Dr. Aviva Brecher, Volpe Center Technical Expert, appointed AAAS 2006 Fellow.

Dr. Aviva Brecher, of the Planning and Policy Analysis Division, has been selected as a 2006 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). About 20 Fellows are selected annually by the AAAS Council for their meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications or their significant contributions to science and society.

Dr. Brecher is being honored by the AAAS for her important contributions to the safety and mitigation of environmental impacts of a number of basic technological systems, including energy generation, transportation, and nuclear waste disposal. She will receive her award certificate and rosette on February 17, 2007, at the AAAS Fellows Forum, as part of the Association's annual meeting in San Francisco. She previously served for six years on the AAAS Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy and has been an active member of the Association's Sections on Physics, Industrial Science and Technology, and Societal Impacts of Science and Technology for more than 30 years.

Dr. Brecher received her education in physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California-San Diego and has extensive teaching, research, and technical experience in academia, business consulting, and government. She has served as an American Physics Society (APS) Congressional Science Fellow and was selected as an APS Fellow in 1999. She was elected Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer for 2003-2004 and spoke on transportation topics at universities and research centers nationwide.

At the Volpe Center, Dr. Brecher serves as a national expert on safety, health, and the environment. Her work spans a broad range of topics, including physics instruction, lunar and planetary exploration, space launch safety, safety of human exposure to radiation, bioagents and environmental pollutants, remote sensing transportation applications, and magnetic levitation systems. (Added 11/27/06)

The Volpe Runway Incursion Severity Classification (RISC) Team received the prestigious Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) Earl F. Ward Memorial Award for 2006. A runway incursion is any occurrence at an airport involving an aircraft, vehicle, person, or object on the ground that creates a collision hazard or results in a loss of separation with an aircraft taking off, intending to take off, landing, or intending to land. Reducing runway incursions lessens the probability of accidents that potentially involve fatalities, injuries, and significant property damage. The RISC system, designed for the FAA's Office of Runway safety, produces and records a consistent assessment of runway incursion events. This is a critical component of measuring risk, where risk is a function of the severity of the outcome and the probability of recurrence. This model is currently being validated by the FAA and other countries and is under consideration at International Civil Aviation Organization as a tool for standardized ratings of runway incursions.

Volpe Center RISC Development Team

• Dr. Kim Cardosi Program Manager
• Dr. Thomas Sheridan
• Dr. Daniel Hannon
• Mr. Matthew Isaacs
• Dr. Stephanie Chase
• Ms. Gina Melnik
• Ms. Caroline Donohoe
• Ms. Danielle Eon
• Mr. Christopher Cabrall

The team was honored at the51st Annual ATCA Conference on October 31, 2006 in Washington, DC. (Added 11/22/06)

Dr. Seamus M. McGovern of the Volpe Center's Terminal and Surface Systems Division was awarded the prize for best dissertation by the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM) at its 27th Annual Meeting in Huntsville, Alabama, October 25-28. The prize is given for the 2005-2006 doctoral dissertation judged to best present research in the discipline of engineering management.

Dr. McGovern's dissertation, "Combinatorial Optimization Treatment of the Unary NP-Complete Disassembly Line Balancing Problem," addresses product disassembly that takes place prior to remanufacturing, recycling, or disposal. An efficient disassembly line requires a mathematical approach to the disassembly line-balancing problem. This problem relates to determining the minimum number of workers to be assigned to disassemble a product in a feasible sequence, where it is desired that each worker have a similar amount of idle time and that hazardous and high-demand parts are removed early in the process. Dr. McGovern's work is highly relevant to manufacturers who strive for greater efficiency in recycling and remanufacturing their postconsumed products in response to more rigid environmental legislation, public awareness, economically minded drivers, and the need for more responsible manufacturing. Dr. McGovern presented his research at the conference and also participated as a panel member in the Graduate Colloquium.

Dr. McGovern received a doctorate in Industrial Engineering from Northeastern University. His research was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Surendra M. Gupta, a recognized pioneer in the field of environmentally conscious manufacturing. His research was supported in part by the Volpe Fellows program, which encourages the continuing professional development of Volpe Center staff by funding expenses related to graduate or postgraduate programs that directly support the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Research and Innovative Technology Administration Strategic Plans, and Volpe Center work areas, core disciplines, or long-range goals. Dr. McGovern's work directly supports DOT's Strategic Plan in the areas of Environmental Stewardship and Organizational Excellence.

The ASEM conference provides a forum for practicing engineering managers and university researchers and professors to discuss topics of mutual interest associated with engineering management. Individuals from industry, the public sector, and academia present peer-reviewed papers and conduct symposia and workshops germane to the engineering management discipline. The theme of this year's conference was "Managing Change: Managing People and Technology in a Rapidly Changing World." (Added 11/7/06)

The 9th International Level Crossing Safety and Trespass Prevention Symposium took place in Montreal, Canada, on September 10-14, 2006. The delegates included leaders from railway companies, railway association representatives, government departments, safety and research organizations, and supplier and manufacturer firms, representing all elements of the railway industry. Two hundred and fifty international delegates from 35 countries attended the symposium. (More information about the event may be found at http://www.levelcrossing2006.com

The John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) was well represented with nine staff members participating and nine papers presented. Ms. Anya A. Carroll, Rail and Transit Division, was a member of international organizing committee that planned and conducted this symposium. TheThe theme of the conference, "Partners in Safety," comprised the accomplishments and challenges of railway safety research, human performance, and the future vision of crossing safety and trespass prevention programs.

USDOT/Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) staff attending the meeting included Mr. Michael J. Logue, Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Compliance and Program Implementation; Mr. Jim Smailes, Office of Research and Development; and Mr. Ron Ries and Mr. Tom Woll, Office of Safety.

The symposium was designed to provide a forum to discuss advances in level grade crossing technology and operations in order to explore best practices and to share international dialogue on these issues.

Volpe Center participation is summarized below. (Additional information can be obtained by contacting individual presenters.) USDOT/Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) Offices of Research and Development, Railroad Development and Safety sponsored the work described.

• North Carolina 'Sealed Corridor' Phase I-US DOT Assessment, by Ms. Anya Carroll, Rail and Transit Systems Division, and coauthored by Mr. Jim Smailes of the USDOT/Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Research and Development.
  
