TxDOT-Statewide Podcast

When country music artist Kevin Fowler was growing up in West Texas, he listened to the likes of George Strait, Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughn. And while those names have become synonymous with greatness, Fowler recently joined their ranks with his selection as one of three artists promoting this year's Don't Mess With Texas campaign. I spoke with Kevin recently about his involvement with the iconic Texas program. For more information, visit http://dontmesswithtexas.org/.

Driving across the country takes planning and preparation, not the least of which involves figuring out where to get gas in some desolate places along the route. But for the University of Michigan's Solar Car Team, which recently rolled through Texas on a practice run, fuel is the least of their concerns. For more, I spoke with Allison Hogikyan, a freshman engineering student and team spokesperson. For more information about this unique project, visit www.umsolar.com.

Need to get from Point A to Point B? Someday soon you might have more options than you think thanks to the new RideScout app, which debuted in November. RideScout CEO and co-founder Joseph Kopser sat down with me at the 9th Annual Texas Transportation Forum to tell me more. This episode originally posted in January 2014.

Nearly everyone has an opinion about teen drivers. And while teen drivers are pretty much the same everywhere, in New Jersey, they're dying at a much lower rate than in Texas and much of the United States. For more on how New Jersey does it, I spoke with Pam Fischer, founder of the New Jersey Teen Safe Driving Coalition.

As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the allied invasion of Normandy during World War II, also known as D-Day, what is often overlooked is not only the logistics of preparing for such an operation, but the logistics required after the invasion as the allies pushed east toward Paris, and then to Germany. The unsung heroes of the march to Berlin were a group of dedicated truck drivers, many of them African-American, who drove supplies from the French coast to the front lines in an unending circle called the Red Ball Express that, if broken, could have stopped the world's most powerful army in its tracks. For more, I spoke with Collin Makamson, Family Programs and Outreach Coordinator for the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, LA. For more information about the National World War II Museum, visit www.nationalww2museum.org or call 504-528-1944.

Summer is the best time of year to travel Texas' highways. School is out and vacations beckon, as do the lazy afternoons spent pool side or at the beach. But summer is also the best time for TxDOT crews to work on the more than 80,000 centerline miles of roads across the state, meaning that our best time to work is when the most cars are on the road. It's no surprise then that accident rates between TxDOT and the traveling public go up between the beginning of May and the end of August, which prompted TxDOT to launch its 123 Safe Days of Summer campaign. For more, I spoke with Jerral Wyer, Director of TxDOT's Occupational Safety Division.

We've all heard the heartbreaking narrative of a family on vacation or out to dinner getting hit by a drunk driver. The crash kills at least one of the family's children though the drunk driver isn't injured. We all shake our heads and talk about how the drunk driver should meet some kind of special fate. And while children are killed that way in DWI crashes, a recent study directed by Dr. Kyran Quinlan shows the most common scenario hits a lot closer to home. To read more of Dr. Quinlan's results, visit pediatrics.org and search keywords "child passenger."

While Oil and Gas exploration gets the headlines, another industry in Texas is quietly booming to the tune of $67 billion annually - Tourism. As Texas Travel and Tourism Week comes to a close, I spoke with Brad Smyth, Tourism Director for the Governor's Office of Economic Development and Tourism about the impact Texas tourism has on transportation, the economy and the nation. For more information on tourism in Texas, visit www.traveltex.com.

As the weather warms and April turns to May, more and more Texans are hitting the road on their bicycles. Cyclists, motorcycles and motor vehicles are all subject to the same traffic laws, but cyclists are the most vulnerable to driver inattention and aggression. To raise awareness of bicycles on the road in Texas and across the country, AAA Texas is supporting National Bike Month. For more I spoke with Doug Shupe with AAA Texas.

Over the years, the Texas Department of Transportation has purchased thousands of parcels of land to build highways. But sometimes those plans change, or technology improves, causing the original design of a project to change after the right of way has been purchased. Traditionally, TxDOT has largely held onto that property in the thought that once purchased, it might be used for a future need. But the department's recently formed Real Estate Management and Development Division is changing that tradition, with an eye toward stimulating local economies in the process. For more, I spoke with RMD's founding director, Roland Tilden.

