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New and Noteworthy

Volpe Hosts Airborne Network Information Assurance Meeting

The next-generation of commercial and military aircraft will be increasingly reliant on information networks for communications, control, navigation, fleet management and even passenger entertainment. To ensure that potential cyber security issues are effectively addressed, the Volpe Center recently hosted a two-day interagency meeting on Airborne Network Information Assurance with sponsors and stakeholders in the FAA, the U.S. Air Force (USAF), the Department of Defense and the United Kingdom Government. The meeting addressed future aircraft cyber security challenges, developing and coordinating airborne network cyber security requirements and simulation models of airborne information assurance scenarios, and enhancing working relationships among U.S. Government and international agencies. The Volpe Center and the USAF are drafting a charter for future meeting of the group.

(Added 11/12/2009)

U.S. Transportation Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy Visit the Volpe Center

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation John D. Porcari and Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy Polly Trottenberg visited the Volpe Center this afternoon, accompanied by Peter H. Appel, head of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration. During their visit, they discussed the inaugural meeting of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's recently launched Safety Council with Volpe and Federal Railroad Administration representatives supporting the Council. They also participated in briefings on Volpe's multimodal work, including railroad and transit safety, global maritime domain awareness, human factors and distracted driving, NextGen and air traffic flow management. The visit ended with a discussion of livable communities and the Volpe Center's deep involvement in regional, cross-modal transportation planning and policy analysis on behalf of U.S. DOT and other agencies.

(Added 10/30/2009)

Volpe Supports U.S. DOT's Efforts to Take Safety Commitment to Next Level

Secretary Ray LaHood today convened the first meeting of a newly created U.S. Department of Transportation Safety Council formed to tackle critical transportation safety issues facing the department's 10 operating administrations. "Now is the time to identify and address the top safety issues that cut across our agencies," said Secretary LaHood. "The Council will take our commitment to safety, which is our highest priority, to the next level." Before taking office, Secretary LaHood saw that many important safety initiatives were being pursued in the department's agencies without a formal process for sharing data, best practices and strategies. Secretary LaHood created the Safety Council to serve that broad-based safety leadership role and help break down organizational stovepipes, enabling an even stronger safety culture.

The goals of the Safety Council are to further enhance the safety focus throughout all agencies of the department and improve the impact of the department's safety programs.

The Council, chaired by Transportation Deputy Secretary John Porcari, is comprised of the heads of the Department's 10 agencies: the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Maritime Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Research and Innovative Technology Administration and the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

Deputy Secretary Porcari said the Council will be action oriented, data driven, emphasize open dialogue about common issues and provide a forum for fresh ideas and new perspectives.

"The Council will enhance the department's safety culture which should then resonate out into industry," said Deputy Secretary Porcari.

Volpe Center Director Robert Johns and Stephen Popkin, Director of the Volpe Center's Human Factors Research and Systems Application Center of Innovation attended the inaugural meeting of the Safety Council. Dr. Popkin and other staff are providing strategic staff support to the new Safety Council.

(Added 10/26/2009)

Volpe Evaluates Transportation and Land Use to Support Livable Communities

William Lyons, of the Volpe Center's Multimodal Systems Research and Analysis Center of Innovation, will speak on a panel at the upcoming Rail~Volution Annual Conference in Boston. In the panel, "To Green or Not to Green," participants will discuss methods for evaluating investments in sustainable modes of transportation and land use alternatives. Mr. Lyons has supported the expansion of viable transportation options for livable community initiatives across the country, in part through the Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program established by Congress in 2005.