  Ms. Carroll summarized the benefits of North Carolina's Sealed Corridor Program and explained the improvements completed at highway-rail-grade crossings in the state's high-speed-rail corridor. The Sealed Corridor program initiative aims at improving or closing every grade crossing, public and private, along the route between Charlotte and Raleigh via Greensboro. The initiative is a model research approach for examining grade-crossing issues in other corridors. The State of California is now reviewing this concept for implementation.
• North Carolina DOT Traffic Separation Studies-Assessment, by Mr. Patrick Bien-Aime, Rail and Transit Systems Division.
  
  Mr. Bien-Aime presented the results of an assessment of ten sites that used the Traffic Separation Study (TSS) process. TSS was developed in 1995 by the North Carolina Department of Transportation's (NCDOT) Rail Division. The assessment focused on the effectiveness of the program and its applicability to other states. It included a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the impact of the process and an evaluation of community involvement activities. The TSS clearly increased community enthusiasm for participating, reduced resistance, and improved stakeholder satisfaction. Of the seven communities that used a subsequent, more mature process, five (71 percent) carried out all potential crossing closures, with all showing resistance.
• Results of Risk Methodology Data Acquisition Methods and Assessment for a Proposed High-Speed Rail Corridor in California, by Mr. Adrian Hellman, Rail and Transit Systems Division, and coauthored by Ms. Anya Carroll of the same division and Mr. G. Baker, USDOT/Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Policy.
  
  Mr. Hellman described a study of data acquisition methods and data processing procedures used to verify and refine the existing USDOT/FRA Highway-Rail Crossing Inventory data for a section of a proposed high-speed-rail corridor in California.
• Impact of Active Warning Reliability on Motorist Compliance at Highway-Railroad Grade Crossings, by Dr. Jordan Multer, Human Factors Division, and coauthored by Dr. Monica Gil of Sikorsky Aircraft.
  
  Dr. Multer presented the results of a study evaluating the impact of erroneous warnings at highway-railroad intersections. The study evaluated the likelihood that motorists will disregard the warnings and drive through the intersection. Using a driving simulator, participants drove along a route with several grade crossings and made decisions about when to cross the highway-railroad intersection. Warning system reliability was varied by manipulating the frequency with which a train arrived at the crossing when the warning was activated or unactivated. Results showed that participants matched their behavior to the reliability of the warning system. As warning reliability went from low to high, driver compliance with the warnings increased.
• The Effect of Locomotive Horn Characteristics on Motorist Detection by Ms. Gina Melnik, Human Factors Division, and co-authored by Dr. Stephen Popkin of the same division and Dr. F.A. Russo of the University of Toronto.
  
  Ms. Melnik presented the results of research examining the effect of locomotive train horn characteristics on motorist detection. Previous research suggests that certain locomotive horn characteristics, such as the number of flutes used and the frequency components of flutes, may enhance the effectiveness of the horn as a warning device. These findings were examined experimentally using recordings of locomotive horns that varied in their sound characteristics. Differences in horn detectability emerged and findings also suggest that horn detection may be more difficult if the demands of driving and distractions require too much attention.
• PEERS Project: Public Education and Enforcement Research Study, by Ms. Suzanne Sposato, Rail and Transit Systems Division.
  
  Ms. Sposato described the PEERS project conducted for FRA, which entailed researching the effectiveness of education and enforcement programs designed to reduce incidents, fatalities, and injuries at HRIs. Intersections at three locations in Illinois were monitored before, during, and after education and enforcement campaigns. A Volpe Center report documented whether these programs reduced traffic-law violations in a statistically significant manner. These data will be used to support FRA's future rulemaking activities. Preliminary results showed that highway-user behavior became safer as a result of PEERS-project interventions.
• Functional Concept Requirements and Testing of Intruder and Obstacle Detection Systems (IODS), by Ms. Anya Carroll, Rail and Transit Systems Division.
  
  Ms. Carroll described the Volpe Center's role in developing the functional requirements for IODS-addressing sensors, processing, communication, and decision support requirements, as well as its work on testing a limited set of detection systems at the Transportation Technology Center, in Pueblo, Colorado.
• New Technologies in Intelligent Transportation Systems for Highway-Rail Intersections, by Mr. Steven Peck, Rail and Transit Systems Division, and coauthored by Mr. Paul Bousquet of the same division.
  
  Mr. Peck summarized the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies that are being considered for Highway-Rail Intersections (HRI) to enforce safety and promote efficiency, productivity, control, and communication. These technologies include inductive loop detectors, digital data communications, railway transponders, train location systems, radio, and wireless transmitters. In addition, Ms. Anya A. Carroll chaired this session on "The Use of ITS Technologies for Risk Reduction."
• State of the Art Technologies for Intrusion/Obstacle Detection, by Mr. Marco daSilva, Advanced Safety Technology Division.
  
  Mr. daSilva described an extensive survey of obstacle and intrusion technologies for rail rights of way and crossings and recommended potential concepts for future field-testing. Intrusion detection systems may employ technologies such as inductive loops, magnetometers, microwave, radar, video systems, or fiberoptic sensors embedded in rail structures to determine the presence of a vehicle or other obstacles. Many of these technologies have existed for some time, but new system design approaches may offer solutions that will result in improved safety, security, and mobility.

Ms. Anya A. Carroll, as chair of the National Academy of Sciences, Transportation Research Board's Committee of Highway Rail Grade Crossings, also conducted the Committee's mid-year meeting. (Added 11/7/06)

Dr Curtis J. Tompkins, the Center's Director, presented his annual State of the Center address to the staff and friends of the Center on October 26, 2006. This year's report provides highlights of the Center's accomplishments, challenges, and changes over the past year. He refers to the solid accomplishments of the Center as described in the Center's publication, "Points of Pride- Fiscal Year 2006." He makes specific reference to several projects that have earned national headlines during this past year. His address also covers the Center's financial health, changes in leadership both at the Center and in the Department of Transportation, and the Center's continuing steadfast path to follow its mission of improving the Nation's transportation system and its vision to be the leading Federal Center of Excellence for innovative transportation systems solutions.

His full address is available at: www.volpe.dot.gov/ctug/calendar.html (MSWord, 103KB)

We hope what you read here will encourage you to find out more about the Volpe Center and the ways in which we contribute to the transportation enterprise. (Added 10/30/06)

On August 1, 2006, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society and the 27th Canadian Remote Sensing Symposium honored Dr. Thomas A. Seliga, an electronics engineer at the Volpe Center, for his pioneering research in weather radar technology. His contributions to the field of radar meteorology have led to improvements in radar's power to quantify rainfall rates, detect hail, and discriminate between water and ice phase hydrometeors; his work has also helped to advance the understanding of cloud physics.

