Volpe National Transportation Systems Center Points of

Pride

2007

U.S. Department of Transportation

Research and Innovative

Technology Administration
For more information on any of the projects described in this document,

please contact Lynn C. Murray at (617) 494­2224 or MurrayL@volpe.dot.gov.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 

INTRODUCTION 1

SAFETY 3

Aviation

Integrated Terminal Weather System: Technical Enhancements

to Improve Display and Distribution

Safety Performance Analysis System: Critical Enhancements

Air Transportation Oversight System Reengineered to

Improve Effectiveness

Flight Standards Information Management System: Redesigned to

Add Functionality

3

Next­Generation Air Transportation Systems: Airportal Safety Analysis

Memphis, Tennessee, International Airport: Safety of Simultaneous

Aircraft Approaches

Airspace Simulation and Analysis Tool Capability Development

Rail 8

Railroad Infrastructure Trespass Detection Systems Research

Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS)

Structural Analysis of Talgo Passenger Car Tower Supports

Railroad Tank Car Structural Integrity Research

Transit 11

Drug and Alcohol Management Information System

Motor Vehicle 12

Technology to Prevent Alcohol­Impaired Crashes
 

Crash Avoidance Research: Defining Pre­Crash Typology for LightVehicle Crashes

Crashworthiness Studies: Frontal Offset Crash Tests

Safety Roadmap for Future Plastics and Composite­Intensive Vehicles

NHTSA Support for Crash History Data

Motor Carrier 15

Household Goods National Consumer Complaint Database

Motor Vehicle Comprehensive Safety Analysis

Motor Vehicle Comprehensive Data Quality Program: Development

and Implementation

Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan Training: Development and Delivery

FMCSA Support for Existing Systems

FMCSA Support for COMPASS

FMCSA Support for System Infrastructure and Security

JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
Pipeline 19

Pipeline Safety Monitoring and Reporting Tool

Low­Stress Pipeline Mileage Study

Federal­State Grant Tracking and Reporting Systems: Development

and Maintenance

REDUCED CONGESTION 23

Air Traffic Flow Management: Modeling and Predictions

Automatic Dependent Surveillance­Broadcast

Tower Information Display System

St. Louis Airport Parallel Runway Approach Procedure

National Airspace System Performance Analysis System: Web­Based Version

Non­Motorized Transportation Pilot Program

Congestion Initiative Contributions

Southeast High­Speed Rail Study

GLOBAL CONNECTIVITY 31

Eurocontrol Data Exchange with Enhanced Traffic Management System

Engineering, Installation, and Integration Support to the U.S. Air Force

Relocation of the Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems at Kunsan Air Base,

Republic of Korea

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP 35

Transportation­Related Noise Measurement and Modeling

Reducing Environmental Liabilities at the FAA William J. Hughes

Technical Center Superfund Site

Aviation Environmental Design Tool

Analyzing Environmental Impacts from Truck and Bus Crashes

Tire/Pavement Noise and Quieter Pavement Applications

Planning Alternative Transportation Programs and Systems for

National Parks and Public Lands

SECURITY, PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE 41

FTA Office of Safety and Security Five­Year Strategic Plan, FY 2008–2012

Hazardous Materials Training for the U.S. Postal Service

Maritime Safety and Security Information System

Decommissioning of Nuclear Ship Savannah

Nationwide Automatic Identification System

Mobile License Plate Reader Systems Assessment

National Disaster/Incident Support

World Trade Center Site Master Security Plan Development

JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
Digital Microwave Radio Communications Network for the Iraqi

