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Volpe Center Highlights - April 1999

Economic Growth and Trade

Director's Notes | Focus | Safety | Mobility | Human and Natural Environment |
Economic Growth and Trade | National Security | Published and Presented

Advance America's economic growth and competitiveness domestically and internationally through efficient and flexible transportation.

Volpe Staff Complete Demonstrations of the Lease Information Management System (FAA)

The FAA is one of the major property acquisition and holding agencies in the federal government. It manages approximately 4,000 leases for facility land sites and buildings, as well as various easement and right-of-way real estate instruments. In addition, it owns property valued at approximately $2 billion dollars. To support the FAA's management of these assets, the Center is working with the FAA's Resource Division in the design, development, and deployment of the Lease Information Management System (LIMS). Mr. Bob Stouffer, of the Strategic Management Division, led a team of Volpe personnel in the demonstration of the LIMS Prototype to real estate and budget personnel in the FAA's Eastern Region. In addition to the demonstration of the prototype, the staff acquired new lease documents to update the LIMS database, and discussed alternative ways regional personnel can supply new documents. This effort completed the prototype demonstrations for all nine FAA regions, as well as FAA headquarters.

Volpe Supports United States Postal Service Hovercraft Program (USPS)

Part of the Volpe Center's environmental support to the United States Postal Service (USPS) is investigating the use of Hovercraft for mail delivery in Alaska. The USPS is exploring, over a two-year period, the potential use of Hovercraft to transport bypass mail items in remote arctic areas. Bypass mail is containerized or palletized food and other general merchandise. Currently, small four-to-eight passenger charter planes fly all mail daily to remote Alaskan villages. Dr. Paul Valihura, of the Environmental Engineering Division, presented a summary of a 1998 Volpe Center ecological monitoring study to seven remote Native American villages. In addition, Dr. Valihura vice-chaired a Federal Resolution Committee that oversees Hovercraft operations. The membership of the committee includes federal and state regulatory agencies, representatives from the villages, and the Association of Village Council Presidents.

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