Volpe Journal 30th Anniversary - A Special Edition
Winter 2001
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This special issue of the Volpe Journal is part of our celebration of 30 years of service to our nation and to the transportation community.
The Volpe Center is a hub of transportation research, analysis, and engineering. The articles in this issue demonstrate the Center's long-standing tradition as the focal point for fostering innovation in the transportation community. We are proud to be a center for new ideas and insights, consistently serving as a forum for highly respected national and international experts and leaders in the exchange of information and perspectives, with the goal of enhancing the public good.
This issue provides a selective overview of the work of the Volpe Center for the last 30 years. An introductory article is followed by articles on the five strategic goals of the Department of Transportation, which provide a broad picture of our work over time. The accomplishments described in this issue represent only a small portion of our work since our founding. You will find references to some of the research, analysis, engineering, and deployment tasks that we have performed, to support our sponsors in the Department of Transportation, other federal agencies, state and local agencies, and other nations. We are especially proud of our ability to respond rapidly to emerging needs, and our skill at deploying systems that work in complex environments.
The Center's heart has always been its people. Our staff is the bridge to the future. We have a legacy of talent, with highly capable physical and social scientists, analysts, engineers, and program managers, working toward solving the nation's transportation problems. This legacy must continually be re-created in each new generation of Volpe employees. Newer staff members on the Volpe team are provided with both mentoring and leadership. They quickly have opportunities to experience the vitality and motivation that result from working on critical transportation issues.
This history would not be complete without describing the contribution of John A. Volpe, the Center's founder. As the second Secretary of the Department of Transportation, he opened the Center only three years after the department was created, giving us the opportunity to apply our skill and energy to the transportation enterprise at a critical time. In 1990, the Center was renamed the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in recognition of his contribution.
The historical view that we present here allows us to remember with pride the Center's accomplishments over the years. This issue also reflects the role that we hope to play in the future. Our vision is to continue to be a Center of Excellence for informed decision makers and a critical participant in meeting the public's needs by fostering a climate of innovation in the transportation community.
Dr. Richard R. John, Director
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