Republic Railways

Strategic Movements Review

ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE

On Behalf of Our Clients

Directing DOT’s Small Business Innovation Research Program

FAA Terminal Facilities Support

Airport Security Training Evaluation

Public Transportation Participation Pilot Program

Automatic Dependent Surveillance­Broadcast: Acquisition Support

Development of Professional Capacity­Building Programs

Iraqi Republic Railways Acquisition Support

49

49

Volpe Center Management Initiatives 54

Human Resource Management

Financial Management: Controlling Indirect Rates

Improving Business Processes

Customer Satisfaction

Acquisition Initiatives

Volpe Center Reorganization Assessment

Onsite Contractor Support Service

Information Technology Improvements

Security and Emergency Response Improvements

Property Improvements

Volpe Center’s Expanded Recycling Program

VOLPE CENTER CUSTOMERS 65

U.S. Department of Transportation

Other Federal

State and Local

Foreign Entities

Other

DOT SECRETARY’S AWARD CEREMONY 66

Volpe Center Recipients

Individual Awards

Team Awards

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 68

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION

Introduction
 

Points of Pride highlights the annual accomplishments of the Volpe Center

and illustrates its vital role as a unique federal resource within the U.S.

Department of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT) Research and Innovative

Technology Administration (RITA). These accomplishments demonstrate

the many different ways that the Volpe Center supports the U.S. DOT and

the broader transportation community in achieving their goals. Center staff

members are trusted advisors on long­term projects and are often called

upon to support rapid­response, high­visibility tasks. With a systems

perspective and awareness of relevant issues, the Center provides innovative

solutions to transportation problems.

The projects presented here represent a snapshot of the Center’s overall

portfolio, but they exemplify the Center’s ability to offer pragmatic solutions

and to respond quickly to new or continuing requirements. Each accomplishment is aligned with the U.S. DOT's national transportation objectives of

safety; reduced congestion; global connectivity; environmental stewardship;

security, preparedness, and response; and organizational excellence. For

the purpose of this document, activities are listed under one strategic area;

however, many projects, programs, and initiatives benefit the objectives of

more than one strategic goal.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 Points of Pride exemplifies the Volpe Center’s

tradition of providing outstanding support to DOT; other federal, state, and

local government agencies; and a number of international entities.

Dr. Eileen Ennis

Acting Director

Volpe National Transportation Systems Center and

Associate Administrator for Administration

Research and Innovative Technology Administration

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 1
2 JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
Safety

Enhance public health and safety by working

toward the elimination of transportation­related

deaths and injuries

AVIATION

Integrated Terminal Weather System:

Technical Enhancements to

Improve Display and Distribution

The Integrated Terminal Weather System

(ITWS) is a high­resolution weather information system designed to operate within the

Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON)

centers surrounding the country’s major airports.

It combines data from a number of sensors into

an integrated picture of the weather situation

surrounding an airport. For the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), the Volpe Center hosts the

ITWS website and distributes the data to air carriers and other information users. The availability of the enhanced weather information means

that system users now will be able to employ these products in their flight

planning and that FAA will be better equipped to manage the nation’s

air traffic.

In FY 2007, the Volpe Center completed a successful technical refresh of the ITWS hardware, which provided the ITWS web with the necessary processing power to display the

Terminal Convective Weather Forecast (TCWF) data. The ITWS web data products now

include a 60­minute forecast of weather conditions in the terminal area.

Screenshot of the Integrated Terminal

Weather System developed by the Volpe

Center, showing a lightning storm over the

Kansas City International Airport.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 3
Prior to the ITWS web, ITWS data were displayed solely on very expensive Situation

Displays (SD). FAA has been able to save money by eliminating SDs at non­FAA sites and

hosting the ITWS data on the ITWS web. Non­FAA users now have an inexpensive means

of viewing ITWS data on the ITWS web. The Volpe Center works closely with Lincoln

Laboratory and FAA (in Washington, DC, and in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) on all aspects

of this project.

The customer base for the ITWS web grew significantly during the year. The current ITWS

web users are FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC), Delta Airlines,

Northwest Airlines, Federal Express, Continental Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Dallas­Fort Worth International Airport, and the Atlanta Regional Operating Center.