It's not often that a service provider of any kind tells its customers not to use its products, but that's just what AT&T is doing with its "It Can Wait" program, aimed at putting an end to the American addition to texting and driving. For more, I spoke with Jim Carter, Assistant VP of Market Research and Analysis for AT&T, during the 9th Annual Texas Transportation Forum. This episode originally posted in January 2014.

Spring cleaning is happening everywhere, including on Texas roadsides as TxDOT and Keep Texas Beautiful launch the Don't mess with Texas Trash-Off on Saturday, April 5. This month-long event means that thousands of volunteers will be picking up litter on roadsides all across the state. For more, I spoke with KTB's Christine Chute Canul.

What do Sacagawea, baseball legend Roger Maris, basketball coach Phil Jackson and author Louis L'Amour have in common? Give up? They were all born in the state of North Dakota. Here's something else you may not have known about North Dakota: the state's energy sector is growing faster than ours here in Texas. For more on the nation's second-leading energy producing state and the effect that growth is having on its transportation system, I spoke to Grant Levi, director of North Dakota's Department of Transportation.

Last September, Erik Steavens became TxDOT's second director of its Rail Division, which immediately placed him at the forefront of the ongoing high-speed rail discussion both in Texas and across the United States. Before coming to TxDOT, Steavens worked as the Director of Intermodal Programs for the Georgia Department of Transportation, and before that worked for the Federal Highway Administration. Now six months into his second job directing rail projects at the state level, I spoke with Steavens on where Texas is and where it's going in regards to railroads.

Spring Break is upon us and, while for most of us that means time off with family, for those who operate TxDOT's Port Aransas ferry boats it can mean some long days. For more, I spoke with Howard Gillespie, Director of TxDOT's Ferry Boat Operations in Corpus Christi.

State Representative Richard Peña Raymond represents District 42, which is entirely within the city of Laredo. It also puts him in a unique position to observe up close the nation's largest inland port, and its third largest overall. That much trade requires an enormous amount of infrastructure that has only come relatively lately to the Laredo area. I spoke with Representative Raymond about how Laredo is managing that explosive growth, and what the future holds.

Most often when TxDOT officials work with elected officials, it's at the state or local level. But there's another political body with which TxDOT works regularly - Congress. Representing the interests of Texas residents and motorists where 49 other states are competing for the same funding can be a tricky exercise, but few have managed it better than Coby Chase, TxDOT's Director of Federal Affairs, who is set to retire at the end of Feb. I spoke with Coby about how TxDOT represents itself at the federal level, and how that effort has changed during his career.

Not all that long ago, Wes Smith's concepts of charging transit vehicles wirelessly from stations under the roadway sounded like something from Star Trek, one of the entrepreneur's favorite television shows. But for Smith, and his Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification - or WAVE - technology, the future is now. For more, I spoke with Wes at the recent Texas Transportation Forum in San Antonio. For more, I spoke with Smith during the 9th Annual Texas Transportation Forum.

November 7, 2000 was Election Day. It was also the last day that no one died on the highways in Texas. In the thirteen years since that day, more than 45,000 people have lost their lives in crashes and incredibly, the rate at which those deaths are occurring is accelerating. For more, I spoke with TxDOT's Deputy Executive Director, John Barton. This episode originally posted in November 2013.

A recent survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety showed that in the past four years, many Americans' attitudes about drunk driving, drowsy driving, distracted driving and aggressive driving have begun to change and not for the better. For more, I spoke with AAA Texas spokesman Doug Shupe. For more information on this study, log on to AAAFoundation.orgThis episode originally posted in October 2013.

Two years ago, Phil Wilson took over as TxDOT's Executive Director. As 2013 comes to a close, Phil is headed for the Lower Colorado River Authority. As he prepares to depart TxDOT, I asked him to look back on his time at the agency and what he's accomplished.

