Volpe Center: Volpe Center Highlights

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Volpe Center Highlights - May/June 2002

Human and Natural Environment

Designing "Park-Friendly" Alternative Vehicles (NPS)

The goal of the workshop was to develop NPS requirements and tangible vehicle design concepts for "park-friendly" vehicles.

The National Park Service (NPS) maintains a comprehensive program aimed at developing and implementing alternative transportation systems (ATS) in the National Parks. ATS can help reduce traffic congestion, alleviate environmental impacts, and provide a more enjoyable visitor experience.

The Volpe Center provides wide-ranging support to the ATS program. Recently, members of the Advanced Vehicle Technologies Division facilitated an NPS-sponsored Alternate Vehicle Design Workshop held in Estes Park, Colorado. The workshop focused on the planning and design of alternative transportation vehicles that:

Protect park resources and adhere to sustainable design principles;
Enhance visitor understanding and enjoyment of parks through interpretation and education;
Address visitor safety and comfort, including requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act; and
Contribute to the NPS' role as a leader in a national conservation ethic.

March 25 through 28, 2002, Messrs. Paul Bushueff, William Chernicoff, and Barry Mickela of the Division moderated and led an interactive forum that brought together leaders from the NPS, the transportation industry, and other organizations to exchange ideas and information, and to develop readily implementable design concepts of the NPS vehicles of the future.

The 86 attendees included NPS planners, coordinators, and superintendents from all seven park regions; representatives from transportation manufacturing companies and transportation-related supply companies.

As part of this effort, the Center is also developing a Web-based, vehicle-selection tool for the NPS that will assist individual parks during vehicle procurement and acquisitions.

A line art illustration of a park friendly bus concept.

Several design concepts for park-friendly vehicles were developed collaboratively at the Volpe-facilitated workshop. In developing the concept shown here for a small bus that would carry 20-29 people, participants considered many issues, including road and route factors such as load, terrain, grades, and turning radii; environmental factors; passenger requirements such as access, egress, safety, interior comfort, and luggage; driver/tour guide requirements; visual and audio requirements; maintenance, reliability, and serviceability; style and appearance; and integration of intelligent transportation systems. (View larger image.)

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