Volpe Center: Volpe Center Highlights

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Volpe Center Highlights - March/April 2004

Organizational Excellence

Recruiting Capable, Proven Talent Through Student Employment

Understanding that its core resource is its people, the Volpe Center is committed to finding, developing, and retaining a diverse group of innovative professionals. One important source of talent for both technical and administrative positions at the Center is the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP), which provides federal employment opportunities to degree-seeking students, allowing them to gain valuable work experience in their field of interest. The relative ease with which SCEP students can be hired and, upon graduation, can be converted to term or permanent positions, makes the program a popular recruiting option at the Center. In FY 2003, for example, nearly 70 percent of the Center's entry-level hires were handled in this manner.

Fifty-seven students are currently employed at Volpe while pursuing either undergraduate or advanced degrees. The program benefits both the Center and the participating student. A manager working with a student intern can assess the student's potential contribution to the Center, while the student can experience Volpe's public-service mission, organizational culture, and project work.

A recent report by the Partnership for Public Service titled "Tapping America's Potential: Expanding Student Employment and Internship Opportunities in the Federal Government" calls on federal agencies to take advantage of the pool of "talented and motivated young people." The report also cites findings by the Merit System Protection Board on the benefits of internship programs. Students entering organizations through SCEP are highly motivated, and they bring fresh perspectives that contribute to organizational problem solving.

The Transportation Research Board's (TRB) 2004 Annual Meeting drew nearly 9,000 transportation professionals from around the world to Washington, D.C. from January 1115, 2004. The Volpe Center was well represented in this diverse group of researchers, academics, administrators, and others from government and industry. Volpe staff participated in more than 20 sessions or meetings, presided over 13 sessions or meetings, delivered 13 papers or presentations, and developed and staffed the Volpe Center exhibit, DOT's Small Business Innovation Research Program exhibit, RSPA's University Transportation Center's exhibit, and DOT's Technology and Innovation exhibit.

The TRB meeting may be the world's largest transportation forum. With every mode of transportation represented, it is an ideal venue for the Volpe Center to share its knowledge and perspective. Volpe participants covered a broad range of topics, including safety, mobility, environmental stewardship, performance measurement, railroad systems, transportation economics, and transportation planning.

Safety

Dr. Joyce Ranney of the Operator Performance and Safety Analysis Division co-delivered the paper "Impacts of Participatory Safety Rules Revision in the U.S. Railroad Industry: An Exploratory Study" with Dr. Christopher Nelson of the RAND Institute. The purpose of the presentation was to report on an assessment of a participatory rules revision, an intervention developed by industry safety executives in collaboration with a rules revision expert, as an instrument of safety improvement in the U.S. railroad industry. The Federal Railroad Administration's Human Factors R&D Program sponsored the study, which found the intervention worthy of future activity because of promising impacts that include the potential to improve injury rates, reduce liability related costs, and improve organizational safety culture.
Ms. Anya Carroll of the Railroad Systems Division, chair of the Committee on Highway-Railroad Grade Crossings (AHB60), presided over the annual committee meeting as well as the session titled "Highway-Rail Grade Crossings, Part 2: Lessons Learned Using Advanced Technologies."
Dr. Donald Sussman, Chief of the Operator Performance and Safety Analysis Division, presided over the session "Cultural, Organizational, and Behavioral Aspects of Railroad Safety" and chaired the meeting of the Subcommittee on Railroad Operational Safety (AND10-1).
Mr. Arthur Flores of the Environmental Measurement and Modeling Division presented "Breath Test Technology" at the session "Technology Advances in Traffic Safety in Alcohol Enforcement and Programs."
Mr. Greg Ayres of the Accident Prevention Division presented the paper "A Vehicle Movement Identification Method for Analysis of Field Operational Test Data," coauthored by Dr. Bruce Wilson and Mr. Jon LeBlanc, also of the Division. The paper describes a reliable and accurate method of finding steering maneuvers (e.g., turns, curves, lane changes) in a large file of numeric vehicle data. The method was tested on pilot test data and found to be accurate (between 65% and 100%), reliable, and robust. The authors will use this method in carrying out the Volpe Center's role as independent evaluator for an upcoming field operational test involving a state-of-the-art Roadway Departure Crash Warning system.

