Volpe Center: Volpe Center Highlights

Information Resources

Volpe Center Highlights - January/February 2004

Papers and Presentations

Realistic Radio Communications Research. November 5 and 6, 2003, the Volpe Center participated in the Royal Aeronautical Society International Conference on the Simulation of the Environment, held in London, U.K. Dr. Judith Brki-Cohen of the Operator Performance and Safety Analysis Division presented "Evidence for the Need of Realistic Radio Communications for Airline Pilot Simulator Training and Evaluation." Dr. Brki-Cohen's paper summarizes existing radio communication practices, literature, and industry and airline efforts to improve realistic radio communications simulation. It also presents the results of an earlier study on the impact of current practices on initial operating experience.
ITS World Congress. November 16 through 21, 2003, Ms. Jane Lappin of the Economic and Industry Analysis Division attended the ITS World Congress in Madrid, Spain. Ms. Lappin presented "Los Angeles and Seattle: A Comparative Analysis of Customer Response to Traffic Information," co-authored by Ms. Margaret Petrella, also of the Division. The paper compares customer response to online traffic information in two of the most congested cities in the United States with the objectives of developing a better understanding of the regional characteristics that define the market for online traffic information services, and identifying customer requirements for a satisfactory traffic information service.
International Electric Vehicle Symposium. November 16 to 18, 2003, Mr. William P. Chernicoff of the Service and Operations Assessment Division participated in the 20th International Electric Vehicle Symposium, in Long Beach, California. He presented the paper "Hybrid Electric Tow Tractors for the Military." The Volpe Center has been providing support to the Department of Defense to develop and deploy a dual-use hybrid tow tractor with the objective of reducing fuel consumption, emissions, and parts and labor necessary to maintain and operate these vehicles.
Sleep Apnea Crash Risk Study. Dr. Lawrence Barr of the Accident Prevention Division completed a study to assess the risks of commercial vehicle crashes due to the presence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea among a sample of 406 truck drivers, the majority of whom were local/short-haul operators. The primary objectives of the study were to understand the impact of sleep apnea and driver impairment on crash involvement, the number of crashes, and severity of crashes. Results of the study showed that drivers diagnosed with sleep apnea had no greater likelihood of having a crash, or multiple crashes, than drivers without sleep apnea. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) Office of Research and Technology sponsored the study. A final report, "Sleep Apnea Crash Risk Study," documenting the study and recommending areas for future research, was submitted to FMCSA in November 2003.
National GIS Day. Dr. Alan Rao was invited to participate in a panel session titled "Enabling the Business of Government Using Geospatial Technology: A Roadmap for Coordinated and Collaborative National Action," held on "GIS Day," November 19, 2003, in Washington, D.C. The session was organized by the Council for Excellence in Government and sponsored by the Office of Management and Budget. Representatives from federal agencies and industry organizations addressed topics ranging from President Bush's 24 e-government initiatives to the costs and benefits of GIS (Geographic Information System) in state and local governments. Dr. Rao emphasized the U.S. DOT's commitment in support of the proposed "data exchange standards." He used the Bureau of Transportation Statistics' National Transportation Atlas Data (NTAD) as an example to call for interagency collaboration and data sharing.
Operator Fatigue Management. November 17 through 21, 2003, Dr. Stephen Popkin of the Operator Performance and Safety Analysis Division participated in the International Symposium on Night and Shiftwork in Santos, Brazil, in support of the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Research and Development. Dr. Popkin, who co-chairs the U.S. DOT Operator Fatigue Management Program, presented a keynote address, "Developing Fatigue Management Resources for the Transportation Enterprise: U.S. Experience Towards a Non-prescriptive Approach," at the Management and Safety in Transportation workshop.
Equity of Congestion Pricing. November 19 to 22, 2003, Dr. Doug Lee of the Economic and Industry Analysis Division attended the International Symposium on Road Pricing in Key Biscayne, Florida, which is presented by the Transportation Research Board and sanctioned by the National Research Council of the National Academies. Dr. Lee presented a paper, "Impacts of Road Pricing on Income Classes," which reviewed empirical evidence on the distributional impacts of peak period pricing, or "value pricing," and compared it to standard distributions of household income. He found that although peak period travelers, and especially those who pay tolls, are well above average in income, the payments do not rise quite as fast as income; hence the charges, viewed as a tax, are mildly regressive. Other revenue instruments, such as the fuel tax, are similarly mildly regressive. Recycling the revenues from tolls, however, could easily correct any distributional inequities if so desired.
