COI Spotlight — Freight Logistics and Transportation Systems
One of the remarkable features of the past few decades has been the almost inexorable development of an integrated network of commercial, economic and financial systems that have brought significant global benefits. This trend has been slowed somewhat by the downturn in economic activity. This trend has also been accompanied by an increase in the threat of terrorism and piracy to international commerce and travel. Both government agencies and private companies are attempting to integrate advanced technologies into their supply chain and create more robust, resilient logistical systems that can cope more effectively with delays, congestion or interruptions to normal service.
It is the role of the Center of Innovation (COI) for Freight Logistics and Transportation Systems to help its sponsors take maximum advantages of the benefits that these expanding global systems and advanced technologies can bring. The staff, under the leadership of COI Director Michael Dinning, possess the technical expertise necessary to understand both how these systems develop and interact, as well as how the next generation of transportation and logistics systems will evolve and change. They can analyze the operational as well as the economic, safety, security, environmental and energy issues associated with these systems. Volpe staff also understand how these systems can be disrupted by natural and manmade events and how to minimize the negative consequences of these disruptions.
The COI’s sponsors include a range of U.S. and overseas agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense and Transportation; the Inter-agency U.S. Government Technical Security Working Group; the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; the Panama Canal Commission; and the U.K. Ministry of Defence. The COI’s most significant recent projects include:
- Many of the COI’s projects reflect the effective application of Global Positioning System (GPS) and tracking technologies to transportation activities. In response to a request from the U.S. Navy’s European Command, the COI rapidly developed a prototype system that used existing equipment and technologies to locate and track commercial vessels in real time. The Maritime Safety and Security Information System (MSSIS) is now utilized by more than 55 nations. It is widely applauded for its rapid and cost-effective genesis, and won the Innovations in American Government Award from the Ash Institute at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
The COI has developed and implemented similar vessel tracking capabilities for the Panama Canal Commission and the Columbia River Pilots. For the U.K.’s Ministry of Defence, the COI developed and implemented a logistics information system that is used to track both passengers and cargo transiting the Ministry’s transportation networks. - The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey turned to the Volpe Center to develop a Security Cooperation and Emergency Operations Plan for regional surface transportation for the Connecticut, New Jersey and New York tri-state area. Key stakeholders in this project are New York Metropolitan Transit Authority, New Jersey Transit and Connecticut DOT. The plan integrates the responsibilities and resources of these agencies so that they can respond effectively to any disruptions of essential services.
- The COI has played an active role in a wide range of security-related projects, conducting site surveys and risks/vulnerabilities assessments for ports and other transportation and logistics operations; documenting best practices; and developing and prototyping security-related inspection equipment and systems. Sponsors for these projects include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Technical Security Working Group, various port authorities, and the Departments of Defense and Transportation. The COI also provides a range of information assurance and cybersecurity support services to the FAA.
- The COI supports several local public transit agencies, including the Massachusetts Bay Transportation authority (MBTA), in developing strategies for implementing advanced security technologies throughout their systems. A primary goal of these efforts is to maximize the benefits to the agencies’ operational efficiency and safety along with the security enhancements that result.