As a reminder to keep the holidays happy and safe, the Texas Department of Transportation is urging Texans to give themselves and others the gift of a sober ride as they make the rounds to their seasonal celebrations. For more, I spoke with Terry Pence, Director of TxDOT's Traffic Safety Section. To enter for a chance to win a New Year's Eve trip to New York City, or for a New Year's Eve limousine ride in any Texas town, pledge to have a sober ride by texting "SoberRide" to 42330, tweeting "I pledge to have a #soberride this holiday season @TxDOT," or by logging on to soberrides.org.

How many times have you heard the rhetorical statement, "we can put a man on the moon, but we can't..." do something that seems simple? When it comes to technology and transportation, that question - and the urgency it represents - is becoming more and more common. Enter Brian Heath, the President and CEO of Drivewyze, a Canadian firm that may not have put a man on the moon, but may be on the path to solving some of today's most pressing - and perplexing - transportation issues. For more information about Drivewyze, log on to its website, http://drivewyze.com/. Register for the 9th Annual Texas Transportation Forum here: www.txdot.gov/ttf. This episode originally posted in April 2013.

The Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest travel holidays of the year, particularly on the nation's highways. TxDOT and AAA-Texas want you and yours to be safe this holiday season, and that safety starts before you ever get into the car. For more, I spoke with Doug Shupe of AAA-Texas. For more travel safety tips, log onto the AAA-Texas website, www.texas.aaa.com.

November 7, 2000 was Election Day. It was also the last day that no one died on the highways in Texas. In the thirteen years since that day, more than 45,000 people have lost their lives in crashes and incredibly, the rate at which those deaths are occurring is accelerating. For more, I spoke with TxDOT's Deputy Executive Director, John Barton.

For most of us, looking into the future is a murky proposition at best. For others, though, like Glen Hiemstra, the owner and founder of futurist.com, the future is a familiar - and hopeful - place where, as he told me, transportation needs and methods look very different from today. Read more from Mr. Hiemstra on his blog, www.futurist.com. This episode originally posted in February 2013.

Interstate 35 between Dallas and San Antonio through Central Texas is one of the most heavily traveled sections of roadway anywhere in the United States. Just south of the DFW Metroplex, the Interstate splits in to I-35E, which serves Dallas, and I-35W, which serves Fort Worth. North of the Metroplex, the two come back together near Denton before heading into Oklahoma. Starting next week, the 27-mile segment of I-35E between I-635 in Dallas and US 380 in Denton is getting a major facelift. For more information about the project, I spoke with TxDOT's Varuna Singh. For more on the I-35E Managed Lanes project, log on to www.keepitmovingdallas.com/projects.

While many are scratching their heads about today's electric vehicles and wondering when the battery technology might finally catch up, Wesley Smith, CEO of Wireless Advance Vehicle Electrification (WAVE), is taking an entirely different approach that's already receiving rave reviews. And as the Star Trek fan noted proudly, helping one vehicle in particular to go where none had gone before. For more information on WAVE, log on to http://www.waveipt.com. This episode originally posted in March 2013.

The state of Colorado has been in the news for all the wrong reasons over the past few years, including epic battles with widespread wildfires and subsequent torrential rains and mudslides that have wiped out roads and bridges in 17 counties. And as Colorado Department of Transportation spokesperson Amy Ford told me, while it may take Colorado and its department of transportation years to recover, as recovery begins, so will improvements that may not have been possible without the recent devastation.

With the economy slowly shifting into recovery and consumer spending on the rise, Texas' ports and commercial border crossings are getting busier by the day. As South Texas grows, so will the traffic at the border, which could affect prices and delivery times for the things Americans buy. With three ports of entry in his Hidalgo County district, State Representative Sergio Munoz Jr. has been at the forefront of the movement to improve Texas' ports of entry, as well as channeling that traffic along a predetermined heavy-traffic corridor, which he established with the passage of House Bill 474 in the last legislative session.

