Rob Harrison, TxDOT Cooperative Research Program
Texas Department of Transportation Cooperative Research Program
The research conducted for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) remains the cornerstone of the CTR program; for any given year, our TxDOT program comprises more than fifty projects, excluding interagency and other informal agreements. These investigations span all four of the agency's research areas and range from traditional subjects like pavements to the newer areas of intelligent transportation systems (ITS), air quality, and rail planning.
As TxDOT's program continues to undergo change, we remain committed to producing work of the highest quality for the citizens of Texas. Our strongly held belief is that better pavements, stronger and cheaper bridges, less traffic congestion, and demand-based solutions to urban passenger and freight movements create real, measurable, financial benefits to the Texas community. Safety programs alone have probably repaid the investment in the total research program many times over. So while meeting our educational objectives by training tomorrow's transportation professionals, valuable benefits also accrue to those living and working in Texas.
As we continue cooperative research with TxDOT, we intend to build on a clear foundation of mutual success and achievement. Unwilling to rest on our laurels, we will continue to explore how best to work with TxDOT and other state agencies to provide to the citizens of Texas cost-effective products of the highest quality.