incident locations through traveler information applications. | Kevin Balke, Former Senior Research Engineer | Matthew Herbstritt, Director of Construction | CHS PPTX | CHS Memo | Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) | |
| Dallas | 2023 | Advanced Warning of End of Green System (AWEGS) | The innovation is to deploy new AWEGS technology to provide the advance warning for signal change early enough for heavy vehicles and vehicles encountering the “first signal” to safely stop without violating the signal indication. The concept is not new, but the new technology provides a better, more efficient means of driving the advance warning beacons. The target is to install devices up to two intersections in the Dallas District by the end of CY 23 and evaluate their performance. | Robert Saylor | Byron Stephens, Transportation Engineer | DAL PPTX | DAL Memo | Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) | |
| Fort Worth | 2023 | Optimize ITS Infrastructure to Detect Freeway Incidents | This project would examine the use of video analytics and image processing to detect and notify traffic management center operators of stalled vehicles, incidents, and pedestrians on freeways. | Jason Crawford, PE | Theresa Poer, Director of Traffic Operations | FTW-3 PPTX | FTW-3 Memo | Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) | |
| Houston | 2023 | Adaptive Frontage Road Signal Operations Using Crowdsourced Speed Data | Examine the use of INRIX real-time data to replace infrastructure-based sensors to provide information for frontage road signal operations. Examine potential for expansion into City of Houston signal systems. | Mike Vickich | Steve Chiu, Design Project Coordinator | HOU-5 PPTX | HOU-5 Memo | Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) | |
| Lufkin | 2023 | Coordinating Multiple Smart Work Zones in a Corridor | This project would focus on developing criteria for deployment of SMZ concepts and technologies through multiple work zones on a rural corridor. | Jerry Ullman, Former Senior Research Engineer | Shannon Ramos PE, Director of Construction | LFK-2 PPTX | LFK-2 Memo | Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) |
Maritime
| District | CY | Innovation Project Title | Summary | TTI Contact | TxDOT Contact | PPTX | Tech Memo | Area of Innovation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corpus Christi | 2023 | Upgrading Maritime Warning Lights Solution | This project will review the components of solar powered maritime lighting systems with a focus on product optimization to increase overall performance. | Leonard Ruback | Juan Carlos Marfil, P.E. Director of Transportation Operations | CRP PPTX | CRP Memo | Maritime | |
Process
| District | CY | Innovation Project Title | Summary | TTI Contact | TxDOT Contact | PPTX | Tech Memo | Area of Innovation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene | 2023 | Driveway Access Permit Management System | This project is to develop a system to manage driveway permits. The system would help with managing new driveway access permits and identify locations of non-permitted driveway locations. | Debbie Albert | Paul Norman, Director of Maintenance | ABL-2 PPTX | ABL-2 Memo | Process | |
| Beaumont | 2023 | Improved Process for Bridge Follow-Up Actions (FUA) | This project will use AssetWise data and build an improved process for addressing FUAs in a timely and sustainable manner. This process builds upon the data available in AssetWise and builds a process that exports information in a more usable format for maintenance personnel and tracking. | Jim Cline, PE | Ashley DuBose, Bridge Maintenance Coordinator | BMT PPTX | BMT Memo | Process | |
Traveler Information
| District | CY | Innovation Project Title | Summary | TTI Contact | TxDOT Contact | PPTX | Tech Memo | Area of Innovation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 2023 | End of Queue Messaging Using Third-Party Data Providers | This project would examine the use of speed information from third-party data providers to support end of queue and traffic slowdown messaging using the District’s existing permanent dynamic message signs. | Kevin Balke, Former Senior Research Engineer | Christina Trowler, Director of Transportation Operations | ATL PPTX | ATL Memo | Traveler Information | |
| Bryan | 2023 | Enhanced Notification of Speed Reductions and Collisions on I-45 | This project would examine techniques and strategies for enhancing notifications of traffic slowdowns and collision on I-45 using third-party speed and travel time information. | Srinivasa Sunkari, PE | Ashley Hill, Director of Transportation Operations | BRY PPTX | BRY Memo | Traveler Information | |
Wrong Way Driving
| District | CY | Innovation Project Title | Summary | TTI Contact | TxDOT Contact | PPTX | Tech Memo | Area of Innovation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lubbock | 2023 | Wrong Way Driver Detection System Installation | This project deploys an automated wrong-way driver detection system at the intersection of SS 331 and FM 3020 (near US 84 at the Lubbock City Limits). This location has been experiencing multiple wrong-way crashes. Geometric modifications were made to improve the guidance to motorists, but the events were still occurring. The system detects wrong-way drivers and activates LED “WRONG-WAY” signs to alert the driver in violation. | Jim Cline, PE | Cody Thomas, EIT, Transportation Operations | LBB-3 PPTX | LBB-3 Memo | Wrong-Way Driving | |
| Pharr | 2023 | Wrong-Way Driving (WWD) Detection in One-Way Work | The district frequently uses one-way work zones on two-lane, rural roadways to provide access to local traffic. One issue that occurs with this type of work zone is drivers entering the work zone heading in the wrong direction. The District would like to explore the potential of using existing WWD detection technology to improve notification to drivers who have entered the work zone traveling the WW. | Kevin Balke, Former Senior Research Engineer | Daniel Garcia, Director of Construction | PHR PPTX | PHR Memo | Wrong-Way Driving | |
| San Antonio | 2023 | Next-Generation WWD Countermeasures | This project will follow onto previous work in the San Antonio District by refining WWD detection and notification. This effort will apply a selected range of emerging and advanced technologies (possibly including CAV technologies) to determine which work well in specific settings, and which can be harnessed to provide better communication to TransGuide, the public, and first responders during WWD events. | Steven Venglar, PE | Jorge Ramos, TransGuide Operations Manager | SAT-2 PPTX | SAT-2 Memo | Wrong-Way Driving | |
Other
| District | CY | Innovation Project Title | Summary | TTI Contact | TxDOT Contact | PPTX | Tech Memo | Area of Innovation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brownwood | 2023 | Shallow Rutting In Flexible Pavements | Shallow rutting is a big issue in the District. Need methodology to identify and catalog where shallow rutting is occurring, predict remaining life in pavement, identify treatments for shallow rutting, and prioritize roadways for treatment. Need to predict when pavement rehabilitation is needed. | John Speed, PE | Chris Graf PE, Director of Construction | BWD PPTX | BWD Memo | Other | |