(Sponsored by DOT/FAA)

Safety Performance Analysis System: Critical Enhancements

The Volpe Center is working closely with the FAA Associate Administrator for Aviation

Safety staff in performing ongoing analysis and developing information systems to

enhance, expand, and integrate its aviation safety decision support systems that monitor the

performance of aviation entities. Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASI) use the systems to organize and support their inspection activities in four areas: air operators, aircraft, air agencies,

and air personnel. As part of this effort, the Volpe Center has developed the Safety Performance Analysis System (SPAS), which accommodates ASI information needs by:

•	 Highlighting potential problem areas for inspector consideration,

using measures of safety performance

•	 Ensuring that inspectors are able to access aviation­safety­related data

in a reliable, time­saving, and effective manner

•	 Assisting inspectors in identifying certificate holders that may present a

greater safety risk, thus warranting further surveillance

In 2007, the Volpe Center developed and released major enhancements to the SPAS to

provide FAA inspectors with critical analytical capabilities needed to assess the safety

performance of large commercial air carriers. Specifically, the new capabilities combine

planning and assessment data packages with an integrated set of analysis tools needed to

conduct system safety processes. With SPAS data packages, FAA inspectors have rapid access

to multiple disparate systems, from which they may retrieve key information to make

oversight decisions, evaluate safety risk, develop surveillance plans, or assess the safety

performance for a given air operator certificate holder. The SPAS data packages represent

the latest step for FAA in establishing SPAS as the primary data analysis tool for the

organization’s oversight of air operator and air agency certificate holders. These new SPAS

capabilities are part of FAA’s continuing effort to improve aviation safety and reduce the

number of air carrier accidents and incidents. (Sponsored by DOT/FAA)

4 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
Screenshot of the Air Transportation Oversight

System developed by the Volpe Center.

Air Transportation Oversight System: Reengineered to Improve Effectiveness

The Air Transportation Oversight System (ATOS) supports FAA aviation safety inspector

surveillance of air carriers certified under Title 14 (Aeronautics and Space) Code of

Federal Regulations Part 121 (commercial air carriers). Based on system safety concepts,

ATOS determines safety trends in order to identify and correct a problem at its root cause

before an accident occurs. FAA inspectors now view an airline in its entirety to see how the

many elements of its operations (including aircraft, pilots, maintenance facilities, flight

dispatch, and cabin safety) interact to meet federal standards. ATOS enables FAA to create

a targeted, more effective surveillance plan.

In FY 2007, in order to keep pace with the changes in the aviation industry, ATOS was

reengineered to improve its agility, scalability, and effectiveness. The Volpe Center worked

closely with the FAA Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety staff to design, develop, and

deploy the reengineered system. Central to the changes are enhanced business processes,

which strengthen FAA’s ability to provide effective oversight and to expand its capacity to incorporate additional air carriers. The reengineering effort is part of FAA’s congressionally

mandated initiative to implement ATOS and standardize system safety oversight for all air

operators certified under 14 CFR Part 121. (Sponsored by DOT/FAA)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 5
Flight Standards Information Management System: Redesigned to

Add Functionality

The primary performance goal of the FAA Flight Standards Service is the safety of operational and airworthiness entities worldwide. The Volpe Center assists the FAA Office of

Aviation Safety in achieving this goal by providing ongoing support in the analysis, development, and dissemination of aviation­safety­related policies, guidance, standards, and work

instructions to effect compliance and accident prevention. As part of this effort, the Volpe

Center has developed and deployed the Flight Standards Information Management System

(FSIMS). FSIMS provides FAA safety inspectors and other safety professionals with a fully

searchable and cross­referenced electronic library of aviation­safety­related publications.

