About Us 

The U.S. DOT Volpe Center’s Surface Transportation Systems Safety Division works closely with federal, state, and local agencies to develop and implement data-driven programs that improve transportation safety through innovative technologies, programs, policies, and practices. 

Some highlights of our work include: 

• Supporting the Safe Streets for All $5B Discretionary Grant Program 
• Supporting FHWA’s Roadway Safety Professional Capacity Building Program 
• Supporting Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office’s ITS Professional Capacity Building Program 
• Supporting FTA’s Transit System Safety Program 

Our team of transportation researchers consists of community planners; policy, management, and program analysts; engineers, and economists. We help our sponsors ensure that transportation safety is ingrained at all levels of program implementation, including policy, planning, design, and construction. 

Our Capabilities 

• Safety and Security Assessments  
• Help transportation agencies develop effective programs that holistically address the intersection of modes on our surface transportation system. By assessing stakeholder needs, evaluating existing policy, leading planning and engineering efforts, and determining strategic priorities, we help our sponsors create compelling resources and programs that benefit public agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. 
• Provide strategic transportation planning and performance measurement services focused on the following areas: 
  • Highway Operations 
  • Roadway and Transit Safety 
  • Intelligent Transportation Systems 

Knowledge Transfer and Capacity Building to Maximize Impact 

• Work to identify effective surface transportation system safety policies and practices through qualitative research, such as best practice scans and synthesis studies, and promote their adoption by the public sector workforce through workshops, webinars, courses, and primers. 
• Help our sponsors implement successful communications strategies by providing expertise in information technology solutions to develop websites, mobile applications, and online databases. 

Meet Our Team  

View selected staff biographies. 

John Hoobler 

Chief

John Hoobler is the division chief for the U.S. DOT Volpe Center’s Surface Transportation Systems Safety Division. He has more than a decade of experience in the public sector leading teams in multimodal transportation safety engineering, planning, operations, and program analysis, as well as prior consulting experience in construction and geotechnical and transportation engineering. Throughout his tenure at the U.S. DOT Volpe Center, Hoobler specializes in traffic safety. He has worked closely across U.S. DOT and with Federal Lands Management Agencies, providing strategic direction and technical expertise to successfully develop and implement critical transportation safety programs. Hoobler holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland (College Park, MD) and is a registered Professional Engineer in Maryland.