Volpe Center: Volpe Center Highlights

Information Resources

Volpe Center Highlights - November/December 2003

Director's Notes

"With a new national commitment, our scientists and engineers will overcome obstacles... so that the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution-free."
President George W. Bush, State of the Union Address, January 2003

The Future of Transportation

In the State of the Union address, President George W. Bush introduced a hydrogen fuel initiative that would reduce America's dependence on imported oil by developing the technology for commercially viable hydrogen-powered fuel cells to power cars, trucks, homes, and businesses with no pollution or greenhouse gases. The Department of Transportation and its administrations support this initiative, and the Research and Special Programs Administration's Volpe Center makes a significant contribution. The Focus article in this issue of Highlights presents an overview of the Center's work in this area.

The safe, efficient integration of hydrogen fuel into the transportation system will require technical knowledge, leadership in bringing stakeholders together, an understanding of the need for collaboration between government agencies, and consensus building between government and the private sector. For several years, the Center has been engaged in collaborative work on codes, standards, and recommended practices for alternative fuel vehicles and related infrastructure, which will help provide the foundation for effective implementation.

Interest in hydrogen fuel-cell technologies goes beyond national borders. In support of the RSPA Administrator's Office, Volpe staff recently attended and supported the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy Ministerial meeting, which brought together energy ministers from 15 countries and the European Commission to discuss common areas of interest in, and obstacles to, the hydrogen economy.

Our engineering staff is also involved in the development of new vehicles, such as the world's first fuel-cell powered, road-switcher locomotive, and our analysts contribute to efforts to ensure the safety of using alternative fuels for transit.

Other Volpe safety work is also featured in this issue. Our approach to safety is constantly evolving in response to changing requirements. As the "easy fixes"-- such as the introduction of safety belts and air bags -- are achieved and more complex safety technologies are developed, our researchers continue to ask questions and identify areas of concern. The Center's role in evaluating technology that warns drivers when they are becoming drowsy is a salient example.

The Volpe Center continues to support the DOT's strategic goal of mobility -- advancing accessible, efficient, intermodal transportation for the movement of people and goods. Volpe's investigation of the causes of delays in the deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems is part of a sustained effort to introduce new technologies that will advance the mobility goal. Delays not only add to project costs, but also postpone mobility improvements that will result from implementation.

In these examples, as in all our work at the Volpe Center, we focus not only on our technical excellence as a research institution, but also on improving and formalizing our management practices in corporate management, project and program management, financial and acquisition management, and customer satisfaction. As reported in the previous issue of Highlights, a recent RSPA Management Assessment provides useful guidance to measure our progress.

As described in this issue, the Volpe Center is also participating in a larger government-wide initiative to make the government in general more accountable by being performance based and mission oriented. Our success in moving toward performance-based acquisitions is an important step in this direction.

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