Volpe Center: Volpe Center Highlights

Information Resources

Volpe Center Highlights - October 1999

Mobility

Ensure that the transportation system is accessible, integrated and efficient, and offers flexibility of choices.

Professional Capacity Building at the K-12 Level (FTA)

Responding to an FTA request, the Volpe Center prepared and submitted a white paper to the FTA entitled "Review of the Benjamin Tasker Middle School Proposal Dated July 2, 1999." This was an evaluation of a proposal by the Bowie, Maryland public school system submitted under the Professional Capacity Building (PCB) Program of the Department of Transportation (DOT) to initiate transportation and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) training programs in grades K through 12. The authors of this paper were Dr. Sylvia Harris, Mr. Joseph LoVecchio, and Ms. Margaret Zirker (EG&G/CSI).

The PCB Program of the DOT assists in the deployment of ITS through the development of appropriate ITS knowledge and skills in Federal, state, and local government agencies; the transportation industry; and the Nation's schools. PCB is a joint Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA) program, directed by the DOT ITS Joint Program Office (JPO). The Volpe Center, at the request of the FTA, acts as program manager for the FTA ITS PCB program and in that role, develops and delivers awareness training on the application of ITS to public transportation.

Challenges and Opportunities for Improving the Use of Weather Information to Support Transportation Final Report (RSPA)

Mr. Michael Rossetti of the Transportation Strategic Planning and Analysis Office submitted the technical paper "Challenges and Opportunities for Improving the Use of Weather Information to Support Transportation" to the American Meteorological Society (AMS). The paper will be presented at the AMS annual meeting in Long Beach, California in January 2000. The paper, co-authored by Mr. Thomas Seliga of the Surveillance and Sensors Division and Mr. Basav Sen of EG&G Technical Services, Inc., details the Volpe Center's activities and national forums on weather and transportation over the last few years conducted under the Federal Transportation Science and Technology Strategy of the National Science and Technology Council (NTSC) through the Enhanced Transportation Weather Services Initiative. The forums brought together experts from the public and private sectors, with the goal of developing partnerships to capitalize on recent advances in meteorology and transportation. The paper reviews the findings of the Volpe Center's activities and outlines a set of objectives deemed worthy of national consideration for implementation during the first decade of the new millennium.

Facilitating Deployment of Transportation Electronic Payment Systems (FTA)

Ms. Leisa Moniz and Mr. Michael Dinning of the Infrastructure Protection and Operations Division participated in two industry conferences held in Washington, D.C., focusing on the deployment of advanced electronic payment system technology. At the ITS America Electronic Payment Systems (EPS) Task Force, which met September 22, applications of EPS to all modes of surface transportation were explored. As a result of this meeting, the Volpe Center will involve the ITS Task Force in formulating EPS guidelines that are being developed by the Center under the sponsorship of the FTA and the ITS JPO.

Smart Card in Use

On September 22 and 23, Ms. Moniz and Mr. Dinning participated in the annual meeting of the Smart Card Forum, an industry association promoting the implementation of multi-use smart card programs. Mr. Dinning moderated a session on Security and Privacy in Transportation Programs, and Ms. Moniz gave a presentation on the smart card initiatives of the DOT. In addition, Mr. Dinning, co-chair of the Smart Card Forum's Transportation Work Group, was elected to be Special Advisor for Government Members by the Forum's Board of Directors.

The Volpe Center is facilitating the introduction of innovative electronic payment system technology within the transportation payment system infrastructure, through projects sponsored by the FTA, the ITS JPO, and state and local transportation agencies. These systems will utilize advanced technologies, such as smart cards, to enable multiple transportation agencies within a region to adopt a single, coordinated interoperable payment system.

Center for Navigation Represented at OCEANS '99 Conference

Mr. Maurice J. Moroney of the Center for Navigation chaired a session on Marine Communications and made two presentations at the Oceans 99 Symposium held September 13 to 16 in Seattle, Washington. The symposium, which annually draws in excess of 3,000 attendees, was co-sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Marine Technology society. One of the Volpe Center presentations, which was authored by David A. Phinney of the Center for Navigation, addressed critical elements for advanced electronics aids for navigation, and was based on developmental efforts in the Panama Canal. The second presentation outlined the project that is being implemented to employ modern technology to restore Central American marine navigation systems that were destroyed by hurricanes last year. The presentation was co-authored by Mr. Moroney and Senora Liana de Caceres, the Executive Secretary of the Consortium of Central American Maritime Transportation Authorities.

Volpe Center Demonstrates Navigation and Communication Technologies at U.S.-Africa Transportation Ministerial (OST)

Messrs. James Carroll and McCharles Craven of the Center for Navigation participated in the U.S.-Africa Transportation Ministerial hosted by DOT Secretary Rodney E. Slater at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, Georgia, September 26 to 29. Dr. Stephen D. Van Beek, RSPA Deputy Administrator, requested that the Volpe Center exhibit the Differential Global Positioning System display and communications technology developed by the Center for Navigation for the Panama Canal Commission and St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. The U.S.-Africa Ministerial presented an opportunity for Secretary Slater and African Ministers of Transport to discuss the challenges of building an African transportation system that can meet the needs of the 21st century.

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