(Added 10/26/2009)

IEEE Digital Avionics Systems Conference Kicks Off this Weekend

Modernization of Avionics and Air Traffic Management-Perspectives from the Air and Ground is the theme of this year's Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Digital Avionics Systems Conference. The 28th annual event kicks off in Orlando on Sunday, October 25, 2009. Volpe staff will participate, and the following technical papers will be presented:

• "Possible Enhancements of Airport Operations Based on Runway Visual Range Visibility Measurements," by Dr. Thomas Seliga;
• "Colorado Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) Separations Standards Targets of Opportunity and Flight Test Analysis," by Timothy Hall;
• "Symbols for Cockpit Displays of Traffic Information," by Dr. Michael Zuschlag, Dr. Divya Chandra, and John Helleberg and Stephen Estes from MITRE; and
• "Capacity Improvement Analytical Tools and Benchmark Development for Terminal Operations," and "Stochastic Airspace Simulation Tool Development," by Dr. Seamus McGovern.

(Added 10/21/2009)

How to Start Work with the Volpe Center

The Volpe Center now offers an online guide for agencies interested in initiating projects with us. The "How to Start Work" web page provides information for clients representing Federal, state, local and international agencies that are seeking to engage a team of multidisciplinary experts in transportation and logistics initiatives that advance the nation's transportation system. The page is tailored to address the needs of different agencies, includes a Question and Answer section and lists contacts that are available to assist with specific inquiries. Please visit the following link for more detailed information and a downloadable brochure: http://www.volpe.dot.gov/withus/start.html

(Added 10/15/2009)

Richard Altman Presents on the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative

Richard Altman, Executive Director of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative, delivered a presentation as part of the Volpe Center's technology transfer activities. In his presentation, he discussed CAAFI goals, activities and accomplishments toward the program's mission to promote safe, cost-effective, and environmentally favorable alternative fuel options that enhance the security of the U.S. energy supply. The Volpe Center lends key support to the FAA co-sponsored CAAFI. Mr. Altman has worked in aviation for 42 years, having co-founded CAAFI in 2006 with U.S. Airline, Manufacturer and FAA Sponsors and the U.S. Transportation Research Board Committee on Aviation effects on the Environment. He holds Engineering Degrees from the Brooklyn and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institutes and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. The lunchtime event was part of the Volpe Center's Client-Sponsored Training User's Group, which began coordinating similar presentations in 1992 as an informal, grassroots endeavor to foster excellence in state-of-the-art technology transfer.

(Added 10/08/09)

Volpe Center Participates in Air Traffic Control Association Conference

A team from the Volpe Center traveled to the 54th Annual Air Traffic Control Association Conference and Exposition in National Harbor, Maryland. Public and private stakeholders at the conference focused on pressing issues related to the coordination, procedures and equipment of the nation's Next Generation Air Transportation System, NextGen. In one panel, Volpe Center expert Dr. Kim Cardosi engaged with colleagues to stress the importance of human factors in aviation systems. In the exhibit hall, a team of Volpe technical experts welcomed visitors to an interactive booth highlighting Volpe's contributions to the implementation of NextGen. Conference attendees and over 500 students from area schools watched and participated in Volpe's demonstrations of systems that improve safety and environmental performance, save time and money, and facilitate shared situational awareness of pilots and air traffic controllers.

(Added 10/08/09)

New Director Robert Johns Greets Volpe Center

RITA Administrator Peter Appel introduced new Director Robert Johns to an audience of Volpe staff, relating the unanimous and enthusiastic decision to welcome Mr. Johns to the Volpe Center in this new role. Mr. Johns addressed all staff for the first time, expressing his commitment to furthering Volpe's organizational excellence and expert performance in transportation research, development, and systems deployment.

(Added 10/08/09)

U.S. DOT SBIR Program Kicks Off 2010 Program with Call for Innovative Proposals

The U.S. DOT's Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program seeks innovative research proposals from small businesses to address specific research challenges facing the modal administrations. The SBIR Program Office at the Volpe Center has posted the first of two SBIR Program solicitations for Fiscal Year 2010, inviting small businesses to submit research proposals that address high priority goals within the U.S. DOT.

The first solicitation of the year has identified 14 research topics, including human factors for NextGen, low-cost detection technologies for rail grade crossings, driver behavior and crash avoidance monitoring systems for vehicles, development of comprehensive signal analysis tool and radio frequency ID licensing systems for motor vehicles.