In the past 10 years, TxDOT has become a leaner, more efficient agency which has embraced new methods and new technology to keep up with the times. Aside from money spent to build and maintain TxDOT's 80,000-mile system, one of the department's biggest expenditures comes from maintaining its fleet of 16,000 vehicles and pieces of heavy equipment. But that, too, maybe about to change. For more, I spoke with Lauren Garduno, TxDOT's Chief Procurement Officer.This episode originally posted in July 2013.

Last November, lifelong Rio Grande Valley resident Bobby Guerra was sworn into office to finish an uncompleted term in the 41st District of the Texas House of Representatives. Ten months and four legislative sessions later, Rep. Guerra has received a crash course in lawmaking in general, and transportation in particular. In addition to the explosive growth in the region, representing the Rio Grande Valley means representing the area through which a majority of Texas freight must pass en route from the border ports of entry. And that, as the Representative told me, makes the ongoing I-69 project more important than ever.

Besides being one of the state's most popular slogans, Don't mess with Texas® also is proving to be effective as an anti-littering message. Established by the Texas Department of Transportation in 1986, Don't mess with Texas® has helped reduce visible litter by 34 percent on TxDOT-maintained roadways between 2009 and 2013, according to TxDOT's 2013 Texas Litter Survey.

There may not be a clear beginning of distracted driving as a phenomenon in the United States, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is working to find the end. A recent survey by NHTSA showed that while a majority of Americans know distracted driving is dangerous, that hasn't stopped them from driving while distracted. For more on this dichotomy, I spoke with NHTSA Administrator David Strickland.This episode originally posted in May 2013.

The term back to school means different things to different people. For teachers and students, it means the end of summer vacation. For parents, it means packing lunch boxes and checking homework. And for motorists, it means being on the lookout for school zones and school buses, and the other potential traffic scenarios the school year creates. For more, I spoke with AAA-Texas spokesman Doug Shupe. For more back-to-school driving tips, log on to teendriving.aaa.com.

Texas Highways Magazine is turning 40 next year and, to celebrate the milestone, the Official Travel Magazine of Texas is counting down the top 40 destinations in Texas as voted on by readers. Meanwhile, Texas Highways' Sept. 2013 edition of the magazine, which hits newsstands the week of Aug. 12, will feature a newly redesigned look to go along with an expanded web and social media presence. For more I spoke with the magazine's editor, Charles Lohrmann. Cast your vote for your favorite Texas destination by visiting the Texas Highways website, www.texashighways.com.

Managing the nation's transportation system means balancing both federal and state priorities. That job belongs to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and its Administrator, Victor Mendez. I spoke with the Administrator recently about his first four years in the position and what the future holds. For more information, visit www.fhwa.dot.gov/. This episode originally posted in March 2013.

Summer in Texas not only means road trips and vacations, but also soaring temperatures and an increase in ozone pollution levels. To help motorists save money and keep the air clean, the Texas Department of Transportation and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality are again partnering on this year's Drive Clean Across Texas campaign. For more on the campaign, I spoke with Margo Richards, director of TxDOT's Travel Information Division. Enter to win the 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid by logging on to the Drive Clean Across Texas website, http://drivecleanacrosstexas.org/, by September 15.

With July 4 just around the corner, chances are, your holiday plans include packing the family car and hitting the road - where, as Texas Department of Public Safety Sergeant Lonny Haschel reminds us, you'll be under the watchful eyes of the Texas highway patrol.

As you travel around the state this summer, TxDOT reminds you to be safe when behind the wheel.

After nearly 20 years in the Texas Legislature, State Representative Joe Pickett has been involved with transportation in Texas on several different levels. In that time, Texas has grown, and so have its needs, which has prompted regular and sometimes heated debate on the best way to fund those needs. With the 83rd Texas Legislature adjourned, and a special session on the horizon, I spoke with Rep. Pickett about his expectations for another funding discussion.

When Phil Wilson came aboard as TxDOT's Executive Director in 2011, many inside and outside the department felt he had his work cut out for him. The department had just been through an exhaustive multi-legislative session Sunset process and was at the same time struggling to make ends meet as revenues dropped. I spoke with Phil recently about getting TxDOT ready for this most recent legislative session and what's next for the department.

