The Volpe Center is DOT’s ‘Nerd Lab’—and Much More

Connected vehicles. Unmanned aircraft. Worldwide vessel tracking. Find out why Politico featured the Volpe Center’s multimodal expertise in its recent tour of federal government nerd labs.

Autonomy for Humans

The Ongoing Transformation of the Global Transportation System

The U.S. DOT Volpe Center’s 2017 speaker series—The Ongoing Transformation of the Global Transportation System—explored challenges and opportunities affecting the advancement of transportation systems. 

How Traditional Aviation Testing Can Inform Unmanned Aerial Technologies

In his award-winning paper, U.S. DOT Volpe Center engineer Seamus McGovern applied traditional flight testing techniques and principles for aircraft designs to fixed-wing and rotary-style drone designs.

“Our Shared Transportation Future” with General Darren W. McDew

General McDew commands USTRANSCOM, which delivers global defense logistics anyplace, anytime, and for however long is needed. He recently came to Volpe to discuss the nation’s most pressing military and civilian transportation challenges, and the new thinking required for new solutions.

A Look Back on 2016 with Volpe’s Annual Accomplishments

Each year, Volpe collaborates with the U.S. Department of Transportation, other federal agencies, and the broader transportation community on hundreds of projects that shape how people and goods move throughout the U.S. and abroad. Our Annual Accomplishments report highlights some of Volpe’s...

Traveling the Road to Zero Vehicle Fatalities

Fatal crashes are increasing, but nearly all of them are theoretically preventable. Volpe recently hosted NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind to talk about strategies and actions to achieve zero deaths on America’s roads.

Transportation Work on Display at Volpe Day 2016

Volpe staff recently came together for Volpe Day, an internal forum that gives staff the opportunity to showcase the diversity of Volpe’s technology portfolio, share their own work and ideas with their colleagues, and engage in creative problem solving. Learn about some of the work that was on...

Government at the Speed of Silicon Valley

To create major new technologies like self-driving cars, rather than focusing on an end result or product, it’s much more effective to focus on creating prototypes—“very much a Silicon Valley approach,” said J. Christian Gerdes, U.S. DOT’s first chief innovation officer, who...

Rethinking How Cities Connect Residents to Opportunity

Transportation infrastructure can be a catalyst for change, connecting city residents to opportunity. In fact, transportation may be the most important way we have to address disparities in income and wealth, according to Ben Hecht, president and CEO of Living Cities, who spoke as part of Volpe’...