In his words

“They say everything can be replaced….”
Lyric from Bob Dylan’s I Shall Be Released

In 1940, Dock D. Burke, Jr. was born to his parents, Dock and Velma Owen Burke, in Quanah, Texas.  At the end of August 2013, in my 45^th year of continuous employment at TTI, I am retiring from a career of transportation research, education, and service.

In this retirement website I want to say some things, show some pictures, and thank a lot of people who have been a part of the two significant and fundamental elements of my entire life: (1) my family and (2) Texas A&M and TTI.

I want my TTI colleagues to have the opportunity to meet members of my family; and I want my family members to know about some of the TTI people and work I have done with them over the past  4+ decades.  No assessment of Dock Burke would be complete without a mention of the importance of the people I met and the education I absorbed in my undergraduate days at the A&M College of Texas and at graduate school at Tulane University.

I owe so much to so many people, as will be obvious to anyone who clicks thru this site.  I thank TTI for the grand opportunity to build my professional career from start to finish here on this campus.  I am grateful for this final kindness shown me in the support of this non-traditional approach to my retirement.

For me this is a peak celebration.  I hope you enjoy the reflections herein.

Discharged from service as a U.S. Army tank officer at Ft. Knox, I came to TTI in July 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the A&M College of Texas and an additional four years of study, research, and teaching in the doctoral program in economics at Tulane University.  Initially I was appointed as an Assistant Research Economist in TTI’s Department of Highway Economy and was subsequently promoted through the research ranks to Associate Research Economist, Research Economist, and Senior Research Scientist.  Nominated by TTI, I was named a Regents Fellow by the Texas A&M System Board of Regents in 2003.

At the Institute, I served as principal or co-principal investigator on fifty-five individual research projects; authored or co-authored eighty-eight technical reports, papers, and articles; and conveyed research findings in sixty-five presentations.  Much of this work has been directly for an agency or entity of the people of Texas and has involved the application of transportation economic analysis or transportation policy assessment. Additionally, the results of this research were implemented in several opportunities that both created and added value to transportation enterprises of the State.  Some examples of this implementation are: advancing the use of multidisciplinary freeway design teams in TxDOT; incorporating socio-economic and environmental assessments in transportation project processes in TxDOT; establishing the Texas Center for Ports and Waterways at TTI; coordinating the TTI Regional Division program to link other campuses in Texas to TTI;  incorporating citizen participation, public meetings and public involvement in the TxDOT project development process ; assisting with the bi-national transportation assessment of NAFTA; delivering transportation service to several colonias neighborhoods on the Texas/Mexico border; and, most importantly, providing leadership in the Southwest Region University Transportation Center consortium , first as SWUTC Associate Director, then Director of SWUTC.  In 1997, TTI presented to me the Trinity/Director’s Career Achievement for Research Award.

Southwest Region University Transportation Center

Since 1992, I have served as Director of the Federal Region 6 University Transportation Center, which is headquartered at TTI.  Texas A&M/TTI, UT-Austin, Texas Southern University, Louisiana State University, and the University of New Orleans now comprise the center’s consortium of universities known as the Southwest Region University Transportation Center.  The SWUTC is one of the ten charter members of the USDOT’s University Transportation Centers program initiated in 1988.  We implement a program budget currently valued at approximately $4 million annually.  In my view the unique mission of the SWUTC is to create and deliver innovative educational, research, and technology transfer activities to enhance the existing transportation programs at the member universities and research centers. Advanced research agendas, graduate and undergraduate educational enrichment programs, and on-site service delivery of selected transportation initiatives are the hallmarks of this 25 year-old program.

SWUTC’s programs in research, educational enhancement, and technology transfer have been replicated many times by other UTC’s.  Also, we supported new, breakthrough research initiatives that subsequently have spun-off entirely new program elements and individual successes—such as TTI’s rail center, our ports and waterways center, colonias van transportation program, TSU’s urban transportation conferences, the SWUTC student awards program, and the Summer Transportation Institute programs.  Our successes in partnership building and outreach with faculty members and research professionals at TAMU, TSU, LSU, UNO, and UT-Austin have created an exemplary collegial environment for collaboration and premier performance in the SWUTC.

In my opinion, the SWUTC today remains one of TTI’s prized national centers and brightest success stories.