A special session of the Symposium, entitled "Thirty Years of Dual-Polarization Radar in Precipitation and Cloud Measurements: Impact of Thomas Seliga's Pioneering Research," honored his contributions. The papers given traced the history of dual polarization radar and its use in precipitation and cloud measurements. Each paper was a testimony to the impact Dr. Seliga had both in the ground breaking research in the field and the application of his breakthrough concepts on radar meteorology and many areas of the hydrometeorological sciences. Dr. Seliga closed the session with a look into the future with his paper "Polarization-Based Multiparameter Weather Radar: Realization of a Concept and Insights into Future Applications." In addition to outlining where he anticipates the discipline will go in the future, he also provided insights into how he became involved in radar meteorology research, recognized contributions of his many knowledgeable colleagues, and described how his findings are being exploited to solve real world weather-related problems.

The session included participants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Science Foundation, the National Severe Storms Laboratory; international participants from Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom; academic participants from the Pennsylvania State University, University of Washington, and Colorado State University; Volpe Center staff, as well as many others. A tribute dinner, following the technical session, was attended by 35 of his colleagues, 10 of whom gave tributes.

Dr. Seliga's radar work originated at the Ohio State University over 30 years ago. His work will contribute to future enhancements of the safety and mobility of travelers and freight in both air and surface transportation by improving the quantification of rainfall, the detection of severe weather conditions such as hail and tornados, and forecasting of severe storms. In addition to his basic contributions to weather radar technology, while at the University of Washington in the early 1990s he recognized and demonstrated the value of applying measurements from the NEXRAD (Next Generation Radar) radar system to monitoring and predicting effects of rainfall on surface transportation. Interestingly, additional benefits will accrue to both surface and air transportation when the National Weather Service executes its plans to add polarization capability to the NEXRAD radar in the next few years. During the last eight years, Dr. Seliga has also worked extensively in support of weather- and surveillance-related programs of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Dr. Seliga received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. He is currently a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (Life Fellow), and the American Meteorological Society. (Added 08/16/06)

On June 29-30, a nine person delegation from China's Bureau of Air Traffic Management visited the Volpe Center. The Chinese delegation's visit to the Volpe Center was the final stop on their U.S. tour which included prior stops at Boeing Aviation in Seattle, Washington; the FAA's Command Center in Herndon, Virginia; MITRE in Virginia; and the FAA Technical Center in New Jersey. The Chinese plan to build a new air traffic management facility in China and to apply best practices at that facility. Their goal was to learn from the leading U.S. organizations in disciplines related to air traffic management. Volpe's Director of Aviation Programs, Nelson Keeler, hosted the delegation and gave them an overview of the Volpe Center work in aviation.

Delegation from China's Bureau of Air Traffic Management pictured with David Lev, Volpe Center Deputy Director and Nelson Keeler, Director of Aviation Programs; Tian Zhencai, China's Director of the Technical Center's R&D Department, Air Traffic Management Bureau, pictured front left, led the delegation.

Since China is planning to set up a traffic flow management system to deal with increasing levels of air traffic in China, they were primarily interested in the experience that Volpe Center has gained in the development of the Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS) over the past twenty plus years. ETMS is FAA's automation system to support traffic flow management in the United States. Dick Bair, manager of the Traffic Flow Management Division, gave an overview of ETMS. Rick Oiesen, project manager of ETMS development, described the ETMS system in detail and the problems that any traffic flow management system must resolve and led a discussion on how these situations might be solved in the context of the Chinese aviation environment.

In addition, other Volpe personnel briefed the Chinese delegation on some of the other aviation projects at the Center. Glenn Goulet, acting manager of the Infrastructure Protection and Operations Division, briefed on technology suitable for inclusion in a secure, centralized Command Center such as the Chinese envision constructing. Michael Geyer, manager of the Advanced Navigation, Communications, and Surveillance Technologies Division, outlined the research that Volpe has done on aircraft wake vortex problems. Steve Creaghan, acting manager of the Terminal and Surface Systems Division, discussed activities in the area of Airport Surface research and Dr. Tom Sheridan, a member of the Human Factors Division, discussed some portions of Volpe Center's work supporting the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS).

At the conclusion of the discussions, Tian Zhencai, China's Director of the Technical Center's R&D Department, Air Traffic Management Bureau, noted that the visit would strengthen the cooperation between China and the US on Traffic Flow Management and other research fields in the international aviation enterprise. He also indicated he was interested in establishing a continuing working relationship with the Volpe Center as they move forward with their traffic management facility. (Added 07/07/06)

"The Volpe Center is responsible for development and daily operation of the Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS), which is used by FAA to support its Traffic Flow Management mission. ETMS integrates real-time flight and weather data from multiple sources, presenting information graphically in a highly adaptable format, enabling more efficient, predictable, and equitable management of air traffic in congested airspace. The spring release introduces a new traffic management tool, the Airspace Flow Program, which targets delays to those flights whose flight paths traverse airspace impacted by severe weather. Pictured: A screen shot of the Airspace Flow Program in use." (View larger image.)

On June 5, in support of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Volpe Center deployed the Spring 2006 release of the Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS), Version 8.2, to 80 FAA sites. The main new component of ETMS 8.2 is the Airspace Flow Program, a traffic management tool designed to help reduce delays in the air traffic system.

The Airspace Flow Program will combine the power of existing Traffic Flow Management capabilities, including Ground Delay Programs and Flow Constrained Areas, to allow for more efficient, predictable, and equitable management of the National Airspace System. The Airspace Flow Program targets delays to those flights whose flight paths traverse airspace impacted by severe weather. Flights that do not traverse the path of severe weather are not delayed.

