ResearchOriginal analysis of Houston and Texas transportation data

Research notes go a step past compiling a table. They trace where a widely repeated statistic came from, test a claim against official records, or compare sources that measure the same thing in different ways.

Each note follows the same rules. Findings come first. The method is described in enough detail to repeat. Every figure links to the document it came from, and any number Texas Mobility Outlook calculated carries a label saying so. When the evidence does not settle a question, the note says so.

The first notes reached findings no agency table states directly. ValuePenguin’s 2016 list, the root of the claim that I-45 is America’s deadliest highway, ranked it second, not first, and by raw count of fatal crashes it placed 44th of the 50 routes in that table (calculated by Texas Mobility Outlook).¹ In the City of Houston, TxDOT counted 293 traffic deaths in 2025; reaching zero by the City’s 2030 goal would take about 59 fewer deaths each year, faster than any one-year drop since 2015.²

Tables in research notes can be downloaded as CSV and reused under a Creative Commons Attribution license. If you find an error, the corrections page explains how to report it.