Selected research highlights

Costs of Vehicle Accidents: A More Comprehensive Measure

In my very first research project at TTI, I and Dr. Frank McFarland developed a methodology for calculating economic value estimates of vehicle accidents and involvements on the state highway system.  They included both direct and indirect cost elements, which created a more comprehensive and truer measure of the economic costs of motor vehicle accident estimates than had been previously used.  Our methodology also utilized a taxonomic categorization of accident costs according to types of highway, vehicles, and severity of accidents.  This comprehensive taxonomy produced a set of dollar estimates for accident costs that were immediately useful in economic analyses of highway upgrades, new highway projects, and various highway safety projects.

Trucks Sizes, Weights, and Highway Cost Allocation: Preserving the Highway System

In the 1980’s, I was the principal investigator for several TxDOT studies to develop analysis and recommendations on specific proposals to change commercial vehicle sizes and weights.  Our research staff developed procedures to identify and measure significant economic impacts upon pavements, bridges, and safety due to larger and heavier trucks in the vehicle mix.  This analysis was extended when TTI/CTR researchers, including Dr. Michael Walton and Dr. Alberto Garcia-Diaz, developed the Texas highway cost allocation study and its state-of-the-art analytical procedures.  Results from that breakthrough analysis showed much higher estimates of damages caused by trucks to the highway system than were previously thought.  These results were used by TxDOT and its legislative supporters to oppose repeated attempts of trucking industry lobbyists to get larger and heavier trucks approved for operating on Texas highways, which resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in savings for highway rehabilitation and maintenance.

Use of Consultants at TxDOT:  A Policy for Agency Efficiencies and Sustainability

At TTI, Roberto Cavazos and I conducted one of the “cornerstone” studies to clarify TxDOT’s use of consulting engineers and other consultants in its operations.  The results of this study proposed policies that would save millions of dollars in taxes and also help preserve the professional engineering leadership cadre of TxDOT.  This study methodology and findings provided TxDOT with information that showed:  (1) at that time, work done by consultant engineers was more costly than that done in-house by TxDOT engineers; (2) the quality of work performed by TxDOT was similar to that of consultants; and (3) TxDOT’s use of consultants was best implemented to handle peak workloads and to conduct specialized studies or analyses that were outside the routine expertise in TxDOT.  The results of this study were used successfully by TxDOT to counter legislative initiatives that would have shifted the bulk of the design and maintenance responsibilities from TxDOT to private consulting firms, thus leaving TxDOT to only supervise the private consultants. This study has been validated and remains a significant empirical contribution to the discussion of the public/private efficiencies in transportation. 

Private Toll Roads: Economic Viability

In the 1990’s, TTI was asked by TxDOT to analyze the financial feasibility of a proposed private toll road, the Camino Columbia Toll Road, near Laredo linking IH35 to the International Solidarity Bridge.  This work contained a foundation for evaluating the state’s approach to future applications for private toll road franchises.  TTI Research Economist Tom Glenn developed a detailed financial model to analyze the viability of the proposed toll road project.  Based on the analytical results, Burke and Glenn advised TxDOT and its Commission that the proposed Camino Columbia Toll Road (CCTR) was not financially viable for sustained operations.  Nevertheless, having received the political support to gain approval to build the road, the owners of CCTR built and opened the road, expecting thousands of vehicles per day.  Fewer than 1000 vehicles (est.) ever paid tolls each day at CCTR, and TxDOT had to assume ownership and operation when CCTR failed, as had been predicted.  The CCTR financial model and exposition by Glenn and Burke extended the understanding of the relationship of forecasted traffic and resulting toll revenues, which is the most crucial issue in evaluating the economic viability of a proposed toll facility.

Transportation in Texas Colonias: Developing Efficient Solutions

After completing a pilot study, we in SWUTC envisioned a role for transportation in Texas’ colonias neighborhoods that could be directly supported by TTI/SWUTC in partnership with Mr. Kermit Black at the Center for Housing and Urban Development (CHUD) at Texas A&M University.  TTI secured funding from the Texas State Energy Conservation Office to purchase passenger vans that were then assigned to the colonias Community Centers built by CHUD in communities along the Rio Grande from Brownsville to El Paso, including:  Cameron Park, San Carlos, Progresso, Lasara, Sebastian, Rio Hondo, Monte Alto, LaJoya, Rio Bravo, El Cenizo, Largo Vista, Quad Cities, Oilton-Bruni, Eagle Pass, Montana Vista, Sparks, and Socorro.  These vehicles provided for more than 2 million passenger miles of travel annually to support medical and dental care, adult education, infant services, geriatric services, recreation, employment, and economic development initiatives for residents in these colonias neighborhoods.  This successful effort to provide transportation services for colonias brought daily benefits to thousands of fellow Texans living in these neighborhoods.