ETMS is a mission-essential system used by FAA to support its Traffic Flow Management mission and increase air system capacity. ETMS is used to track, predict, and plan air traffic flow; analyze effects of ground delays; and evaluate alternative routing strategies. The Volpe Center is responsible for development and daily operation of ETMS. As its successful history has shown, ETMS continues to evolve and provide new capabilities to air traffic managers, facilitating a common air traffic situational awareness that makes possible collaborative decision making among FAA, air carriers, and military operations. (Added 06/27/06)

The John A. Volpe Transportation Internship is a competitive internship opportunity that is awarded annually to exceptional graduate-level scholars who have expressed an interest in contributing to the future of the transportation enterprise. This internship features substantial tuition assistance and paid work opportunities at the Volpe Center for outstanding graduate students in the engineering, scientific, and social science disciplines. Three of this year's Finalists have been selected as co-recipients of the 2006 - 2007 John A. Volpe Transportation Internship and will be working for three different Volpe Center Divisions:

Stephanie L. Alton - Ms. Alton is currently defending her thesis, the final requirement to complete a Master's of Arts in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Connecticut. Ms. Alton has accepted a Student Trainee (Engineering Psychology) position with the Human Factors Division, RTV-4G with a start date of August 7, 2006 and will pursuing a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Connecticut.

Michael E. Carolan - Mr. Carolan has been working with the Volpe Center's Structures and Dynamics Division, RTV-3G as a Student Trainee (Mechanical Engineering) while pursuing an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University since May 2005. Mr. Carolan received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Summa Cum Laude on May 21, 2006 and will be continuing at Tufts University as a graduate student pursuing a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering this coming fall.

Karen L. Petho - Ms. Petho is currently pursuing a M.A. in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning as part-time student at Tufts University and is expected to complete her Master of Arts in May 2007. Ms. Petho joined the Volpe Center's Environmental Engineering Division as a Student Trainee (Environmental Planning) earlier this month. (Added 06/22/06)

On June 6th 2006, the Volpe Center celebrated its 35th Anniversary. U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Norman Y. Mineta and the Research and Innovative Technology Administrator Ashok Kaveeshwar attended a special ceremony to mark the event. Both speakers congratulated the Center on its long history of support to the DOT and the innovative ways in which the Center has contributed to addressing the pressing national transportation issues of congestion reduction, global competitiveness, safety, environmental stewardship and security. The Center will be part of the secretary's vision of building the world's most technologically sophisticated transportation system.

Volpe Center Director, Dr Curtis J. Tompkins, addressed the gathering and stressed Volpe Center's role as a national transportation system center that provides its customers with creative solutions to complex challenges across the transportation enterprise. As part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, the Center is committed to supporting DOT's research agenda by creating integrated teams from multidisciplinary resources. Volpe Center's cross-cutting resources are applied to challenges that affect multiple transportation modes. In summary, the Volpe Center's 35 years of experience is a source of continuity, stability, and institutional memory for many long-term and new customers.

Volpe Center senior staff gathers with DOT Secretary Norman Y. Mineta and Research and Innovative Technology Administrator Ashok Kaveeshwar at the Volpe Center's 35th anniversary celebration.

In recognition of this event, the Center had prepared a retrospective exhibit highlighting the significant historical contributions made by the Center to the transportation enterprise. Much of the work has a long-term impact on the strategic goals of the DOT - safety, security, environmental stewardship, global connectivity and mobility. In recent years, during the Secretary Mineta's administration there have been significant contributions in the areas of preventing runway incursions and emergency response preparedness. Future critical areas will include improvements to navigation for air transportation, congestion reduction, and better application of enhanced transportation safety data and knowledge.

Volpe Center employees who have worked at the Center since its inception are recognized for their service to the transportation community at the 35th anniversary ceremony.

The Center was established in 1970 to support the Department of Transportation by applying science, technology, and analysis to transportation and logistics challenges. Over the last 35 years, the Center has evolved in response to transportation advances and to changing national priorities. The Center has been able to anticipate change, articulate transportation issues, and focus on the applications - and implications - of new technologies and systems. This cross-modal, multi-client approach has made the Volpe Center an important resource for information, concepts, and solutions. (Added 06/22/06)

Aircraft in flight create wake turbulence, which can be a potential hazard to following aircraft if not properly accounted for in operation. Safety is currently maintained by imposing a separation standard between aircraft based on worst-case scenario. Therefore, these separations can sometimes be overly conservative. Volpe Center has a long tradition in leading research and data collection campaigns aimed at a better understanding of wake vortex transport and strength characteristics. A better understanding of wake behavior can lead to recommendations for the safe modification of separation standards and therefore potential increase of airport capacity without the need to build new runways. Recently, Center researchers have focused their efforts on understanding the wake vortex passive sound emission as well as using active acoustic sensors to track and characterize their behavior. Messrs. Hadi Wassaf, Stephen Mackey, and Frank Wang of the Advanced Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance Technologies Division presented papers at the 12th AIAA/CEAS Aeroacoustics Conference held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, May 8-10, 2006, summarizing some of the results of this work. The papers are listed below and may be obtained either by purchase from the conference website http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=320, or by contacting the authors at the Volpe Center.

Wassaf, H. F., J. C. Hardin and F. Y. Wang "Atmospheric Effects on Microphone Array Analysis of Aircraft Vortex Sound." AIAA 2006-253

Zeng, Z.C., W. Li, F. Wang, and H. F. Wassaf "Influence of Vortex Core on Wake Vortex Sound Emission." AIAA 2006-2538

Wassaf, H. F., Y. Zhang, and O. C. Ibe "Wake Acoustic Analysis and Image Decomposition via Beamforming of Microphone Signal Projections on Wavelet Subspaces." AIAA 2006-2536

Mackey, S., and D. C. Burnham "Use of a Commercial Wind SODAR for Measuring Wake Vortices." AIAA 2006-2537 (Added 06/22/06)

The John A. Volpe National Transportation System Center has recently reorganized around a business model that redefines the roles and responsibilities for its senior management and clarifies lines of authority and accountability throughout the organization.

• Dr. Curtis J. Tompkins serves as the Center Director¹ and Chief Executive Officer providing executive operations and management oversight.
• David E. Lev, Deputy Director² and Chief Operating Officer provides strategic direction over operational and technical activities at the Center.
• Philip S. Coonley, Chief Administrative Officer and Director of the Office of Administration, ensures federal process integrity and responsive, cost-effective Center operations.

Volpe's technical directorates, supporting customer work on a fee-for-service basis, include:

• John O'Donnell, Director of the Surface Transportation Programs; this office supports informed planning and decision-making within the transportation enterprise.
• Ned Keeler, Director of the Office of Aviation Programs; this office ensures the efficient and effective performance of aviation systems and other advanced transportation programs.
• Kelly Leone, Director of the Demonstration and Deployment Programs; this office designs, develops, and deploys system capabilities for greater effectiveness and security worldwide. (Added 06/15/06)

To view Volpe's new organizational structure, please visit the organization chart at http://www.volpe.dot.gov/ourwork/chart.html.