Proposals are due on November 16, 2009. The solicitation is now available online at http://www.volpe.dot.gov/sbir.

(Added 10/01/09)

Volpe Welcomes Robert C. Johns as New Director

Robert C. Johns has been named as the new director of the Volpe Center. Mr. Johns has been director of the Center for Transportation Studies (CTS) at the University of Minnesota since 2001.

As the director of the CTS, Mr. Johns more than doubled the revenue attracted to the University for transportation research, education, and outreach, leading CTS to the top echelon of university transportation centers in the U.S.

Prior to joining the University in 1988, he held research and management positions with the Santa Fe Railway, the Minnesota DOT, and the Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities. Mr. Johns also has over 20 years of experience in leading Transportation Research Board (TRB) committees and currently is chair of the Technical Activities Council, which oversees TRB's 200 technical committees. He received a B.S. in Engineering Operations from Iowa State University and an M.B.A. and M.A. from the University of Iowa. Mr. Johns begins his new post on September 28, 2009.

(Added 09/25/09)

Federal Aviation Administration Noise Certification Workshop Hosted by the Volpe Center

Representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Environment and Energy and Transport Airplane Directorate, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and the Volpe Center's Environmental and Energy Systems Center of Innovation participated in a FAA Noise Certification Workshop hosted this week by the Volpe Center. The workshop provided noise certification material and training for noise certification focal points in each of the FAA's Aircraft Certification Offices. Volpe Center staff member David Read led a discussion on recent and proposed changes to international technical specifications and guidance for the measurement and analysis of aircraft noise for certification purposes, including issues related to the use of digital audio instruments, such as tape-less digital audio recorders. The workshop, offered by Bruce Conze, a Noise Certification Specialist in the FAA's Transport Airplane Directorate, was held in conjunction with FAA's Office of Environment and Energy. The Volpe Center supports the FAA's Office of Environment and Energy by improving, enhancing, and validating techniques for measuring and predicting aviation-related noise, and by participating in domestic and international organizations to improve the quality of regulatory and guidance materials.

(Added 09/23/09)

Volpe Center Hosts Visitors from the Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI)

Dr. Yunok Cho, Director of the Railroad Safety Technology Research Division, and Dr. Sangahm Kim, a Senior Researcher at the Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI), visited the Volpe Center on September 18 and 19, 2009. Dr. Richard John, Volpe Center Director Emeritus and Acting Director, and Robert Dorer, Director of the Volpe Center’s Center of Physical Infrastructure Systems Center of Innovation, hosted the visit, which included a discussion about track and rail safety research and related regulatory approaches, the Volpe Center’s crashworthiness research, tank car safety, and system related railroad research programs and projects including human factors, risk reduction, grade crossing safety, and the overall concept of risk informed rail safety improvement programs.

(Added 09/22/09)

German Airspace Center (DLR) Institute of Flight Guidance Representatives Visit the Volpe Center

Seven specialists from the German Airspace Center (DLR) Institute of Flight Guidance visited the Volpe Center on September 15, 2009. Dr. Eugene Gilbo of the Volpe Center's Center for Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) Traffic Management Systems Center of Innovation organized an information exchange related to the Volpe Center's work on the joint, coordinated optimization of airport arrival and departure capacity, and the DLR's work on Total Airport Management (TAM). DLR's work is conducted within the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) program. The researchers also discussed how the optimization approach developed at the Volpe Center could be applied to an integrated optimization of airport operations that includes both airside and ground operations. At airports, integrated traffic management is an important element of the U.S. NextGen and the European SESAR programs. DLR is Germany's national research center for aeronautics and space.