Service to TTI

In additional to research and implementation efforts, I helped with some vital initiatives to support the development of an improving work environment at TTI.

Some of those efforts with colleagues were:

• Developing information for and preparing TTI’s Strategic Plans within TAMUS.
• Developing the TTI Employee Awards Program.
• Establishing and improving pay and promotions guidelines for TTI.
• Preparing energy shortage impact analyses for Office of the Governor during the 1970’s energy crisis.
• Preparing legislative testimony for various transportation issues.
• Serving on various TAMUS planning committees/task forces.
• Serving as session coordinator (management sessions) for annual TxDOT Short Courses.
• Serving as an expert from TTI to the Bi-National Transportation Study for Mexico and the United States.
• Serving as Panel Coordinator (maritime) for TTI Advisory Committee
• Mentoring graduate/undergraduate students engaged in transportation research projects
• Serving in numerous administrative positions including program manager, assistant division head, division head, and External Programs Director.
• Serving on the TAMUS Search Committee for the current TTI director.

Special thanks and gratitude…

…to my family

I want to make sure that viewers of this website know that I have been immensely fortunate both in birth and ensuing life.  My parents, Dock Sr. and Velma Owen Burke, provided a nurturing home environment for me, my sisters Pat and Judy, and my brother Lee.  The love, care, and support I had from them precedes all else of import in my life.

My children – Jenni/John, Jon, Adam/Kathrin, Michael/Claire, and Cassidy – have themselves become thoughtful, delightful, and generous adults following memorable childhood histories.

The grandchildren – Melanie (16), Philip (13), Natalie (11), Taylor (12), Hannah (4), and Emma (2)—are a continuous source of pure happiness and enormous quantities of non-monetary wealth for me and the entire family!

And, most importantly, Karen has given me the sustainable strength, joy, and permanence of love in my life.

Dock Burke
College Station, TX

…to these collaborators/colleagues at TTI/TAMU

My sincere thanks are offered in perpetuity to Herb Richardson for his leadership and commitment to excellence in guiding the SWUTC as Chairman of its Executive Committee.  His dedication to and support of the unbroken success of SWUTC have known no limits.  Now in his own retirement and emeritus status, Herb continues to inspire and guide us all.   He has always been my mentor; and he has become also my friend.

My thanks are due also to these collaborators/colleagues/friends at TTI/TAMU, some of which go back more than 45 years:  Frank McFarland, Tom Glenn, Sadler Bridges, Tim Lomax, Kermit Black, Roberto Cavazos, Bill Harris, Bill Adkins, Melissa Tooley, Debbie Jasek, Felipe Zambrano, Katie Womack, John Hobbs, Francis Shin, Hoy Richards, John Basilotto, Julie Fesenmaier, Alberto Garcia-Diaz, Jeff Memmott, Anna Jo Mitchell, Kwaku Tenah, Bob Lytton, Charlie Leinweber, Mike Weiss, Dallas Little, Arturo Villarreal, Sandy Tucker, Don Bugh, Dick McCasland, Sue Robertson, Kem Bennett, Roger Bligh, Bill Stewart, Hugo Meuth, Janice Konecny, John Nichols, Jim Yao, Beverly Storey, Arnie Vedlitz, Gene Buth, Hong Yu, Luca Quadrifoglio, David Schmidly, Calvin Parnell, Cindy Estakhri, Duane Rosa, Charlie Bell, Jim Giermanski, Bill McMullen, Larry Rilett, Wayne McCully, Dolores Hott, Patti Bass Ellis, Mark Burris, Jack Lamkin, Steve Fuller, Chris Sasser, Brian Bochner, Holly Crenshaw, Theron Fuller, Boma Afiesamama, Ivan Damnjanovic, Jesse Buffington, Penny Beaumont, Dale Schafer, David Schrank, Jon Epps, Pat Guseman.  John Niedzwecki, Margaret Chui, Jack Keese, Fred Benson, Dennis Christiansen, Charley Wootan, Marvin Hodgson, Joanne Saunders, Parr Rosson, Barbara Hein, Laurence Crane, Mark Ehsani, Curtis Morgan, Gene Hawkins, Sharon Hansen, Donn Hancher, Eric Lindquist, Tom Scullion, Hayes Ross, Lee Peddicord, Bob Olson, Rodger Koppa, Susan Massey, Martha Taylor, Yunlong Zhang, Nat Pinnoi, Harlow Landphair, Forster Ndubisi, David Rosowsky, Emily Braswell, Lou Horn, Becca Simons, Adarsh Joshi, Connie Dudek, Joe Button, Charles Giammona, Stan Holmes, Ivan Lorenz, Fred White, Ray Keck, Greg Richmond, Jim Lyle, Ray Owensby, Virginia Gard, Pam Cosby, Billy Edge, Hillary Garrett, Jett McFalls, Clay Hanks, Don Ivey, Don Woods, Dan Buenger, Dan Davis, and Dan Zollinger.