1 Also, serves as the Associate Administrator to parent organization, U.S. Department of Transportation's Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA)
2 Also, serves as the Deputy Associate Administrator to parent organization, DOT/RITA.

Manufacturers are increasingly recycling and remanufacturing their post-consumed products as a result of more rigid environmental legislation, public awareness, economic drivers and more responsible manufacturing. Dr. Seamus McGovern of the Airport Surface Division, presented a paper at the Seventeenth Annual Conference of Production and Operations Management Society (POMS) April 28 - May 1, 2006, held in Boston, Massachusetts. The paper titled "Performance Metrics for End-of-Life Product Processing" addresses product disassembly that takes place prior to remanufacturing, recycling, or disposal. An efficient disassembly line requires a mathematical approach to the disassembly line-balancing problem (DLBP). This problem relates to determining the minimum number of workers to be assigned to disassemble a product in a feasible sequence, where it is desired that each worker have a similar amount of idle time and that hazardous and high-demand parts are removed early in the sequence. The paper provides the mathematical foundations for each criteria being generated, using original mathematical formulae. These formulae are essential in enabling a thorough efficacy analysis of a given part removal solution sequence. Mathematical tools for quantitative and qualitative analysis are also developed and reviewed, focusing on analytical methodologies used in evaluating heuristic searches. The disassembly line-balancing problem is highly relevant to Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing. The paper was co-authored by Dr. Surendra Gupta of Northeastern University. Full text of the paper is available at http://www.poms.org/ConfPapers/004/004-0215.pdf. (Added 06/06/06)

According to the latest available data¹, light vehicles were involved in approximately 1.8 million police-reported rear-end crashes in the United States in 2002 or about 29 percent of all light-vehicle crashes. These rear-end crashes resulted in about 850,000 injured people. The Volpe Center is supporting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in conducting independent evaluations of various crash avoidance systems, as part of U.S. DOT's Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (IVI). The IVI focuses on solving traffic safety problems through the development and deployment of advanced-technology countermeasures to crashes.

The Center recently published a final report on the independent evaluation of an automotive collision avoidance system built by General Motors and Delphi. "Evaluation of an Automotive Rear-End Collision Avoidance System" provides the results of a multi-year, 2000-2005, effort by the Volpe Center.

The system integrates forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control functions. The forward collision warning function provides the driver with graded visual cautionary alerts, and visual and auditory crash-imminent alerts, when a driver is following another vehicle very closely (tailgating), or when approaching a vehicle too rapidly (closing). These alerts assist drivers in avoiding or reducing the severity of rear-end crashes. Adaptive cruise control maintains both a selected cruise speed when there is no lead vehicle but makes adjustments with automatic brake and throttle actuation when there is a lead vehicle that is traveling slower than the selected cruise speed.

Through the integration of these two functions, the system is intended to improve automotive safety by assisting drivers to avoid rear-end crashes. To accomplish this goal, the system must also prove useful and acceptable to drivers. The Volpe Center conducted the independent evaluation of this system based on data collected from a field operational test and from an independent system characterization test. The goals of the independent evaluation were to characterize system performance and capability, achieve a detailed understanding of system safety benefits, and determine driver acceptance.

Wassim Najm, Jonathan Koopmann, and John Hitz of the Volpe Center's Advanced Safety Technology Division, and Mary Stearns and Heidi Howarth of the Center's Operator Performance and Safety Analysis Division authored this report, which can be downloaded from the following web link: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-12/pubs_rev.html (Added 04/20/06)

¹ 2002 National Automotive Sampling System/General Estimates System crash database

DOT Secretary Norman Y. Mineta attended a full-scale rail car test conducted by the Volpe Center on Thursday, March 23 at DOT's rail testing facility in Pueblo, Colorado. Shown with Secretary Mineta are Volpe Center staff members Michelle Priante and David Tyrell, who led the successful test of crash-energy management designs for improved passenger rail safety. "The new system turns once-rigid train cars into giant shock absorbers that help protect a train's crew and passengers," said Secretary Mineta.

In support of FRA, the Volpe Center is conducting major research into new technologies that could vastly improve the crashworthiness of passenger rail cars. This long-term effort is receiving heightened public attention in the aftermath of recent fatal train accidents. An appreciative crowed witnessed a successful full-scale crash test held on Thursday, March 23 at DOT's rail testing facility in Pueblo, Colorado. The test was designed to determine the viability of innovative, energy-absorbing designs of commuter rail cars, as well as passenger seats and tables, in better protecting rail passengers and crew members.

Completion of the eighth and most complex in a series of full-scale tests was "nearly perfect," according to Mr. David Tyrell of the Center's Structures and Dynamics Division, who led the team that designed and oversaw the test, "everything stayed on track." A five-car, cab-forward passenger train equipped with a crash-energy management (CEM) system was crashed head-on into an equally weighted standing locomotive with two freight cars, at a speed of 32 miles per hour. The CEM design uses zones of controlled crush; collision energy is absorbed by a series of components and distributed to unoccupied areas throughout the length of a train, rather than crushing large volumes of the first car, as is characteristic of current equipment (see Comparison of Conventional Test Results and CEM Simulation). The CEM-equipped train survived the test relatively unscathed and both trains remained upright and on the tracks, in contrast to earlier tests on typical rail equipment. The seats and tables appeared to have performed equally well.

This crash test was the first to incorporate a CEM system and other passenger safety technologies, including:

• Crush zones protect the passenger and operator space and distribute the force of impact to unoccupied areas of the train.
• Pushback couplers and anti-climbers absorb the force of impact, hold the train cars together, and keep trains upright and in line.
• Strengthened end frames, advanced bumpers, and other structural improvements help absorb energy and lessen the impact on passengers.
• Improved seats are strategically padded and designed to contain and cushion passengers during a crash.
• Newly designed worktables with crushable edges reduce the risk of abdominal injury. (See New Table Prototype after the March 23 Crash Test.)

The Volpe Center Rail Equipment Crashworthiness Research Team Responsible for the March 23 CEM Test in Pueblo, Colorado. Front row: Michelle Priante and Eloy Martinez. Standing in back row: Michael Carolan, Kristine Severson, Karina Jacobsen, Benjamin Perlman, Daniel Parent, and David Tyrell.

