Transportation

Transportation for Tomorrow: Report of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, prepared by a specially convened Commission, meets the charge given under Section 1909 of the Safe Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).  The Report includes detailed recommendations for creating and sustaining a pre-eminent surface transportation system in the United States.  The Commission is grateful to all of the individuals and organizations who shared their views and experiences in writing and at hearings and public meetings across the nation.

The US surface transportation system links Americans to each other and to the world.  This enormous network of highways, ports, freight and passenger railroads and transit systems is vital to America’s economy, security and way of life.  It is currently the best surface transportation system in the world – the challenge now is to ensure that it remains the best in the future.

Congress created The National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission in 2005 under Section 1909 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act—A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).  The Commission was created because, as Congress declared, “it is in the national interest to preserve and enhance the surface transportation system to meet the needs of the United States for the 21st century.”

The Commission is comprised of 12 members, representing:  Federal, state and local governments; metropolitan planning organizations; transportation-related industries; and public interest organizations.  The Commission is working to examine not only the condition and future needs of the nation's surface transportation system, but also short and long-term alternatives to replace or supplement the fuel tax as the principal revenue source to support the Highway Trust Fund over the next 30 years.

The Commission expired on July 7, 2008. This website is being maintained for historical purposes.

Every six years, Congress sets the country's transportation and infrastructure priorities — allocating hundreds of billions of dollars for projects that shape our communities for generations. We need to raise our voices and make sure they use this moment to chart a new direction for our nation's transportation system. Help us urge President Obama and

It's why we go to work every day.

• Saving lives
• Solving problems
• Building careers
• Getting ahead of tomorrow's challenges, today

These simple statements give a glimpse of the uncluttered commitment and determination we hold at the Texas Transportation Institute. Our job is to save lives and solve problems by letting talented transportation engineers and researchers do what they do best every day. We encourage students to thrive in transportation careers to ensure that tomorrow's roads are the safest, smoothest, roads ever built.

But it's not just roads. TTI researchers study virtually every aspect of transportation.

TTI's program of practical, applied research helps hundreds of sponsors address a range of transportation challenges. For example, through decades of research in just the highway area—planning, design, construction, maintenance, safety and operations—virtually every mile of roadway in Texas has been positively impacted by some aspect of the TTI program. Through research, development and technology transfer, TTI is helping to meet the transportation needs of tomorrow.

Our mission is to solve transportation problems through research, to transfer technology, and to develop diverse human resources to meet the transportation challenges of tomorrow.