Volpe Center: Volpe Center Highlights

Information Resources

Volpe Center Highlights - May/June 2002

Mobility and Economic Growth

Improving Public Transportation on Cape Cod (CCTTF)

Over the last several decades, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has each year attracted larger numbers of people. The growing population of summer visitors and year-round residents has resulted in increased traffic congestion, as well as increased demand for public transportation.

The Cape Cod Transit Task Force was established in 2000 to develop a short-term plan to improve public transportation in the Cape region. In support of this effort, the Volpe Center is developing the Five-Year Cape Cod Public Transportation Plan.

The Cape Cod Transit Task Force (CCTTF) was established in 2000 to develop a short-term plan to improve public transportation in the Cape region. At CCTTF's request, the Volpe Center has supported this, under the direction of Mr. Terry Sheehan of the Service and Operations Assessment Division, and has recently produced the final draft of the Five-Year Cape Cod Public Transportation Plan. The recent Transit Summit III, hosted by the CCTTF on February 27, 2002, in Hyannis, Massachusetts, marked the end of the formal public comment period on the final draft Plan.

Transit Summit III was held in two parts. The Summit co-chairs and Mr. Sheehan first discussed the elements of the plan, the results of the public comment period, and implementation. The need for a long-range, 10-to-20-year Public Transportation Plan to complement the work already completed was also addressed. This discussion was followed by four workshops focusing on next steps: 1) future rail improvements (moderated by Mr. Sheehan); 2) human service coordination and youth transportation; 3) financing the plan; and 4) the role for a community-based, public-private coordinating council. After the workshops, all input was gathered by the workshop moderators and presented to the full assembly in the main ballroom. A question-and-answer period followed. The Summit was attended by nearly 150 guests, and featured a speech by newly appointed Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation James Scanlan.

The Volpe team, in conjunction with the CCTTF, is expected to deliver the final Five-Year Cape Cod Public Transportation Plan in May 2002.

Enhancing Configuration Management with CMplus (U.S. Coast Guard)

As part of the U.S. Coast Guard's Configuration Management Project, the Volpe Center's Information Integration Division supports the Configuration Management Plus (CMplus) system. CMplus helps the Coast Guard manage maintenance and supply information for its fleet of cutters. The Division provides support in the areas of business analysis, requirement definition, system design, development and integration, implementation, and maintenance.

CMplus is deployed to hundreds of Coast Guard cutters and shoreside support organizations.

CMplus is the central repository for activities associated with maintaining Coast Guard assets at the unit level. It provides an automated information storage and retrieval source for inventory, maintenance, requisitioning, and equipment history; enables updating and maintaining baseline equipment configuration data and associated references; and provides logistics support in configuration, maintenance, and supply management. CMplus is deployed to more than 300 Coast Guard cutters and shoreside support organizations; implementation is expected at more than 600 units by 2003.

The Center's ongoing work supports the continued, effective, and growing use of CMplus throughout the Coast Guard.

In January 2002, Ms. Carrie Darling-Brown, Mr. Gary Fredericks, and Mr. Calvin Pires of the Division received the Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation for their service on the Configuration Management Project Software Installation and Training Team. The team conducted 122 CMplus software builds, installations, and 3-day training sessions from April through December 2001, completing a 2-year task in 9 months.

Recently, the Division worked with the Coast Guard Office of Logistics to develop related software called the New Acquisition Tool. Contractors building new Coast Guard vessels can use this tool to collect and maintain configuration-related data during vessel construction; this data will be exported into CMplus and the Coast Guard's automated Fleet Logistics System. The final version of the New Acquisition Tool was delivered to the Coast Guard on March 1, 2002.

Volpe Center Lecture Series Features Houko Luikens, Director of Dutch Transport Research Centre

The Volpe Center's Distinguished Lecture Series focuses on maintaining a climate for transportation innovation and on defining the roles of government, industry, and academia in the 21st Century transportation system. This activity continues the Center's long tradition of serving as a hub for the diverse transportation community and a forum for highly respected national and international experts and leaders to exchange information and perspectives.

Photo of Mr. Houko Luikens and Dr. Richard R. John sitting at a desk and signing papers.

Mr. Houko Luikens (left) and Dr. Richard R. John renewed the collaborative agreement between the Volpe Center and the Dutch Transport Research Centre during Mr. Luikens' recent visit to the Volpe Center. The two centers collaborate on a broad range of topics, including operator fatigue and alertness; professional capacity building for transportation planning; and public-private roles in funding and operating passenger railroads.

On April 30, 2002, Mr. Houko Luikens presented "Institutional Frameworks for Transportation Infrastructure - Management, Organization and Financing: Dutch and European Experiences." Mr. Luikens is Managing Director of the Transport Research Centre (TRC) for the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management. The TRC applies expertise in the development and execution of the government's policy for personal and freight transport.

Mr. Luikens addressed the need for a common European Transport Policy. Because the issues and approach of the Netherlands and the European Union are quite similar, he used his country as an example of how the European policy could work. The European Transport Policy, established by the European Commission, is based on an awareness and analysis of the growing transport-related problems in Europe: congestion, poor service quality, environmental problems, and safety. To address these problems, the policy would enable trans-European network investments, open up the transport market, shift the balance among modes, and establish a pricing policy that would allow fair competition.

The TRC's role in the Netherlands is similar to the Volpe Center's role in the United States: research, development, and analysis focusing on effective use of technology to improve quality of life.

The Dutch Traffic and Transport Plan that is currently under review is aimed at improving accessibility, quality of life, safety, and sustainability. The main Transport policy strategies are essentially in line with the European Union policy, and include:

Better utilization of road and rail infrastructure;
"Smart" mobility pricing;
Limited road infrastructure expansion;
Extensive public transport infrastructure expansion (e.g., high-speed rail, maglev);
Institutional changes in public transport;
Institutional changes in road investments, maintenance, and operation; and
Transfer of responsibilities to local and regional levels.

The Netherlands' high population density and car ownership present a unique challenge. Despite growing traffic congestion, public transportation has a negative public image because of lack of quality, speed, comfort, and accessibility. Passenger and freight rail usage has also declined. In response, the Dutch plan emphasizes facilitating a high-quality network where consumers can decide which mode they want to use. However, Mr. Luikens emphasized, there must be a direct link between using a service and paying for it. The plan also balances the need for mobility with other concerns, such as environmental impacts.

One Europe?

Implementing one common transportation policy in Europe is a daunting task. On the most basic level, the 15 countries that now make up the European Union have differing transportation and power systems. However, Mr. Luikens was optimistic about movement toward a unified approach.

Of particular interest to the audience was Mr. Luikens' description of the institutional changes made regarding passenger rail service in the Netherlands. To improve efficiency, responsibility for operation was separated from infrastructure. The national government owns and maintains the rail infrastructure and handles traffic management, while a private firm operates the rail service according to government standards. The issue of public-private roles in funding and operating passenger railroads is one area in which the TRC and the Volpe Center collaborate.

Mr. Luikens' main message was the importance of shared responsibility for solving transportation problems - that only through the participation of the public, business community, and local and regional governments will major transportation problems be solved.

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