When the campus becomes the classroom: Texas A&M's campus transportation technology initiative
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by the International Institute of Informatics and Systemics 2018. University campuses are unique ecosystems that provide living laboratories in which to test new ideas and innovations. Institutions can combine their academic and research missions to conduct collaborative projects that focus on solving real-world problems. Texas A&M University [1] developed the Campus Transportation Technology Initiative (CTTI) [2] for just this reason. Under this initiative, private-sector transportation innovations are brought to campus to enhance safety, mobility, and quality of life, for students, staff, faculty, and visitors. CTTI projects, managed by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) [3], a transportation research agency recognized internationally for research excellence, focus on spot deployments of new technologies within the campus. These deployments are evaluated by student teams from the University, departmentally approved, capstone courses. To date, the initiative has provided 25 projects across five Texas A&M academic colleges. Sample projects have included such innovations as autonomous shuttles, geo-fenced payment options for parking, parking lot analytics, in-place evaluation and mechanical property testing of solar luminescent pavement markings, evaluation of people-mover options for campus, and development of technologies for pedestrian heat maps. Although CTTI focuses on spot deployments, the results of the evaluations feed into Texas A&M's master plan update, with the overall goals of moving the campus to a greener, more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly environment, while accounting for the significant growth and rise in enrollment taking place at the University. The proposed article would emphasize how the initiative was proposed and developed, the methods employed to successfully engage both the private and academic sectors, and the results of the initiative to date. In addition, several topical projects will be presented as examples of success stories for collaborating across the academic, research, and private sectors.