With Memorial Day in the offing, AAA-Texas is anticipating nearly three million Texans loading up the family car and hitting the road. For more, I spoke with Doug Shupe of AAA-Texas.

Americans are romantics at heart, and many of our romanticized ideals are captured in our music, everything from the lone cowboy in the Eagles' "Desperado," to the rebel in George Thorogood's anthem "Get A Haircut," to Cyndi Lauper's "I Drove All Night." And while being a cowboy can indeed be a lonely profession, and getting a haircut isn't always a bad thing, driving all night, or more specifically driving while drowsy, is becoming an American epidemic. How much of an epidemic? To find out, I spoke with Dr. Anne Wheaton of the Center For Disease Control and Prevention, better known as the CDC. To read the summary of the report, follow this link: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6151a1.htm. This episode originally posted in January 2013.

Few in the Texas Legislature have a district as diverse as Senator Dr. Robert Deuell of the Second District. Spanning east from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to all or part of Delta, Fannin, Hopkins and Van Zandt counties, Sen. Deuell has made his career on striking balances between big city and small town politics on the three major political hot buttons; education, transportation and water. I spoke with the six-term Senator recently about how transportation funding has changed since he took office and where he sees it going next.

They say necessity is the mother of invention, but it's also the mother of innovation. Faced with an energy crunch on top of budget cuts, municipal governments in the Netherlands have begun saving tax dollars by cutting back on measures like keeping street lights lit at night. And while the street lights might have been switched off, Daan Roosegaarde, a Dutch artist and innovator, and owner of Studio Roosegaarde, switched his creativity on and began work on his "Smart Highway Project." For more, and in a TxDOT Podcast first, I put in an international call to Daan at his office in the Netherlands. Find out more about the Studio Roosegaarde "Smart Highway Project" here: http://www.studioroosegaarde.net/project/smart-highway/photo/#smart-highway This episode originally posted in January 2013.

So, your baby just turned 15 and is thinking about what kind of car they're going to get for their next birthday. Chances are you've thought about what they're going to drive, but the better question is "how will they drive?" If you or your spouse decide to provide the required training, how can you be sure you've covered all of the basics with your student driver before you turn them loose? As it turns out, there's an App for that. To find out more about it, I spoke with its creator, Arthur Goodwin, a senior research associated at the University of North Carolina's Highway Research Center. Download the App, 'Time to Drive' for $3.99 from Apple's iTunes Store.

This week is National Work Zone Awareness Week, not just in Texas, but across the country. With distracted driving on the rise, adding to the myriad of bad things that can happen to workers and motorists alike in a work zone, the message is as timely as it is relevant. For more, I spoke with TxDOT Deputy Executive Director John Barton.

How many times have you heard the rhetorical statement, "we can put a man on the moon, but we can't..." do something that seems simple? When it comes to technology and transportation, that question - and the urgency it represents - is becoming more and more common. Enter Brian Heath, the President and CEO of Drivewyze, a Canadian firm that may not have put a man on the moon, but may be on the path to solving some of today's most pressing - and perplexing - transportation issues. For more information about Drivewyze, log on to its website, http://drivewyze.com/.

As the Obama Presidency transitioned into a second term in January, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced his resignation. In a little over four years as SecTrans, LaHood oversaw the implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which poured billions of dollars into all modes of transportation across the country, as well as helping lead the way toward the adoption of unprecedented driver safety laws, including laws against distracted driving in 39 states. I spoke with the Secretary recently on his time in office and what work he feels still needs to be done.

As a firefighter and paramedic, Armando Martinez has seen first-hand how a "Safe-Passage" or "Move-Over" law affects the security of law enforcement and emergency-response personnel called to work on the highway. As a state legislator and vice chairman of the House Transportation Committee, Rep. Martinez is looking to not only expand the Safe Passage law to include TxDOT personnel, but to address a variety of other transportation issues across the state.