Evaluating Safety and Economic Impacts of Texas Travel Information Centers

Senate Bill 1, passed in 2017 during the 85th Legislature Regular Session, contained Rider 32. This bill requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to publish a report by November 1, 2018, describing the economic and safety impacts of travel information centers (TICs). TICs are believed to have positive impacts on travelers’ safety. However, not all of the safety benefits have been identified or quantified in Texas. The purpose of this study is to develop a systematic approach to identify and quantify the impacts of Texas TICs on highway safety. TxDOT’s Travel Information Division (TRV) contracted with the University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Transportation Research (CTR) to conduct this study. This study had the following objectives: Assess the impact of TICs on Texas highway safety by providing travel information and safety messages. Compare the safety impact of TICs and non-staffed safety rest areas. Analyze the economic impact of TICs in terms of promoting tourism. Determine whether TICs and their employees play a positive role in improving Texas highway safety; Make recommendations based on study findings. The study team anticipates that this report will provide the State Legislature and the public a better understanding of TIC safety benefits.

• Record URL:
  http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/trv/travel-industry/2018-safety-economic-impact-rpt.pdf
• 
• Summary URL:
  https://library.ctr.utexas.edu/Presto/catalogid=36461
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/66045
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Texas at Austin. Center for Transportation Research (CTR)

  Austin, Texas  United States 

  Texas Department of Transportation

  Austin, TX  United States 
• Authors:
  • Murphy, Mike
  • Han, Zhe
  • Jiang, Nan
  • Hazlett, Darren
  • Ahsan, Ahmed Samiel
  • Cooper, Austin
  • Baumanis, Carolina
  • Zhang, Zhanmin
  • Machemehl, Randy
  • Harrison, Robert
• Publication Date: 2018-10-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 228p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Economic impacts; Highway safety; Roadside rest areas; Traveler information and communication systems; Travelers
• Identifier Terms: Travel Information Centers
• Uncontrolled Terms: Visitor information centers
• Geographic Terms: Texas
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01686002
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Nov 20 2018 10:21AM