In 2007, the Volpe Center, on behalf of the FAA Flight Standards Service, made significant

changes to FSIMS. FSIMS was redesigned to accommodate the consolidation and reorganization of the FAA airworthiness, operations, and general aviation inspector handbooks into

a single electronically managed system. FSIMS uses intelligent metadata to alert aviation

inspectors of critical safety bulletins and notices and to assist in tailoring information

searches and retrievals to match an inspector’s specific aviation job category or operational

specialty. In addition, a public version of FSIMS was deployed to provide the aviation

industry and professionals with access to the policy and guidance maintained in the FSIMS

library. (Sponsored by DOT/FAA)

Next­Generation Air Transportation Systems: Airportal Safety Analysis

The Volpe Center developed an innovative approach to provide safety analysis of new air

traffic control concepts for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s

(NASA) Airportal Project. The Airportal Project is a NASA research and development

(R&D) effort to investigate Next­Generation Air Transportation Systems (NextGen)

concepts, as defined by the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO). It will make

precision satellite­based navigation and landing independent of ground­based aids at any

U.S. airportal. This will open thousands of small airports to very light jets and bring air

service to more communities. The Center proposed a systems engineering approach,

including a functional analysis, to coordinate research ideas. The analysis represents the

first time a complete functional/end­to­end representation of airport and terminal research

ideas had been unified to understand resultant interactions. By linking these ideas to an

integrated set of functions, the Volpe Center team was able to address safety and systems

issues that were not apparent previously. In addition, the functional analysis represents the

first time a set of detailed terminal and surface functions has been developed for nextgeneration air traffic control capabilities. The analysis lays the groundwork for systems and

safety analysis of NASA and FAA research and development agendas for years to come.

(Sponsored by NASA)

6 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
Memphis, Tennessee, International Airport: Safety of Simultaneous

Aircraft Approaches

The Volpe Center has provided safety risk management support to Air Traffic Organization, Terminal Services Unit (ATO­T) since 2003. ATO was created as the air traffic

operations arm of FAA by executive order of President Clinton in December 2000 to apply

businesslike practices to the delivery of air traffic services. In FY 2007, ATO­T asked the

Center to lead a critical study on safety of simultaneous approaches to the Memphis,

Tennessee, International Airport. Simultaneous approaches allow aircraft to approach

independently on adjacent parallel or perpendicular runways. At Memphis, a recent “close

call” during simultaneous approaches to perpendicular runways raised concerns by air

traffic control personnel and FedEx, which uses the Memphis airport as its main packagesorting hub. The Center assembled a team of subject­matter experts and stakeholders and

led the panelists, with different viewpoints, to arrive at an alternative that was accepted as

both safe and efficient by all. The report generated by the Volpe Center was approved in

record time and is now seen as a model for future safety studies. (Sponsored by DOT/FAA)

Airspace Simulation and Analysis Tool Capability Development

The Volpe Center is developing a Monte Carlo­based computer simulation capability to

enable rigorous analysis and certification of terminal procedures, equipment, and

airspace in the National Airspace System (NAS) for the FAA Flight Standards Office.

This simulation capability will play a critical role as FAA seeks to safely implement new

terminal arrival procedures based on Automatic Dependent Surveillance­Broadcast

(ADS­B) technology, to meet the expected capacity gains anticipated for the NextGeneration Air Transportation System. Unique elements of this capability are the stochastic

(i.e., random, but with known probability distributions) models of almost every component

of NAS — mechanical, electronic, and human — including navigation aids, surveillance

systems (such as ADS­B), pilots, aircraft, air traffic controllers, and weather combined with

known, discrete artifacts such as runway size and configuration and obstacles. Due to the

complexity and aviation­safety­critical nature of the simulation development effort, the

Center consulted with FAA, industry, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology experts to

plan the development effort. During FY 2007, the Volpe Center team completed models for

surveillance, aircraft, and air traffic control as well as overall design for the simulation tool.

(Sponsored by DOT/FAA)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 7
Pittsford, New York,

railroad bridge with

Trespass Detection

System. (Left: Photo by

Marco daSilva; right: Still from

videostream recorded by

trespass detection system)

RAIL

Railroad Infrastructure Trespass Detection Systems Research

I

n FY 2007, the Volpe Center published a final report on the design, installation, and

three­year demonstration evaluation of a prototype system for trespass prevention on

railroad rights­of­way (ROW) conducted for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Safety. The report, Railroad Infrastructure Trespassing Detection Systems Research in Pittsford, New York (DOT/FRA/ORD­06/03), is a major milestone in a multiyear research effort.