(Added 09/22/09)

Volpe Center Staff Participation in United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems Meeting

Karen Van Dyke, Acting Director of Positioning, Navigation and Timing, Research and Innovative Technology Administration and a National Expert for Global Positioning Systems (GPS) at the Volpe Center, participated in the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS/ICG) working group discussions in St. Petersburg, Russia, in mid September. Working group participants discussed the interoperability and compatibility of GNSS systems, the enhancements to the GNSS performance, information dissemination, and GNSS signal monitoring. This committee met for the purpose of promoting cooperation, as appropriate, on matters of mutual interest related to civil satellite-based positioning, navigation, timing, and value-added services, as well as compatibility and interoperability among the GNSS systems. The ICG is a voluntary United Nations association that brings together GNSS and augmentation providers including the United States, Russia, European Union, China, India, and Japan and associate members representing key user communities. Ms. Van Dyke served as the President of the Institute of Navigation from 2000-2001. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Navigation (ION) and is the recipient of the ION Early Achievement Award and the Distinguished Service Award. Ms. Van Dyke was a collaborator on the book, Understanding GPS: Principles and Applications (first and second editions).

(Added 09/18/09)

Volpe Center Honored by the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) Northeast

The Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) Northeast presented the Volpe Center with its 2009 Regional Laboratory Award during a ceremony in Princeton, New Jersey, on September 16, 2009. This distinguished annual award recognizes the Volpe Center for its extraordinary efforts in supporting national and regional technology transfer activities. The FLC Northeast Region consists of 35 U.S. Government R&D laboratories in the New England states, New York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico. Dr. Richard John, Volpe Center Director Emeritus and Acting Director, was present to accept the award. Volpe Center FLC Laboratory Representative Dr. Aviva Brecher of the Volpe Center's Environmental and Energy Systems Center of Innovation was also in attendance.

During a recent visit to the Volpe Center, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood presented a letter of commendation to the Center for receiving this prestigious award. The commendation noted that the panel of judges that reviewed the Center's nomination was "especially impressed with the way the Center helps decision makers respond to national needs, define emerging problems, and seek solutions that will lead transportation in the 21st Century."

For additional information: http://www.volpe.dot.gov/infosrc/highlts/09/sep/award.html

(Added 09/16/09)

Volpe Center Releases Draft Report on the Acoustic Measurements of Snowcoaches in Yellowstone National Park

"Exterior Sound Level Measurements of Snowcoaches at Yellowstone National Park," an August 2009 draft report prepared by the Environmental Measurement and Modeling Division at the Volpe Center, has been posted and is available for review on the Yellowstone National Park Service's (NPS) Winter Use Planning Technical Reports web site at http://www.nps.gov/yell/parkmgmt/winterusetechnicaldocuments.htm. The report can be found under the heading "2008-2009 Monitoring Reports and Other Studies." Sounds associated with oversnow vehicles, specifically snowmobiles and snowcoaches, are an important management concern at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The Volpe Center is assisting the NPS with the Winter Use Plan program and supporting National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents.

(Added 09/10/09)

RITA’s New Deputy Administrator Visits Volpe Center, Welcomes New Hires

Dr. Robert L. Bertini, recently appointed as the Deputy Administrator of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, visited the Volpe Center on September 9. During the day, he had the opportunity to meet with senior technical staff and greet some of the Volpe Center’s new employees. Dr. Bertini was the founding Director of the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium, led the Intelligent Transportation Systems Laboratory at Portland State University, and was a recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER Award. He serves as Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Urban Studies & Planning at Portland State. He has more than 21 years of experience in the transportation field, including work with local government, several national transportation consulting firms on transit and highway projects, the auto industry, and university research and education. He is a registered professional engineer and a former city planning commissioner, and has received a B.S. cum laude in Civil Engineering from the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; an M.S. in Civil Engineering from San Jose State University, and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. Today was the first in a series of meetings the new Deputy Administrator plans to hold at the Center.