The Volpe Center team will closely analyze the test data, gathered with hundreds of sensors, dozens of cameras, and ten instrumented dummies. However, preliminary results hold promise for the next generation of rail cars and their occupants. "The best the current equipment can do is protect everybody [occupants] up to 15 mph," Tyrell said. "The equipment with all the features we're testing [can] protect everybody up to a speed of 36 mph."

Metrolink, the Southern California Regional Rail Authority, will be the first agency in the country to incorporate some of these improvements. A tragic accident in January 2005 involving a Metrolink train and an SUV killed 11 people and injured nearly 200 others.

Comparison of Conventional Test Results and CEM Simulation. Top: 2002 Crash Test Results Using Conventional Equipment. Bottom: Simulation of March 23, 2006 Test Using Crash Energy Management (CEM) System.

New Table Prototype after the March 23 Crash Test. Included among the many new elements of the improved workstation table design are a melamine top and crushable, energy-absorbing aluminum honeycomb interior. During the test, the table was deformed by the impact of the dummy; this design could mitigate abdominal injury to passengers.

Since 1989 the Center has been performing in-depth studies to determine effective strategies for improved structural crashworthiness and occupant protection. The first series of full-scale tests defined the crashworthiness of conventional-design equipment in three impact conditions. Corresponding tests of modified passenger rail cars allowed comparison of the performance of both types of equipment. The Center's ongoing research, which integrates computer modeling and full-scale test crashes, supports the development of federal regulations and standards for new rail car designs.

The Volpe Center's role includes defining appropriate scenarios to study collisions, developing computer models to simulate the structural and dynamic results of the collisions, designing and supervising the full-scale tests, processing the test data, and comparing the test measurements with the analysis results. The computer models are then used to evaluate a wider range of collision conditions than can be tested. (Added 03/29/06)

Over the last several decades, an understanding of how infrastructure - the basic facilities needed for the functioning of a community or society - can negatively impact habitat and ecosystems has grown. Awareness of how to better avoid, minimize, and mitigate these impacts has also matured. However, translating this awareness into action requires a significant change from the traditional project-by-project approach to infrastructure development. To help agencies make this transition to cost-effective infrastructure development that contributes to ecosystem conservation, an interagency team recently released Eco-Logical: An Ecosystem Approach to Developing Infrastructure Projects.

A team comprised of representatives of the Federal Highway Administration, Bureau of Land Management, Environmental Protection Agency, Fish and Wildlife Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, National Park Service, NOAA Fisheries, the Volpe Center, and several State Departments of Transportation worked together to develop this unprecedented guide to cooperative conservation. In support of FHWA, the Volpe Center played a key role in facilitating the development of Eco-Logical .

Embodying the intent and principles of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Executive Order 13352 on Facilitation of Cooperative Conservation, Eco-Logical offers a nonprescriptive approach to making infrastructure more sensitive to wildlife and ecosystems through integrated planning, new partnerships, and cooperative conservation. Central to Eco-Logical is the "ecosystem approach." An ecosystem approach is a process for the comprehensive management of land, water, and biotic and abiotic resources that equitably promotes conservation and sustainable use. The approach shifts the Federal government's traditional focus on individual agency jurisdiction to the integrated actions of multiple agencies. It finds ways to increase voluntary contributions from all stakeholders, including the public, to a collaboratively developed vision of desired future conditions that incorporates ecological, economic, and social factors. It is applied within a geographic framework defined primarily by ecological, rather than geo-political, boundaries.

The ecosystem approach defined in Eco-Logical can achieve a range of benefits, including safer, improved infrastructure; improved watershed and ecosystem health; increased connectivity and conservation; efficient project development; and increased transparency.

Eco-Logical is posted on the Internet at http://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/ecological/eco_index.asp. Hard copies of the document will be published in spring 2006. (Added 03/27/06)

Dr. James "Jim" Hallock, Manager of the Volpe Center's Aviation Safety Division has been appointed as a Senior Technical Expert (ST) for Air and Space Transportation Safety Risk Management. An appointment to a Senior Technical Expert (ST) position is made to only a select few individuals government-wide. This appointment recognizes Dr. Hallock's extensive technical credentials and record of scientific accomplishments. Dr. Hallock is an internationally known researcher in aviation and space transportation systems safety, who also served as a member of the esteemed space shuttle Columbia Accident Investigation Board. Dr. Hallock has published extensively, is a sought-after speaker at professional conferences and has been recognized for his accomplishments within DOT with many awards.

Dr. Hallock's appointment to this position highlights the expertise available at the Volpe Center to conduct work that addresses safety risk management in air and space transportation and further the safety goals of the Department of Transportation. Dr. Hallock's contributions in the areas of aircraft wake vortices and safety information systems are highlighted here. His role in the investigation of the Columbia shuttle accident also illustrates his stature and the respect accorded him by the transportation community.

Aircraft Wake Vortices
In his seminal work on wake vortices at the Volpe Center, Dr. Hallock has made a significant contribution to the international aviation community's understanding of the behavior of vortices when an aircraft takes off or lands. Aircraft wake vortices — disturbances in the air caused by aircraft motion — were responsible for a number of deadly aviation accidents. Dr. Hallock's findings led the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to change its aircraft spacing rules, with a resulting decrease in small aircraft wake vortex-related accidents.

Dr. Hallock's leadership in this area has fostered a Volpe Center focus on wake vortex research - cosponsored by the FAA and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The program's goal is to increase aircraft arrival and departure rates at selected major airports during instrument meteorological conditions — to approximately those achieved during visual meteorological conditions — by reducing operating restrictions imposed to address hazards posed by aircraft wakes, without increasing the risk of an incident or accident. Because it investigates changes to aircraft operating rules, the program is highly visible. U.S. stakeholder groups include major air carriers, pilot organizations, and air traffic controller organizations. The research is also shared with the international community. The team's near-term operational goal is to investigate the feasibility of modifying the rules for aircraft approaches to parallel runways spaced less than 2500 feet apart under reduced visibility conditions. Many major U.S. airports — e.g., Boston, Cleveland, San Francisco, and Minneapolis — have such runway configurations. Such a rule change could yield dramatic increases in arrival capacity (e.g., 50%) under some wind/visibility conditions. The combination of potential high, near-term benefits and changes to aircraft approach procedures under low visibility conditions has drawn interest in the project from the aviation community at large.

