ATSSA Signal September October 2020

American Traffic Safety Services Association 40 Member Engagement Transportation Conversations James M. Bass is executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation. He worked his way up the ladder, starting as a summer employee in 1985, then working part-time while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in accounting at the University of Texas at Austin. He was chosen as finance division director in 1999, chief financial officer in 2005, and assumed his current role in January 2016. James M. Bass, Texas Department of Transportation Executive Director Q A & Q: What do you consider your department’s biggest successes in roadway infrastructure changes or policy? A: One of the most impactful changes came in the past year. The Texas Trans - portation Commission approved one of the most ambitious goals we’ve ever set forth: ending deaths on our road - ways by 2050 with an interim goal of reducing deaths by half by 2035. In alignment with this goal, the Commis- sion set aside $600 million in extra safety funding over a two-year period to make roadway safety improvements to reduce deaths. It also reinforces our toppriority at TxDOT: safety. Everything we do in the agency is geared toward keeping the traveling public and our employees as safe as possible. No deaths are acceptable on our roadways and we’ll keep working until we can end all fatal crashes. Q: What technological innovations do you see impacting your state? A: The most significant innovation to impact our state will be autono - mous vehicles. We’re already seeing an impact with many tests and oper- ations in different parts of Texas. We know autonomous vehicles have the potential to change many aspects of transportation. That’s why, at the gover - nor’s direction, we formed a Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Task Force to further understand and plan for this budding industry’s impact on our state. The task force is made up of both the public and private sectors so we can all work together on their positive and safe use in the future. Q: What does your state do to promote work zone safety? A: TxDOT has multiple safety strat - egies and protocols on the job site to keep workers and the public safe. Main - tenance and construction workers are well-trained in safety techniques and procedures with the understanding that safety is the highest priority. TxDOT workers conduct safety meetings every morning before work begins, review - ing safety procedures and discussing any issues that may arise in specific work zones. TxDOT is always looking for new, innova - tive ways to improve safety. For exam - ple, our San Antonio District is piloting new sensor technology that goes into each individual worker’s helmet that sets off an alarm if they are too close to equipment that’s moving in reverse motion. The technology also allows researchers to analyze the times and situations when workers are more