(Added 09/09/09)

Volpe Hosts Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance Taskforce Meeting

Dr. Divya Chandra, an Engineering Psychologist in the Volpe Center's Human Factors Research and System Applications Center of Innovation, recently hosted a Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance Taskforce Meeting at the Boston Marriott Cambridge hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The taskforce is co-chaired by Dr. Kathy Abbott, Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor for Flight Deck Human Factors at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Brian Will, a Captain with American Airlines. The event brought together approximately ninety individuals from the FAA, airlines, and research organizations. Presentations covered a wide range of topics including performance-based navigation issues, as well as communications and surveillance.

(Added 08/20/09)

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood Tours Volpe Center

Secretary LaHood welcomed questions during a Town Hall meeting in the Volpe Center auditorium. (Photo courtesy of Linda Haas Photography)

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood toured the Volpe Center on August 17, accompanied by Peter Appel, head of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration. Throughout the morning, the Secretary engaged with staff regarding the Volpe Center's expertise in performing cutting-edge research and deploying beneficial technology in the areas of railroad and transit safety, livable communities, global maritime domain awareness, distracted driving, NextGen, and air traffic flow management. Secretary LaHood also hosted a Town Hall meeting with Volpe Center and U.S. Department of Transportation regional staff. U.S. Congressman Michael Capuano attended the Town Hall meeting and reiterated his interest in promoting the Volpe Center's role as a leader in innovative transportation.

Secretary LaHood met with regional leaders of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Participants, from left to right: Richard Bates, FMCSA Regional Administrator; Helen Blackman, Office of Civil Rights; Les Fiorenzo, FRA Regional Administrator; Peter Appel, RITA Administrator; Ray LaHood, U.S. Secretary of Transportation; Dr. Richard John, Volpe Director Emeritus and Acting Director; Richard Doyle, FTA Regional Administrator; Philip Weiser, NHTSA Regional Administrator; Lucy Garliauskas, FHWA Massachusetts Division Administrator. (Photo courtesy of Linda Haas Photography)

Read about the Volpe Center on Fastlane: The Official Blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

(Added 08/18/09)

U.S. Department of Transportation Launches Web Portal for Small Business Innovation Research Program

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has launched a web portal to assist awardees of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. DOT supports awardees with funding to research and develop innovative technology applications, and to accelerate the introduction of these innovative technologies to the market. The new portal, called the Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP), features a variety of tools to assist SBIR contract awardees with the market and technology research critical to their achieving timely and successful market commercialization. With CAP, SBIR awardees now have a valuable information resource in addition to funding as they bring to market exciting technologies that support DOT's mission to ensure a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system.

(Added 08/12/09)

Human Factors Center of Innovation Brings Transportation Perspective to the National Occupational Research Agenda

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has convened an expert panel from around the country to review and finalize the draft National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) document that lays out the strategic, intermediate and activity goals for the transportation, warehousing and utility sector. Dr. Stephen Popkin, Director of the Volpe Center's Human Factors Research and System Applications Center of Innovation, serves as an external Department of Transportation sector council member, a co-lead for the railroad-specific agenda and a member of the transit and aviation-specific agendas.

NORA covers four areas, including traumatic injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, health and wellness, and exposures, as well two crosscutting areas, human fatigue and economic impacts. Dr. Popkin will work with both NIOSH representatives and the Department's human factors program managers through the Human Factors Coordinating Committee to develop an implementation plan to advance the most relevant of these goals within the next two to three years.

(Added 08/07/09)

Stockholm Meeting Addresses International Wake Recategorization Standards

Frank Wang of the Volpe Center's Communications, Navigation and Surveillance and Traffic Management Systems Center of Innovation recently traveled to Stockholm, Sweden, to participate in a meeting of diverse stakeholders working on international wake recategorization standards. The European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) and FAA experts are exploring more accurate methods to determine wake separation standards for aircraft. Wake turbulence is an aviation safety concern especially during takeoff and landing, when aircraft travel closely together and along similar paths, separated little by space or time. During such flight phases, aircraft bear an increased risk of losing navigational control upon contact with the vortex of a previous aircraft. During the conference, Mr. Wang joined colleagues in peer review and discussions of international wake turbulence recategorization research, amidst representatives from the FAA Air Traffic Organization (ATO), the FAA Flight Standards (AFS), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Eurocontrol, and supporting contractors such as the Northwest Research Associates (NWRA), and the Air Traffic Simulation, Inc. (ATSI).

