COLLEGE STATION, Texas — If you head to the intersection of George Bush Drive and Penberthy Boulevard in College Station, you might notice some new additions to lights and signs.
"This first intersection was selected because it had left-turning buses which is one of the things we're focusing on," TTI Executive Associate Director, Katherine Turnbull said. "That is a conflict point with left-turning buses and pedestrians and bicyclists and other what we call vulnerable road users."
Thanks to a $1.9 million federal grant, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) is continuing the development of next-generation intersections.
"The technologies change the technology is advanced," Turnbull said, "'Looking at additional approaches and five additional intersections that have different geometric designs, different bus patterns, and different surrounding neighborhoods is what this next grant will do."
TTI is making pedestrians and cyclists more aware of buses by equipping radios that communicate with the traffic cabinet that makes the bus light aluminate as well as a voice enunciating 'bus turning' in English and Spanish.
"Everybody has a role to play. The bus drivers and motorists need to be alerted. Pedestrians need to not be distracted and alerted," Turnbull said "Making sure that you're kind of providing that alert to all the different user groups is important."
The 18-month grant project should start in the next couple of months, so expect five new next-gen intersections this time next year adjacent to or close to the Texas A&M campus.