Bus Axle Weight Study. At the request of Congress, in December 2003 the Department of Transportation submitted a study on the applicability of federal maximum weight limitations to over-the-road buses and public transit vehicles. The Volpe Center conducted the study and prepared the report for the Federal Transit Administration. The report included an assessment of current status and trends in bus axle weight; an estimate of the cost of pavement damage caused by buses; an assessment of the technical and economic feasibility of lighter weight buses; a benefit-cost evaluation of selected policies; and recommendations to Congress. The Volpe team, led by Dr. Scott Smith of the Service and Operations Assessment Division, also included Dr. John Brewer, Vehicle Crashworthiness Division; Mr. William Chernicoff and Mr. Scott Lian, Service and Operations Assessment Division; Dr. Doug Lee, Economic and Industry Analysis Division; and Mr. Ed Ramsdell, Chief of the Economic and Industry Analysis Division.
Estimating Vehicle Miles Traveled. The 2003 series of the Transportation Research Board (TRB): Journal of the Transportation Research Board recently published the paper titled "Methodology for Estimating Vehicle Miles Traveled for Commercial Motor Vehicles at the State Level" which was submitted by Ms. Candace Brown, Ms. Nancy Kennedy, and Mr. Don Wright of the Motor Carrier Safety Assessment Division and Mr. Walt Zak of EG&G Technical Services (a Volpe Center on-site contractor). The paper describes a method to better estimate large truck and bus vehicle miles traveled (VMT) at the state level in order to accurately calculate commercial motor vehiclerelated crash rates for state and federal programs. The adjusted state VMT for commercial vehicles supports measurement of program effectiveness and development of countermeasures to promote motor carrier safety.
Invited Lecture at George Mason University. At the invitation of Professor George Donohue, former Federal Aviation Administration Associate Administrator of Research and Acquisition, Dr. Eugene Gilbo of the Volpe Center's Automation Applications Division visited George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, on December 4 and 5, 2003. Dr. Gilbo gave a seminar at the Department of System Engineering and Operations Research on his study of Airport Arrival/Departure Optimization. The subject of Airport Arrival/Departure Optimization, part of the University's senior design Capstone Project, deals with developing a design prototype that integrates three major components: the Corridor Integrated Weather System, Airport Arrival/Departure Optimization, and NASA's Surface Management System.
Air Transport Human Factors. Dr. Michelle Yeh of the Operator Performance and Safety Analysis Division presented a paper titled "Air Transport Pilots' Information Priorities for Surface Moving Maps" at the 47th Annual Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Conference in Denver, Colorado. The paper is based on a study in which air transport pilots rated the value of different types of information for conducting operations on or near the airport surface. The ratings identified a set of items considered to be of high value across all phases of flight, but also emphasized the shifting need for information across different phases.
Full-Scale Impact Tests. Mr. Matthew Lyons of the Structures and Dynamics Division presented "Full Scale Tank Car Coupler Impact Tests," at the 2003 American Society for Mechanical Engineers International Mechanical Engineering Congress and R&D Expo held November 15 to 21, 2003, in Washington, D.C. The paper was co-authored by Mr. Lyons, Dr. William Riddell, also of the Division, and Mr. Kevin Koch of Transportation Technology Center, Inc.

Photo of a pilot using a tablet computer.

Simulation of torso impacts using the THOR finite element model (the right upper extremity is not shown).

Finite Element Model of Crash Test Dummy. Volpe's Vehicle Crashworthiness Division has developed a finite element model of the THOR crash test dummy for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) National Transportation Biomechanics Research Center. Dr. Hailing Yu of EG&G Technical Services (an on-site Volpe Center contractor) presented a paper on the model development at the 2003 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and RD&D Exposition held in Washington, D.C. November 15 - 21, 2003. The paper, "Finite Element Model of the Crash Test Dummy THOR: Torso Sub-Assemblies," was co-authored by Mr. Frank DiMasi of the Vehicle Crashworthiness Division, and Dr. Marisol Medri and Dr. Qing (Calvin) Zhou of EG&G Technical Services (a Volpe Center on-site contractor).

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