(Added 08/05/09)

Alternative Transportation Study in the Habitat of Chincoteague Ponies: If not ponies, then what?

The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is working with Volpe Center staff Michael Dyer of the Volpe Center's Infrastructure and Facility Engineering Division, and Susan Smichenko and Lindsey Morse, both of the Systems Operations and Assessment Division, on a study to determine alternative transportation options in and around the refuge. Volpe Center staff members Michael Dyer, Susan Smichenko and Lindsey Morse traveled to Virginia July 26-27, to conduct public outreach to summer visitors, timing their visit to coincide with the annual Chincoteague Pony Swim and Auction. Every year, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company rounds up the two herds of ponies that graze on the Virginia portion of Assateague Island and herds them at low tide across the Assateague Channel to the Carnival Grounds on Chincoteague Island. There, some of the young ponies are auctioned to raise money for the Volunteer Fire Company and future upkeep of the ponies and to maintain the herd at a size that the island resources can sustain. This year during the festivities, the Volpe team spoke with the public about alternative transportation options. Staff greeted spectators from under a tent crowned by a banner positing, "If not ponies, then what?" The effort solicited visitor input to be incorporated into the study, which will be completed this fall for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

(Added 08/05/09)

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Saint Lawrence Seaway

The Saint Lawrence Seaway held its 50th Anniversary Celebration earlier this month in Massena, New York. The Seaway is a U.S.-Canadian waterway that has carried over 2.5 billion tons of cargo, valued at over $375 billion since its 1959 opening by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Queen Elizabeth II. The Volpe Center is honored to have supported the U.S. Department of Transportation's Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation for over 25 years in developing prototypes and deploying advanced systems to enhance navigational safety and operational efficiency. Past Seaway accomplishments include the development of a differential buoy positioning system, oil spill prediction model user interface, and more notably, North America's first vessel tracking and information system based on the Automatic Identification System (AIS) technology. Mr. Kam Chin of the Volpe Center's Freight and Logistics Systems Center of Innovation represented the Volpe Center at this historic event. During the 50th Anniversary Reception and Awards Dinner, Collister "Terry" Johnson, Jr., Administrator of the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, presented the "Guardian of the Seaway" award to the Volpe Center. The award recognizes our role in making a significant contribution and lasting impact to the development of the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The Volpe Center received the award for the design and deployment of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Automatic Identification System (AIS) Network. The Volpe Center continues to provide technical support to the Seaway in maintaining the operational readiness for the deployed systems.

(Added 07/21/09)

Students from Summer Transportation Institutes Visit Volpe Center

The Volpe Center and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) co-hosted high school students who are part of the Summer Transportation Institutes (STI) programs at Merrimack College, and the University of Massachusetts Boston and Amherst. The Summer Transportation Institute is a four-week-long intensive program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Massachusetts Highway Department, and Merrimack College. The Institute seeks to aid in developing a diverse and robust workforce for the transportation industry by exposing 10th, 11th, and 12th grade high school students to transportation careers. Students toured the Human Factors Laboratory and participated in an interactive presentation on Human Factors Transportation, viewed the Air Traffic Flow Management demonstration, and heard about future job opportunities within the Federal government.

(Added 07/21/09)

Workshop Addresses Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety and Trespass Prevention Research

David Matsuda, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, greeted attendees of the Third Research Needs Conference on Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety and Trespass hosted by the Volpe Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His remarks highlighted the importance of research and development to improve safety and reduce trespass at grade crossings. Mr. Matsuda reiterated that the Obama Administration holds safety as the top priority of the nation's transportation system along with economic competitiveness, sustainability, and livability.