This research was spurred by a June 1997 incident in which two teenagers were fatally

injured by a train on a railroad bridge in Pittsford.

The Volpe Center conducted a demonstration of an automated prototype railroad infrastructure security system on a railroad bridge. This commercial­off­the­shelf (COTS) technology system was installed at the bridge in Pittsford, where the two teen fatalities occurred.

This prototype system potentially saved an estimated five lives during three separate trespass

incidents over the three­year evaluation period.

The interactive system can serve as a model for infrastructure security applications at other

railroad ROW or bridges prone to intrusion. After the evaluation period was completed,

FRA and the Volpe Center formalized a technology transfer agreement with CSX Transportation and handed over control of the wayside system to the railroad.

The project demonstrated the Volpe Center’s multidisciplinary approach and our ability to

design a prototype COTS system and work collaboratively with the client, local community

users, and private­sector railroads. (Sponsored by DOT/FRA)

Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS)

DOT is working toward eliminating transportation­related fatalities and injuries in the

United States. Nearly all transportation incidents are preceded by a chain of events or

circumstances, any one of which might have prevented the accident if it had gone

8 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
another way. In many of these cases, operators are aware of these “close calls” or “near

misses” and may have information that could prevent future mishaps. Volpe Center staff

worked with railroad industry stakeholders from FRA, RITA’s Bureau of Transportation

Statistics, railroad carriers, and labor organizations to develop a demonstration program

that evaluates the effectiveness of a close­call reporting system. Consensus among the key

stakeholders was critical to the project moving forward because close­call reporting only

succeeds when stakeholders volunteer information. The development of this system will

enable the railroad industry to take action to prevent hazardous events before they occur.

Currently, two freight railroads (Union Pacific Railroad and Canadian Pacific Railroad) have

volunteered to participate in this project. The project seeks two additional railroads to participate. The system began accepting close­call reports in February 2007. (Sponsored by DOT/FRA)

Structural Analysis of Talgo Passenger Car Tower Supports

Amtrak operates its Cascades service in the Pacific Northwest, linking the

cities of Vancouver, British Columbia; Seattle and Tacoma, Washington;

and Portland and Eugene, Oregon. The trains operate in push­pull mode with

a locomotive on one end and a cab car (a nonpowered locomotive) on the

other. The 13 passenger cars (coaches) in each of the five trainsets are

produced by Talgo and are the only cars manufactured by that company in

operation in the United States. The cars are designed to passively tilt into

curves, allowing the train to pass through them at higher speeds. Despite a

maximum design speed of 124 mph, current track and safety requirements

limit the train’s speed to 79 mph.

The Talgo trainset is articulated; each passenger car shares a single pair of

wheels with the next such that they cannot be decoupled without lifting one car

onto a support. This design can also reduce jackknifing in a derailment. In

order to share a single wheelset, the articulation scheme involves a pair of tower

supports on the trailing car and a pair of weight­bearer bars that support the

rear of the leading car. These elements are connected to the tower support

structure on the forward end of the trailing car.

In 2005, cracks were discovered at two locations on the tower support structure.

Amtrak voluntarily removed the five trainsets from service pending investigation of the cracking and implementation of repairs. At the request of FRA, the

Volpe Center participated in the review of the computer modeling conducted

to determine the cause of the cracking and to evaluate the effectiveness of the

proposed repair scheme. Volpe Center staff also participated in an over­the­road

test with an instrumented trainset, which was conducted in February 2006, to measure

loads and stresses in the tower support structure in order to validate the predictions made

by computer models. Repairs to all trainsets at the two crack locations were completed by

May 2007.

Talgo coach car tower support structure

with locations of cracking identified.

Talgo coach car tower support

structure (circled). (Photos courtesy of

Richard Clark of Raul V. Bravo & Associates, Inc.,

Reston, VA.)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 9
In August 2007, cracking was discovered in a third location in the tower support structure.