…to these collaborators/colleagues in the SWUTC program

SWUTC partner universities.  Rob Harrison, Michael Walton, Naomi Ledè, Carol Lewis, Robert Herman, Hani Mahmassani, Khosro Godazi, Randy Machemehl, Lei Yu, Clyde Lee, Leigh Boske, Fengxiang Qiao, Ming Zhang, Claire LaVaye, Kara Kockelman, Judy Shafer, Vicki Simpson, Mark Euritt, John Renne, Brian Wolshon, Paul Simmons, Jim Amdal, Chandra Bhat, Yi Qi, Carol Short, Susan Handy, Ron Hudson, Frank McCullough, Gwen Goodwin, Zhanmin Zhang, Ron Goodwin, and Bethany Stich.

Federal Regional UTC Directors (initial appointments in 1988).  Buz Paaswell, Tom Humphrey, Nancy Nihan, Mel Webber, Gene Griffen, Tom Maze, Tom Gillispie, Gorman Gilbert, Jim Miller, and Connie Dudek.

Other UTC Directors.  Denver Tolliver, Larry Rilett, Joe Coughlin, Jack Buffington, Melissa Tooley, Betty Deakin, Lou Pignataro, Charlie Wallace, Robert Cervero, Tony Dark, Camille Kamga, Andrew Farkas, Martin Pietrucha, Jason Bittner, Max Donath,  Ping Yi, Steve Richards, Lisa Aultman-Hall, Teresa Adams, Srini Peeta, Martin Lipinski, John Collura, Yinhai Wang, Bobb Stokes, Joel Volinski, Michael Hunter, Ali Maher, Steve Albert, Genevieve Guiliano, Russ Fine, Jay Lindlay, Walt LeFevre, Bob Plymale, Lily Elefteriadou, and Rod Diridon.

USDOT and RSPA/RITA Offices.   Amy Stearns, Robin Kline, Elaine Joost, Curt Tompkins, Mort Downey, Tom Larsen, Paul Brubaker, Pat Cass, Greg Winfree, Fenton Carey, Rocky Shih, and John McGowan.

Texas State Energy Conservation Office.  Bob Otto and Mary Jo Rowan.

…to these collaborators/colleagues in the State of Texas Highway and Transportation Department (variously named over the past 45 years: THD, SDHPT, and TxDOT)

Bill Ward, Marcus Yancey, Bill McClure, Burette Balfour, Jim Barr, Byron Blaschke, Ed Wueste, Jim Brown, Mark Goode, Jack Housworth, Phil Wilson, Bob Cuellar, Roy Rodman, Frank Holzmann, Ken Bohulsav, Ivan Mayes, Anne Wynne, Roger Welsh, John Staha, Bill Burnett, Max Farris, David Casteel, Joe Battle, John Nixon, Gus Chavez, Jon Underwood, J. L. Beaird, Clyde Bullion,  Bob Farrar, Al Leudecke, Mike Behrens, Walt McCullough, Cassie Carlson, Henry Thomason, Rick Collins, Bob Hays, Amadeo Saenz, Luis Ramirez, Bob Lewis, Dexter Jones, B.L. DeBerry, Tom Griebel, Raymond Stotzer, Dan Mings, Arnold Oliver, Joe Wright, and L.E. Clarke.

…to my classmates from Texas A&M

As a student in the A&M Corps of Cadets I met a group of guys – especially in our Aggie Class of 1962—that have grown old together and still share great delight in each other’s company. They are a special part of my life, and I am proud to recognize them here at my retirement: Frank Hall, Jim Davis, David Jochetz, Rick McPherson, Tom Ralph, Garry Owen, Jim Mosley, Tom Carpenter, Zane Richburg, Ben Goodwyn, David Eichblatt, Bill Dyar, Worth Barham, John Baird, Joel Ridout, Cliff Hoelscher, Chuck Cochran, Larry Gardner, Wally Gayle, Charlie Wallace, Don Pollard, Chuck Berry, Gene Anderson, George Gilliam, Steve Graef,  Yale Swafford, Jim Woodward, Juan Martinez, Jan Ahart, Bobby Bates, Jerry Groves, Jim Brooks, Jerry Nelson, Glenn Pavlik, Bill Stuhrenberg, David Danzeiser, Bill Cepica, Bob Bigham, Jim Pat Hudson, Tom Wiley, Gene Fugitt, Dick Runge, Bob Lloyd, Ranken Kennedy, Jim Cosby, Jack Burke, Jack Klug, Don Cook, Gary Underwood, and my dear and tragic friend….Ben Trail.