Jo Strang, Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety and Chief Safety Officer for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and Magdy El-Sibaie, Ph.D., Director of the Office of Research and Development at the FRA, also provided opening remarks to challenge participants to look forward to consider the grade-crossing safety of new projects such as high-speed rail, as well as surveying past and current project successes and challenges.

The Volpe Center actively contributes to rail safety through its ongoing support to the FRA.

(Added 07/17/09)

Volpe Welcomes New President of Korea Railroad Research Institute

The Volpe Center hosted Dr. Sung-kyou Choi, the new President of the Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) and Dr. Hee-seung Na, Director of KRRI's Trans-Korean and Trans-continental Research Division. Dr. Richard John, Volpe's Director Emeritus and Acting Director, Robert Dorer, Director, Physical Infrastructure Systems, and David Tyrell, Senior Technical Expert, Karina Jacobsen, Program Manager, and Patricia Llana, Senior Engineer, of the Structures and Dynamics Division, welcomed Dr. Choi and Dr. Na and discussed Volpe Center research on Crash Energy Management conducted on behalf of the Federal Railroad Administration.

KRRI began in 1996 as a research agency charged with shaping Korea's rail systems and increasing global competitiveness in rail technology. KRRI has since completed and begun test runs on the Korean high-speed railway, KTX-II. Dr. Choi has been working for KRRI since 1997, transitioning from the role of Vice President in April. He graduated from Seoul Mechanical University and attained his Ph.D. at MIT.

(Added 07/17/09)

Volpe Center Hosts Third Research Needs Workshop on Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety and Trespass Prevention

The Federal Railroad Administration's Third Research Needs Workshop on Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety and Trespass Prevention will take place at the Volpe Center on July 14-16. Conference attendees will include David Matsuda, Acting Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, U.S. Department of Transportation; Jo Strang, Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety and Chief Safety Officer, Federal Railroad Administration; and Dr. Magdy El-Sibaie, Director, Office of Research and Development, Federal Railroad Administration. The workshop is being hosted at the Volpe Center and will cover specific research needs related to technology, human factors, methodology, and education to facilitate the reduction of highway-rail grade crossing and trespass collisions and fatalities.

(Added 07/13/09)

Dr. Stephen D. Van Beek Visits the Volpe Center

On July 7, Stephen D. Van Beek, President and CEO of the Eno Transportation Foundation, spoke with Volpe Center staff regarding the foundation's transportation workforce development programs and national policy research. The Eno Foundation focuses on all modes of transportation, with the mission of cultivating creative and visionary leadership for the sector. Prior to the Eno Foundation, Dr. Van Beek was Chair of the Federal Practices Group and Director for Jacobs Consultancy. He also served as Executive Vice President, Policy, of Airports Council International—North America. Dr. Van Beek has served the U.S. Department of Transportation as Associate Deputy Secretary and Director of the Office of Intermodalism, and as Deputy Administrator of the Research and Special Programs Administration. He holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Government from the University of Virginia and a B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

(Added 07/13/09)

Recipient of Prestigious John A. Volpe Transportation Internship Announced

Gabriel Lopez-Bernal is the recipient of the 2009-2010 John A. Volpe Transportation Internship. Mr. Lopez-Bernal is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning with a concentration in Regional Planning, Transportation, and Land Use Issues from Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts. Mr. Lopez-Bernal also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.

Mr. Lopez-Bernal has worked in the Multimodal Systems Research and Analysis Center of Innovation at the Volpe Center as a Student Trainee in Community Planning since February of this year. At the Center, he has contributed to a wide range of projects, including the SafeTrip-21 program; projects in support of the National Park Service including those related to the Cape Cod, Fort McHenry, and New Bedford National Parks; and the Federal Highway Administration's Surface Transportation Environment and Planning (STEP) Cooperative Research Program.

The prestigious John A. Volpe Transportation Internship is named in honor of the second U.S. Secretary of Transportation. The internship features major tuition assistance and paid work opportunities at the Volpe Center for selected outstanding graduate students in the engineering, scientific, and social science disciplines who have expressed an interest in working in the field of transportation.

