Policy, Planning, and Environment
About Us
The U.S. DOT Volpe Center’s Policy, Planning, and Environment Technical Center provides a full range of planning, evaluation, compliance, and implementation assistance to transportation decision-makers across local, regional, state, federal, and global levels.
We equip transportation decision-makers with the information and tools necessary to plan, develop, manage, operate, and finance the nation’s transportation system and build the capacity of the organizations that support that system.
We analyze, synthesize, and communicate data to support sustainable, economically efficient, and safe transportation decisions.
Our Impact
Our Priorities
From our work in sustainability to economic strength and modernization, our teams aim to improve the quality of life for all Americans.
Here are examples of the kind of excellence we advance every day:
- Assessing the costs and benefits of national fuel economy standards, and international aviation environmental regulations
- Supporting safe and accessible transit and multi-use trail systems in national parks and public lands
- Creating national transportation workforce development and organizational excellence strategies and programs, including expertise in program evaluation
- Developing policies and supporting rulemaking that drive transformations in reductions in transportation energy use, including contributions from technology, operational efficiencies, and sustainable alternative fuels
- Modeling and helping mitigate environmental impacts of infrastructure investments, including complex National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) considerations, such as noise and local air quality impacts
- Driving the development of multimodal transportation demand forecasting
Our Portfolio
We partner with key administration officials and other federal career leaders, adding value through technical excellence, innovation, and a commitment to public service. Learn more about our sponsors.
Meet Our Team
Our Organization
Our Technical Center is organized into nine offices—each specializing in a different facet of policy, planning, energy, and environment in transportation.
- Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE)
- Economic Analysis
- Energy Analysis and Sustainability
- Environmental Measurement and Modeling
- Environmental Science and Engineering
- Policy Analysis and Strategic Planning
- Program Development and Capacity Building
- Surface Transportation Systems Safety
- Transportation Planning
Our Leadership
Rachael Barolsky Sack
Acting Technical Center Director of Policy, Planning, and Environment
MS Energy and Environmental Analysis and BA Energy and Environmental Policy, Boston University
As acting director of the Policy, Planning, and Environment Technical Center, Rachael Barolsky Sack has supported a variety of transportation areas including environmental streamlining for highway projects, technology transfer initiatives, and highway safety countermeasures. She has also facilitated interagency working groups and issue-specific meetings with the goals of sharing information across agencies, reaching consensus on key issues, and agreeing to action-oriented solutions.