TxDOT-Statewide Podcast

From the 2009 Texas Transportation Forum: Former U.S. House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt speaks about the possibilities for the latest economic stimulus package, and on the upcoming federal transportation reauthorization bill.Note: This episode was originally recorded in January 2009.

From ice storms and wildfires that made national headlines to record numbers of projects sent to contract and construction and, oh yeah, a new executive director, the Texas Department of Transportation had a busy year in 2011. For a look back at the year that was, I spoke with TxDOTs Deputy Executive Director John Barton.

On December 13, 2011, the National Transportation Safety Board, a federal agency dedicated to investigating transportation-related accidents, recommended a nationwide ban on personal electronic devices while driving. The recommendation was the result of an investigation of a fatal crash in Missouri where a pickup truck rear-ended an 18-wheel truck in a work zone, and was then rear-ended by a school bus, which in turn was hit by a second school bus. Two people died, 38 more were injured and during its investigation, the NTSB learned that the driver of the pickup who started the chain reaction had sent or received 11 texts in as many minutes leading up to the crash, including receiving one moments before impact. For more on the NTSB and its latest recommendation, I spoke with its chairman, Deborah Hersman. To find out more about this recommendation or about the NTSB, log on to their web site, www.ntsb.gov.

From the 2010 Texas Transportation Forum: The recent economic crisis forced many Americans and many American companies to take a hard look in the mirror and make some difficult decisions. Few companies were faced with harder look than the group known as the "Big Three," American automakers Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors. While these companies struggled, others, like the Nissan Motor Company, were looking past the crisis to determine what kinds of cars Americans would want to buy when credit became available again. For more on Nissan's insights, I spoke with Mark Perry, Director of Product Planning.Note: This episode was originally recorded in January 2010.

By now, just about every Texan knows that the I-35 corridor in Central Texas is the busiest in the state. It's also in the greatest need of expansion. In the coming years, the Texas Department of Transportation has plans to do more than $1 billion of work expanding I-35, particularly in the 100-mile stretch between the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and Salado. But the projects aren't only about improving I-35, they're about improving communication as well. For more on that improvement, I spoke with Jim Dale, the I-35 Mobility Coordinator. To take the survey, log on to www.my35survey.org.

From the 2011 annual Texas Transportation Forum: El Paso Mayor John Cook, who received a Texas Road Hand Award at this year's forum, was recognized by the department for his work in bringing a variety of transportation projects and improvements to El Paso. But, as the mayor told me, bringing transportation projects to El Paso can mean jobs on both sides of the U.S. - Mexico border.Note: This episode was originally recorded in January 2011.

TxDOT's Galveston-Bolivar ferry system welcomed its newest boat earlier today, the John W. Johnson, a $24 million vessel named for the former Texas Transportation Commissioner. The new boat is the first to be added to the Galveston line in nearly 20 years. In operation since 1940, the Galvestion Ferry is one of two ferry lines the department operates free of charge. For more on the newest addition, I spoke with Bill Mallini, the Galveston Ferry Operations Manager. For more information on TxDOT's ferry operations, log on to the TxDOT website and search keyword "Ferry."

The Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest in terms of travelers taking to the highways, but it's also noteworthy for something else: football. Unfortunately, that also means an increase in crashes involving alcohol-impaired motorists. In response, TxDOT is ramping up its football-related traffic safety program, entitled, "Know When to Pass," aimed at encouraging fans to think ahead on game day and either pass on the alcohol or be prepared to pass their keys. For more on this program, I spoke with Terry Pence, the Director of TxDOT's Traffic Safety Section. For more information on the Know When to Pass campaign, log on to the TxDOT website and search keywords, "Know When to Pass."

Plowing snow in some parts of Texas is nothing new, and since 2006, TxDOT's Amarillo District has been actively educating motorists about the dangers involved. This year, though, the public awareness campaign called, "Don't Take a Chance: Don't Crowd the Plow" is going interactive. For more on the campaign, I spoke to its creator, TxDOT public information officer Paul Braun.

For the first time in TxDOT history, the department's executive director is not an engineer. Phil Wilson, former Texas Secretary of State and senior vice president of public affairs for Luminant, a Dallas-based electric generation company, took office on October 17 and immediately began a crash course in transportation. Two weeks later, I caught up with him at his office in Austin to find out what he expected to find when he arrived, what he found, and in which direction he plans to lead the department.

For the past 27 years, Griff Smith, the photo editor for Texas Highways Magazine, has traveled throughout Texas looking for that perfect shot. And he's found hundreds of them. Earlier this year, Smith’s work was honored and displayed at Sam Houston State University. Now it’s time for the encore. Fifty-eight of Smith’s most famous images will be on display at the Institute of Texan Cultures in San Antonio through March 25. I spoke with Griff recently about this new honor and what it means. For more information about the exhibit, call 210-458-2300 or visit TexanCultures.com. Catch a preview of the exhibit at the 7th Annual Transportation Forum, to be held February 15-17 at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio. For more information, or to register, log on to the TxDOT web site and click on the forum link on the home page.

In its August 2011 meeting, the Texas Transportation Commission selected TxDOT's new executive director, Phil Wilson, who officially takes over the reins of the department on Oct. 17. He'll be leading one of the top DOTs in the nation, and guiding it through an ongoing, agency-wide modernization effort. The role of TxDOT's top leader is one of the most high-profile positions among Texas' state agencies, and no one knows that better than Mike Behrens, former TxDOT executive director who led the department from 2001 to 2007. Earlier this year, during the annual Texas Transportation Forum, I talked to Behrens about his time at TxDOT's helm. The interview portion of this episode was originally posted in February.

We've all sat in traffic, and probably even wondered aloud where all of it seems to come from. According to the Texas Transportation Institutes 2011 Urban Mobility Report, while traffic congestion is irritating to everyone, its significance varies. For more on the study, I spoke with Dr. Tim Lomax, a research engineer at TTI. To read the 2011 Urban Mobility Report, log on to http://mobility.tamu.edu.

There was a time when TxDOT wasn't directly involved in responding to emergencies or natural disasters. Then came Hurricane Rita and the massive evacuation of the greater Houston area. Since then, the department has taken a variety of roles in responding to a wide range of emergency situations, from clearing roads for first responders after Hurricane Ike, to this year's Super Bowl, to this summer's wildfires. For more on TxDOT's role in responding to statewide emergencies, I spoke with David Casteel, TxDOT's Assistant Executive Director for Field and District Operations.

Among the millions of Americans who found themselves at a crossroads on the morning of September 11, 2001, few faced a tougher decision than then-Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, who in response to the hijacked airplanes crashing into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, took the unprecedented steps of grounding all domestic air traffic in the United States, and diverting all incoming international air traffic to Canada. In the days that followed, while other authorities were beginning their investigations into the attacks themselves, Mineta was charged with looking forward and improving the security of the nations transportation, which among other efforts led to the creation of the Transportation Security Administration. For more on his role on that fateful day, and the legacy those attacks left on transportation in the United States, I spoke with Secretary Mineta, now Global Vice Chairman at Hill and Knowlton in Washington, D.C.