Information Safety Systems
Dr. Hallock has spearheaded the Volpe Center's work in developing aviation safety data bases and analysis tools. His initial work was as the safety analyst on FAA rulemaking projects. He assisted in creating a system for the Department of Defense to score contractor carriers according to their records in five performance areas. This led to the Center's development of a system for examining the performance of all air carriers for the FAA. FAA aviation safety inspectors use the resulting data access and analysis tool — Safety Performance Analysis System (SPAS) — worldwide to assess information about aviation certificate holders (air carriers, air agencies such as repair stations and schools, and aircraft and airmen). This has helped the FAA to focus on operations that posed the greatest risks, and helped aviation inspectors target their work on suspected problem areas. Using SPAS, the FAA can find and correct problems thus contributing to the safest air traffic system in the world.

Many of the techniques developed by Dr. Hallock and his team for the FAA have subsequently been applied by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) to the nation's motor carriers. SafeStat, an automated, data-driven analysis system, determines the current relative safety status of individual motor carriers. FMCSA safety programs employ SafeStat to: identify and prioritize carriers for on-site compliance reviews, identify and monitor poorly performing carriers for inclusion in the safety improvement process, and support recommendations for roadside inspections. Deployed nationally in 1997, SafeStat has helped FMCSA more efficiently employ its field resources to audit and inspect high-risk carriers. As a result, the large truck crash fatality rate steadily declined between 1997 and 2003.

Contributions to the Columbia Accident Investigation Board
Dr. Hallock served NASA and the American public as a member of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB). This independent board was charged with determining what caused the destruction of the Space Shuttle Columbia and the loss of its seven—member crew on February 1, 2003, during reentry, as well as recommending preventive and other appropriate actions to preclude recurrence of a similar mishap. For information about the CAIB and its investigation, visit http://www.nas.gov/. The results of this investigation guide the public policy debate over the future of the shuttle program, in particular, as well as NASA's future path. (Added 03/27/06)

In support of the FAA, the Volpe Center has been responsible for the development of the Safety Performance Analysis System (SPAS) - an aviation safety tool - since the system's inception in 1991, and the Center's Aviation Safety Division supports ongoing enhancement based on user needs and technological advances.

SPAS is used by the FAA Flight Standards Service (AFS), which is responsible for certification of air operators, air agencies, and air personnel, and for implementing and enforcing the federal regulations that help ensure the safety of passengers using commercial air operators. Specifically, SPAS is the primary tool for data access and analysis and is utilized by FAA aviation safety inspectors worldwide to assess information about aviation certificate holders (air operators, repair stations, aviation schools, airmen, etc.)

The new release (SPAS 2.18.218) includes the following:

• Enhancements to the air operator Event Rate performance measure to provide more detailed information
• New comprehensive airmen knowledge testing query and browse lets users get to pilot and non-mechanic school test results
• Enhanced engine profile

SPAS is an important component of FAA's systems safety initiative; the data driven approach supports the FAA's goal of identifying safety issue priorities. (Added 03/13/06)

The John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center has named Nelson "Ned" Keeler to lead its Office of Aviation Programs, and Kelly Leone to lead its Office of Demonstration and Deployment Programs.

As Director of Aviation Programs, Mr. Keeler will head an office that supports the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other aviation-related customers. The Office of Aviation Programs applies technical expertise in the areas of advanced technology research; communications, navigation and surveillance; air traffic management; and air traffic control. The office also specializes in aviation computer systems engineering, and performs environmental research in areas such as wake vortices, aircraft emissions and noise pollution.

As Director of Demonstration and Deployment Programs, Ms. Leone will head an office that directly supports the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) goals for increasing the safety, security and global connectivity of the transportation system. Her office will explore and develop opportunities for improving transportation logistics, information safety and security-related science and technology. The office also supports non-DOT customers such as the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security.

The Volpe Center is an innovative, fee-for-service organization within the U.S. DOT. The Center provides multi-modal transportation systems engineering expertise through the creation and application of research and technology solutions. The Volpe Center is part of DOT's Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA).

"The tremendous experience and unique abilities of Ned Keeler and Kelly Leone will greatly enhance the Volpe Center's ability to advance state-of-the-art research and technology solutions for our nation's transportation system," according to RITA Administrator Ashok Kaveeshwar. "The Department is fortunate to have found such tremendous talent in these two individuals."

Ned Keeler brings twenty-five years of engineering and technical experience to the Volpe Center. He most recently served as Director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Independent Verification and Validation Facility. He has an extensive background in transportation which includes serving as Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard's Research and Development Center, as well as in private industry.

Kelly Leone brings twenty years of transportation industry experience to the Volpe Center. She has worked on air traffic control modernization programs with the FAA and the German Civil Aviation Authority. She has particular expertise in the integration of explosives and weapons detection security technology into operational environments. Ms. Leone is currently completing a doctorate in transportation engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. (Added 03/08/06)

The Volpe Center supported a multiagency team in publishing the 2005 edition of the Federal Radionavigation Plan (FRP). The plan was developed jointly by the U.S. Departments of Defense, Transportation, and Homeland Security, and presents the Federal interagency approach to the implementation and operation of radionavigation systems. The plan is the official source of radionavigation policy and planning for the Federal Government and covers common-use, Federally operated radionavigation systems. This twelfth edition describes respective areas of authority and responsibility, and provides a management structure by which the individual operating agencies will define and meet requirements in a cost-effective manner. The plan also contains the current policy on the radionavigation systems mix. The constantly changing radionavigation user profile and rapid advancements in systems technology require that the FRP remain as dynamic as the issues it addresses. This edition of the FRP builds on the foundation laid by previous editions and further develops national plans towards providing an optimum mix of radionavigation systems for the foreseeable future. Dr James Carroll of the Surveillance and Assessment Division led the Volpe Center's role in this task.

The plan is available at http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pubs/frp2005/2005%20FRP%20WEB.pdf and hard copies may be purchased from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). NTIS publications may be ordered online at http://www.ntis.gov/help/ordermethods.asp. The plan numbers are as follows: DOT-VNTSC-RITA-05-12; DoD-4560.5. (Added 03/07/06)

The Transportation Research Board's 2006 Annual Meeting took place in Washington, D.C. from January 22-26, 2006. The Volpe Center was well represented in this diverse group of researchers, academics, administrators, and others from government and industry. The theme for 2006 was "Transportation 2025: Getting There from Here". Also highlighted was "The Interstate Highway Systems 50th Anniversary - What Have We Learned?" and "SAFETEA-LU: What it Means for Research and the Transportation Community".

Volpe Center staff presided over conference sessions, committee meetings and workshops. Volpe Center staff also gave several presentations.

