Researchers in the Transportation Studies Department at Texas Southern University are investigating the Freeway Auxiliary Problems for Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). TxDOT has awarded a two-year research grant project to TSU, to study the Design and Scope of Impact  Auxiliary Lanes have on Texas Freeways.

Researchers at TSU, led by Dr. Yi Qi and Dr. Lei Yu, will develop guidelines and recommend best practices for freeway auxiliary lanes to reduce conflicts, improve safety, and reduce delays for the weaving area near the entrance and exit of freeways. Dr. Qi and Dr. Yu are national experts in this field and have plenty of experience in  geometric design and traffic operations.

The Mini TranStar laboratory at TSU will be used extensively for the data collection of this project.  Real-time traffic videos of local freeways will be extracted from this lab that will allow the TSU team to pursue some research activities that could not be achieved in the past.

It is anticipated that the successful completion of this project will help to decrease crash rates, reduce traffic delays, and improve traffic progress on Houston freeways.

Referenced article from Texas Southern