Mobility

Dr. Eugene Gilbo of the Automation Applications Division organized the session "Air Traffic Flow Management Decision Support."
Dr. David Yang of the Accident Prevention Division, co-chair of the Joint Subcommittee on Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS), presided over the Subcommittee's annual meeting. In addition, Dr. Yang moderated the session titled "ATIS Research Studies and Implemented Projects."
Mr. Sean Peirce of the Economic and Industry Analysis Division presented "Why Don't More People Use Advanced Traveler Information? Evidence from the Seattle Area." The paper is based on research conducted by Mr. Peirce and Ms. Jane Lappin, also of the Division, as part of a research program sponsored by the ITS Joint Program Office that is designed to understand the market for ATIS, user responses to information, and the range of benefits of ATIS usage.
Ms. Margaret Petrella of the Economic and Industry Analysis Division presented "Los Angeles and Seattle: A Comparative Analysis of Customer Response to Online Traffic Information," coauthored by Ms. Jane Lappin, also of the Division.

Environmental Stewardship

Dr. Judith Rochat of Volpe's Environmental Measurement and Modeling Division organized and chaired the Subcommittee on Highway Noise and Vibration.
Mr. William Lyons of the Planning and Policy Analysis Division presented the results of the recently finalized Volpe Center report "State and Local Transportation Planning for Climate Change." The report, sponsored by the U.S. DOT Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting, can be found at http://climate.volpe.dot.gov/papers.html. Mr. Lyons participated on the panel titled "Climate, the City, and Transportation," which was chaired by Emil Frankel, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy and chairman of the U.S. DOT Climate Center's Steering Committee.

Performance Measures

Dr. Joyce Ranney of the Operator Performance and Safety Analysis Division co-led the workshop titled "Program Evaluation Tools and Methods in Transportation Research." The workshop presented concepts and methods for evaluating research programs as a way to respond to the President's Management Agenda concerning performance measurement for agency programs. The workshop presented a basic introduction to program evaluation and its relationship to research, program planning, and decision making. Participants included representatives from the Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Highway Administration, State Departments of Transportation, and National Transportation Safety Board, as well as railroad management and labor.

Railroad Systems

Mr. Robert Dorer of the Railroad Systems Division, chair of the Committee on Guided Intercity Passenger Transportation, presided over the committee's annual meeting.
Dr. Theodore Sussmann of the Structures and Dynamics Division presided over the workshop "Advances in Railway Design, Construction, and Maintenance."
Dr. Andrew Kish of the Structures and Dynamics Division presided over the session "Better Wayside Detection Technologies and their Applications."

Transportation Economics

Mr. Don Pickrell of the Office of System and Economic Assessment presented "Economic Alternatives to Meeting Projected Demand," which was co-authored by Dr. Douglass Lee of the Economic and Industry Analysis Division.
Dr. Douglass Lee of the Economic and Industry Analysis Division presented "Fundamentals of Cost-Benefit Analysis as Applied to Road Pricing." Dr. Lee also assumed the Chair of the Committee on Transportation Economics. He emphasized that the function of the committee is cross-cutting, and its mission should be to find ways to apply economic analysis to the work of other committees, including those in the environmental, social, and engineering areas.

Transportation Planning

Ms. Melissa Laube of the Service and Operations Assessment Division presented a technical paper, "Planning for Tour Bus Management in Washington, D.C.," co-authored by Mr. David Spiller of the Division. The paper examines the characteristics of tour bus operations; associated impacts on parking, traffic, and neighborhoods; and potential tour bus management strategies. In addition, Ms. Laube substituted for Mr. Gary Ritter, Acting Chief of the Division, as co-chair of the session titled "Alternative Transportation Needs of National Parks and Public Lands."

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