Papers from this conference are now available for purchase in 2006 TRB 85th Annual Meeting: Compendium of Papers CD-ROM at http://www.trb.org/meeting/default.asp. (Added 02/28/06)

Shenandoah National Park - Congestion in many national parks causes lengthy traffic delays and noise and air pollution that substantially detract from the visitor experience and overall resource protection. For these reasons the National Park Service has been exploring the use of innovative, sustainable and appropriate alternative transportation solutions. Since 2000 the Volpe Center has supported the NPS Alternative Transportation planning process. A significant part of this effort has been focused on producing alternative transportation plans for selected national parks.

Shenandoah National Park in Virginia is among the most visited parks in the National Park Service system. The Volpe Center recently delivered the report "Shenandoah Alternative Transportation Planning Study" to the National Park Service (Report Number VNTSC-NPS-05-07). The report addresses several transportation issues at Shenandoah National Park, including: reassessing traveler information services that are available to park visitors; assessing potential improvements to enhance accessibility to Skyline Drive scenic overlooks; identifying and reviewing available transportation data that can be used for future park planning; options for replacement of a tour vehicle for the Rapidan Camp area of the park; and providing an overview of the socioeconomic conditions and trends in the Shenandoah Valley region that may potentially influence current and future park visitation.

Volpe Center staff who contributed to the report included Mr. Robert Armstrong of the Motor Carrier Safety Assessment Division, Messrs Eric Plosky and David Spiller and Ms. Frances Fisher of the Service and Operations Assessment Division, Mr. Carson Poe of the Planning and Policy Analysis Division, and Mr. Garth Brazelton of the Economic and Industry Analysis Division.

This final report is available at http://www.volpe.dot.gov/nps/shenandoah.html (Added 01/20/06)

Dr. Larry Barr of the Advanced Safety Technology Division attended a workshop on Aviation Safety Improvement using Cost Benefit Analysis (ASICBA) at the European Aviation Safety Agency headquarters in Cologne, Germany, November 22, 2005.

ASICBA is a project funded by the European Commission, which brings together a consortium of companies in the European Union to develop a methodology for using cost benefit analysis to assess the effectiveness of technical and managerial decisions on aviation safety. The objectives of the project are to identify the current practices and processes that aviation stakeholders follow to assess the viability and desirability of safety measures and to understand the role that cost benefit analysis plays in those practices and processes. The workshop provided an excellent forum for exchanging ideas on an international stage regarding the cost benefit analysis and risk reduction processes, particularly as they relate to the implementation of specific safety measures and technologies.

Dr. Barr gave a presentation at the workshop entitled "Cost/Benefit Analysis of NASA Aviation Safety Program." The presentation describes Volpe Center's technical support to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Aviation Safety and Security Program (AvSSP). The goal of AvSSP is to develop and demonstrate technologies that contribute to a reduction in the fatal aviation accident rate. The Center's support in this area has focused on conducting cost benefit analyses for the proposed AvSSP safety technologies. Ms. Brittany Campbell has also contributed to this research. (Added 01/17/06)

The Volpe Center's supports the Federal Aviation Administration on mitigating the human factors that can result in runway incursions - a potentially hazardous incident where a plane comes too close to another plane or ground vehicle. The results of this work are featured in a recently published book titled "Human Factors Impacts in Air Traffic Management." Dr. Kim Cardosi of the Volpe Center's Operator Performance and Safety Analysis Division authored a chapter on runway safety based on work performed at the Volpe Center.

The book is a compilation of case studies on human factors applications in which there was a demonstrable success in terms of improvement in operational systems. In response to a challenge by the air traffic community, the book focuses on identifying and quantifying the results of human factors research both operationally and managerially. (Added 01/03/06)

Further Information on this Publication

Cardosi, Kim. 2005. "Runway Safety," In "Human Factors Impacts in Air Traffic Management," edited by Barry Kirwan et. al., Aldershot, Hampshire, UK: Ashgate, 2005.

Several Volpe Center staff members participated and presented papers at the 12th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) in San Francisco November 6 - 10, 2005. The theme for this year's conference "Enabling Choices in Transportation" reflects an emphasis on the end-user in transportation.

A summary of Volpe Center participation is given here, and more information can be obtained by contacting individual authors.

Presentations

• "Lessons Learned about ITS Technologies from a Series of Studies on Catastrophic Events and Transportation System Management" by Mr. Allan DeBlasio of the Planning and Policy Analysis Division
• "Driver Satisfaction with an Urban Arterial after Installation of an Adaptive Signal System" by Ms. Margaret Petrella of the Economic and Industry Analysis Division
• "Reinventing Workforce Capacity Building Strategies in ITS - Creating a New Dynamic for Continuous Learning" co-authored by Mr. Ron Giguere, USDOT Intelligent Transportation Systems Professional Capacity Building (PCB) Program Coordinator and Ms. Suzanne Sloan of the Volpe Center's Service and Operations Assessment Division.
• "Metropolitan Transit ITS Adoption in the United States" by Ms. Sari Radin, Acting Chief, Economic and Industry Analysis Division

Workshops

Ms. Jane Lappin, of the Economic and Industry Analysis Division, participated in an international workshop on the future of urban transport. The meeting was organized by Transport for London to hear the views of, and initiate discussion with, major cities, international suppliers, motor manufacturers, and recognized national experts. The workshop was intended to foster relationship building between major cities to encourage innovation on traffic systems worldwide.

In addition, Ms. Lappin, in her role as chairman of the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) International Benefits, Evaluation, and Costs working group, produced a one-day workshop entitled "An International Tour of ITS Costs, Evaluations, and Benefits," which took place as part of the conference. IBEC is an international working Group for the ITS community to facilitate the exchange of information and techniques used to evaluate the costs and benefits of Intelligent Transportation Systems throughout the World. This workshop provided ITS program managers and evaluators from the United States, Scotland, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Denmark, Switzerland, Turkey, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, France, Germany, and England with an opportunity to present lessons learned, discussing their successes, failures, and future plans for achieving their program goals. As part of that workshop, Ms. Lappin chaired sessions on vehicle-infrastructure integration and traveler information services, and Ms. Leisa Moniz, of the Infrastructure Protection and Operations Division organized a panel of international experts addressing electronic fee payment. Further, Ms. Lappin chaired a special session on the issues related to the introduction of ITS in developing countries and economies in transition. (Added 01/03/06)