Our Work
U.S. DOT Volpe Center staff collaborate on over 300 projects each year with our partners, working towards a better, safer, and more efficient transportation system.
Dive deeper into our work, carried out by our technical centers:
- Air Traffic Systems and Operations
- Infrastructure Systems and Technology
- Policy, Planning, and Environment
- Safety Management and Human Factors
and learn about our thought leadership efforts.
Our Priorities
As a federal partner in advancing U.S. DOT initiatives, the Volpe Center draws on its multimodal, multidisciplinary expertise to support U.S. DOT’s priorities:
- Safety: Reducing transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries across the transportation system.
- Infrastructure: Investing in infrastructure to ensure mobility and accessibility and to stimulate economic growth, productivity, and competitiveness for American workers and businesses.
- Innovation: Leading the development and deployment of innovative practices and technologies that improve the safety and performance of the nation’s transportation system.
- Accountability: Serving the nation with reduced regulatory burden and greater efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability.
Our Partners
Nearly 90 percent of our work is sponsored by U.S. DOT partners.
Our mandate to support the transportation enterprise is broad, and remaining projects are sponsored by state and local governments, private sector entities, and other federal agencies—including the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA, and the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Homeland Security.
Learn more about our partners.
A Snapshot of Our Work
- Budget: $250 million
- 300+ ongoing projects
- Collaborate with local, state, and federal agencies; academia; and industry
- Work across nine modes of transportation