…to others from my college days at Texas A&M

In addition to my Class of ’62 mates from A&M, I would like to mention several other Aggie buddies from my college days:  Joe Eichblatt, Larry Wilmesmeier, Herb Whalen, Ed Wueste, Dutch Wilkinson, Bill Ray, Bob Nolan, Bob Rhoades, Robin Moore, John Blackburn, Larry Mayo, Bob Carter, James Nash, John Tibbels, J.D. Sartwelle, Pete Flores, Jack Meyer, Jim Peters, Phil Grant, Bob Petty, Bob Martin, Charles Blaschke, Jim Lanning, Tom Harrover, Jose Salinas, Charlie Nash, Steve Wilkes, Lee Sanders, David Lyons, Steve Chupik, Tom Johnson, and others from our cadet unit:  “Spider-D The Best Damn Outfit on the Campus!”

At Texas A&M, I was fortunate to have learned from and been mentored by several outstanding professor/scholars including: Professors Alfred Chalk, John Treacy, E.E. Liebhafsky, Louis Stern, and Claude Bitner (Economics Department); Harry Hierth, Carroll Laverty, and John Q. Anderson (English Department); Lloyd C. Taylor in History; M. Hamilton in Statistics; C.C. Doak in Biology; H. Luther in Mathematics; and CPT Odie Biggs in Military Science.

In graduate school at Tulane University I met some of the brightest and best people who were also my fellow students, colleagues, and friends in the Economics Department, including: Tom Glenn, Frank McFarland, George Reynolds, Tom Humphrey, Don Paxton, Marvin Bentley, Sue Okubo, John Abbott, Tom Casey, Marshall Rose, Alan Pulsipher, and John Duncan.  Tulane’s economics faculty included several professors who contributed to my academic preparation for a career in the economics profession.  They were: Professors Herbert J.G. Geyer, Jacques Melitz, Seymour Goodman, W. David Maxwell, Erskine McKinley, Eirik Furubotn, Frank Keller, Gaylord Cummins, and Herman Freudenberger.

I am also thankful for a few close friends who have been with Karen and me often in many of these past 45 years: Frank and Bobette McFarland, Tom and Joyce Glenn, John and Sue Robertson, Rick and Julia McPherson, Roger and Penny Beaumont, John and Nancy Abbott, Sadler and Angie Bridges, and Ben Trail – poet, soldier, teacher, and friend.

My sincere gratitude goes to TTI for supporting my request to establish this website in lieu of a more traditional retirement event. And special thanks to the individuals who made it happen, including: Chris Sasser, Mark Coppock, David Dennis, Richard Cole, Becca Simons, Terri Parker, Don Bugh, and, of course, Barbara Jean Evins Lorenz.

I am almost done, but there is one more person to acknowledge ……

Special recognition, immense thanks, and unbounded gratitude belong to Barbara Jean Evins Lorenz, my co-worker and friend since 1982, when she began her professional career with TTI.  Barb is one of the most gifted persons I have ever known. With her myriad of abilities, she can do anything that she decides to do.  And if she decides on something she does NOT want to do?  Then you can just “Forget About It”!

Fortunately for me, Barb developed and mastered all the skills and knowledge needed to organize and operate the administrative structure of TTIs program, division, and center offices. Together, Barbara and I went from TTI’s Policy and Management Program … to the Economics and Planning Division ….to External Programs… and the SWUTC.

Much of the success I have had at TTI has been based on work done by Barb and her extraordinary leadership-by-example performance.  She has been a constant source of ideas, encouragement, support, suggestions, and high-quality results. And all of this is wrapped in a rich sense of humor, tireless work effort, and loyal commitment to achieving the highest personal performance.

My departure from TTI is indeed bittersweet for me.  But I shall truly and mostly miss my daily interaction with Barb Lorenz and her engaging laugh, far-ranging knowledge and wisdom, cogent observations on people and events, gentle advice, creative and artistic talents, and comfortable friendship……….Besides, she still has my hat!

Adios to all of my fellow TTIers,

Dock (Exeunt omnes)