Amtrak again removed all trainsets from service while the cause of the cracking was investigated and plans for repairs were realized. FRA requested that the Volpe Center participate in

the structural analysis to determine the cause of the cracking and why the third crack­prone

location was not identified in previous analyses. Volpe Center staff identified deficiencies in

the computer model used to conduct the original analysis of the cracking at the original two

locations and worked with Amtrak, Talgo, and contractors to develop a higher­fidelity model.

The results from the improved model revealed a high likelihood of cracking at the third

location. In addition, at the Center’s request, the over­the­road test data were reexamined and

additional sources of load applied to the tower support were identified. When applied to the

improved model, this additional loading proved to be the cause of extremely high stress

concentrations in the tower support structure. The increased understanding of the behavior

of the tower support under the operating conditions present in the Pacific Northwest led to

the development of a repair procedure for the third crack location. Repairs are ongoing, and

Amtrak expects to return the first trainset to service in early October. (Sponsored by DOT/FRA)

Railroad Tank Car Structural Integrity Research

Rail transportation of hazardous materials in the United States is recognized as the safest

method of moving large quantities of chemicals over long distances. Recent statistics

show that the rail industry’s safety performance as a whole is improving. In particular, the

vast majority of hazardous materials shipped by rail tank car arrive safely and without incident. In general, the railroads have an outstanding record in moving shipments of hazardous materials safely.

The safe transport of hazardous materials by railroad tank cars is a key concern to FRA.

Moreover, the objective of FRA­sponsored research is to maintain tank integrity over a wide

range of conditions, from the normal operating environment to rare and extreme circumstances, such as impact loads from an accident.

In FY 2007, the Volpe Center has provided technical support, not only to FRA in its safety

mission but also to an industry research­and­development effort called the Next Generation

Rail Tank Car (NGRTC) project. The goal of the NGRTC project is to develop and

implement new designs for railroad tank cars carrying hazardous materials. The industry

sponsors of the project are Dow Chemical Company, Union Pacific Railroad, and Union

Tank Car Company. In January 2007, FRA signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the

industry sponsors to share research information.

As part of the NGRTC project, two full­scale tests were performed at the Transportation

Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado, to evaluate the safety performance of tank cars

under impact­loading conditions. The Volpe Center developed plans to implement the

tests and conducted analyses to predict the outcomes. In the first impact test, which was

conducted on April 26, 2007, a ram car traveling at 14 miles per hour impacted and dented

the side of a stationary tank car. The pre­test calculations made by the Volpe Center were in

10 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
excellent agreement with the test data. For example, the predictions were within 10 percent

of the peak forces measured in the tests. A second test was conducted on July 11, 2007, with

a smaller indenter than used in the previous test. In this test, the ram car traveling at 15

mph impacted and punctured the side of a stationary tank car. The failure of the tank car

in the second test had been predicted in the Volpe Center analysis.

The analysis tools used by the Volpe Center to design, implement, and predict the

outcomes of the tests will be used to develop alternative designs to enhance the safety

performance of railroad tank cars. (Sponsored by DOT/FRA)

TRANSIT

Drug and Alcohol Management

Information System

The Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing

Act of 1991 mandated that the Secretary of Transportation issue regulations to combat

prohibited drug use and alcohol misuse in the transportation industry. For that portion

of the transportation industry involved with the provision of and service to the public of

“mass transportation,” the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) was delegated with the

responsibility for issuing the implementation rules.

Drug and alcohol testing compliance audit/oversight is an ongoing function that supports

DOT’s Safety Strategic Goal by monitoring the drug­ and alcohol­testing programs for safetysensitive employees of agencies that receive FTA Section 5309 Capital Investments, Section

5307 Urbanized Formula, and Section 5311 Non­Urbanized Formula program funds.

The Volpe Center developed a compliance audit software application called the Substance

Abuse Management Oversight (SAMO) system. SAMO was released for use by FTA compliance audit teams in FY 2006. The SAMO design was a result of collaboration between the

