News
U.S. DOT’s Small Business Innovation Research Program FY26 Phase I Pre-Solicitation Period is Now Open
April 29, 2026
The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program Fiscal Year 2026 Phase I Pre-Solicitation is open from Wednesday, April 29th through Friday, May 29th at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Surface Transportation Infrastructure Investment Modeling
April 28, 2026
In support of FHWA and FTA, the U.S. DOT Volpe Center provided the data modeling driving the 26th edition of the Status of the Nation’s Highways, Bridges, and Transit: Conditions and Performance Report (C&P Report). By refining advanced modeling tools like the Highway Economic Requirements System (HERS) and the Transit Economic Requirements Model (TERM), our multidisciplinary teams provide the detailed forecasts Congress needs to guide national transportation policy.
Executing Rapid Phase of the U.S. DOT Complementary Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Action Plan: One Step Closer to User Adoption
April 20, 2026
From precision agriculture to synchronized financial markets, our modern economy relies on GPS. However, because these signals are low-power, they are vulnerable to disruptions. The U.S. DOT Volpe Center, in partnership with the U.S. DOT Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology's Office of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) and Spectrum Management, developed a CPNT Action Plan designed to accelerate the adoption of complementary PNT solutions throughout the nation’s transportation system and other critical infrastructure sectors.
Harnessing Artificial Intelligence at U.S. Department of Transportation
April 14, 2026
In support of U.S. DOT's Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology's Highly Automated Systems Safety Center of Excellence, we recently spearheaded the AI-CHAT initiative. Our team took the technical lead in designing and deploying chat.dot.gov, a secure, cloud-hosted platform that allowed U.S. DOT staff to pilot leveraging Large Language Models for mission-critical tasks.
Ensuring Breathalyzers Are Accurate and Able to Withstand Legal Scrutiny
April 6, 2026
Every 42 minutes, a life is lost to drunk driving in the U.S. In partnership with NHTSA, our Alcohol Countermeasures Lab uses world-unique "drinking robots" to ensure breathalyzers are accurate and legally defensible.
Accelerating Modernization: The U.S. DOT Volpe Center’s Fast-track Merger of Critical FAA Safety Systems
April 1, 2026
In response to an urgent request from FAA, we recently delivered a major modernization milestone—merging two critical safety systems (OAPS and WebOPSS) into FAA’s Safety Assurance System (SAS) in less than three weeks and three months ahead of schedule.
Driving Efficiency in Annual National Highway Freight Network Corridor Designation
March 30, 2026
The movement of goods is the backbone of our economy, but managing more than 9,000 miles of the Primary Highway Freight System (PHFS) requires more than just pavement—it requires cutting-edge data integration. We’re proud to be partnering with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Freight Management to revolutionize the National Highway Freight Network (NHFN) designation process.
Managing Cybersecurity for Automated Vehicles—and Risks for Commercial Motor Vehicle Teleoperation
March 24, 2026
In partnership with the ITS JPO and FMCSA, the U.S. DOT Volpe Center team applied their deep expertise in advanced vehicle systems to identify more than 90 potential cybersecurity threat scenarios and develop 24 actionable mitigation strategies. This work provides a critical roadmap for the safe, secure adoption of remote-driving technologies on our nation’s highways.
U.S. DOT Volpe Center Research Highlights the Economic Contributions of America’s Inland Waterway System
March 2, 2026
In support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. DOT Volpe Center led a study in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to quantify how the inland waterway network supports jobs, incomes, and GDP and evaluates the economic case for targeted lock and capacity investments in line with DOT Order 2100.7.
The U.S. DOT Volpe Center Is Now Hiring Interns Through the 1DOT Internship Program
February 25, 2026
The U.S. DOT Volpe Center is now hiring interns through the 1DOT Internship Program.