(Added 06/24/09)

Fuel Consumption Modeling in Support of Air Traffic Management Environmental Decision Making

A paper on "Fuel Consumption Modeling in Support of Air Traffic Management Environmental Decision-making" will be presented by Mr. David Senzig of the Volpe Center’s Environmental and Energy Systems Center of Innovation at an international seminar jointly organized by the FAA and the EUROCONTROL on Air Traffic Management in Napa, California, during late June. The paper was written in collaboration with FAA staff on improvements in modeling of aviation terminal-area fuel-consumption in the Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) software suite. These improvements will result in better predictions of total flight fuel-consumption and also of aviation emissions in the terminal area. The usage of the new model in future ATM systems will permit better environmental and economic decision-making. The paper can be found at http://www.atmseminar.org/8th-seminar-united-states-june-2009/papers/paper_048/view. The Volpe Center leads the development of the AEDT computer program, which will integrate all FAA Office of Environment and Energy (AEE) noise, exhaust emissions, and dispersion computer models. Contributors to this effort are ATAC Corp., CSSI Inc., Wyle Laboratories, Metron Aviation, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Georgia Institute of Technology. It is AEE’s vision that AEDT be internationally accepted for assessing aviation noise, emissions, and fuel consumption interdependencies.

(Added 06/15/09)

Volpe Center to Present Paper at American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Conference

A paper entitled "Probabilistic Prediction of Aggregate Traffic Demand Using Uncertainty in Individual Flight Predictions" will be presented at the upcoming American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) conference by Dr. Eugene Gilbo of the Volpe Center's Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) and Traffic Management Systems Center of Innovation and Dr. Scott Smith of the Volpe Center's Advanced Vehicle and Information Network Systems Center of Innovation. This paper uses existing Traffic Flow Management System flight data to analyze how uncertainty in the prediction of arrival times for individual flights translates into uncertainty in prediction of aggregate traffic demand counts at arrival airports that are used for detecting potential congestion at airports to support traffic flow management (TFM) decision making on resolving congestion problems. The methodology proposed in the paper as well as analytical results make an important contribution into the NextGen Probabilistic TFM program. Dr. Gilbo will also chair a session "ATM Separation Management: Support of Conflict Detection and Resolution." Following is a link to the paper: Probabilistic Prediction of Aggregate Traffic Demand Using Uncertainty in Individual Flight Predictions.

(Added 06/15/09)

Reactions to Congestion Pricing at Urban Partner Sites Focus of New Paper

"Assessing Reactions to Congestion Pricing: Surveys of Opinions and Behaviors at Urban Partner Sites," a paper by Jane Lappin of the Volpe Center's Multimodal Systems Research and Analysis Center of Innovation, was presented at the ITS America Annual Meeting in June 2009 at National Harbor, Maryland. The paper describes the survey approach to evaluating the U.S. Department of Transportation's Urban Partnership Agreement. Ms. Lappin is the technical evaluation lead for the national congestion reduction demonstration program. She also chaired a panel at the ITS America Annual Meeting on recommended research needs for advancing the state of the practice of real-time traveler information services. This panel draws upon the findings and recommendations developed at a Transportation Research Board workshop, led by Ms. Lappin in April 2009.

(Added 06/15/09)

SafeTrip-21 Field Operational Tests Addressed by Technical Panel

SafeTrip-21 field operational tests in California and along the I-95 Corridor from New Jersey to North Carolina were the focus of a technical panel chaired by Mr. Gary Ritter of the Volpe Center's Advanced Vehicle and Information Network Systems Center of Innovation at the ITS America Annual Meeting in June 2009. SafeTrip-21 is a component of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (U.S. DOT's) IntelliDriveSM program administered by the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office within the Research and Innovative Technology Administration. Mr. Ritter and Ms. Jessica Hector-Hsu provided technical overviews of SafeTrip-21 activities as part of the U.S. DOT's IntelliDriveSM exhibit.

(Added 06/15/09)

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