Center, FTA, and FTA contract personnel. SAMO is a Windows­based desktop application

developed with Visual Basic 6, Microsoft Access, and a wide range of third­party components, including ChartFX, Grid Tools, Active Reports, and TX Text Control, which is used

in parallel with the hands­on audit process. SAMO is a mechanism for (1) recording audit

results, (2) aggregating and collating interview and record review results, (3) generating a

final audit report while onsite, (4) creating a final report PDF for distribution, and (5) creating the audit response file and medium. SAMO also contains functions such as DOT and

FTA regulatory lookup, an interview response tracking system, canned audit responses, and

extensive help files. Software refinements continued in FY 2007. (Sponsored by DOT/FTA)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 11
MOTOR VEHICLE
 

Technology to Prevent Alcohol­Impaired Crashes

Alcohol­impaired drivers contribute to a substantial proportion of traffic crash fatalities

and injuries. Courts can mandate the use of breath alcohol ignition interlock devices

for people convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, but actual imposition of this

mandate is low. Breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) analyzers, or “breathalyzers,” developed in the 1950s, have become the main proof of intoxication in prosecutions, but they

cannot currently be installed in a vehicle. Recent advances in unobtrusive and miniaturized

detection technology offer the potential for vehicle­based monitoring of a driver’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and/or driving performance for signs of impairment and, if

necessary, for either preventing vehicle ignition or taking other actions to prevent a crash.

The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) asked the Volpe Center to identify

vehicle­based technologies with the potential to detect driver BAC and monitor driver

impairment and to assess their practicability and effectiveness. The Volpe Center surveyed

the most promising available and emerging technologies capable of detecting alcoholimpaired driving and ranked them using multiple assessment criteria and taking into

account feasibility, public acceptance, privacy, and legal issues.

Presentations about these promising technologies were given to the Blue Ribbon Panel

for the Development of Advanced Alcohol Detection Technology (composed of leaders

from NHTSA, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Mothers Against Drunk Driving

[MADD], and the automotive and insurance industries) in both 2006 and 2007, and to the

2007 annual meeting of the International Council on Alcohol, Drugs, and Traffic Safety

(ICADTS). The final report for this project, Review of Technology to Prevent Alcohol­Impaired

Crashes (DOT HS 810 827), was published by NHTSA in September 2007. (Sponsored by

DOT/NHTSA)

Crash Avoidance Research: Defining Pre­Crash Typology for LightVehicle Crashes

Anumber of crash typologies have been developed over the years in support of vehicle

safety research. Crash typologies provide an understanding of distinct crash types and

scenarios and explain why they occur. They serve as a tool to identify intervention opportunities, set research priorities and directions in technology development, and evaluate the effectiveness of selected crash countermeasure systems.

In FY 2007, the Volpe Center completed a three­year study that defined a new pre­crash scenario typology for crash avoidance research, based on national motor vehicle crash data.

This typology establishes a common foundation for vehicle safety research for public and

private organizations that will allow researchers to determine which traffic safety issues

12 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
should be of first priority to investigate and to develop concomitant crash avoidance

systems. The study identified common pre­crash scenarios of all police­reported crashes

involving at least one light vehicle (i.e., passenger car, sport utility vehicle, van, minivan,

and light pickup truck); quantified their severity in terms of frequency of occurrence,

economic cost, and functional years lost; portrayed each scenario by crash contributing

factors and circumstances in terms of the driving environment, driver, and vehicle; and

provided nationally representative crash statistics that can be annually updated using

national crash databases. The typology is currently under consideration by NHTSA as

a basis for a New Crash Assessment Program (NCAP) that provides star ratings for safety

standards of new vehicle models deploying crash avoidance technologies. At a recent

government­industry meeting in May 2007, the U.S. automotive industry advocated the use

of this crash typology, which is described in a final report, Pre­Crash Scenario Typology for Crash

Avoidance Research, and can be downloaded from the NHTSA website

(www­nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd­12/pubs_rev.html). (Sponsored by DOT/NHTSA)

Crashworthiness Studies: Frontal Offset Crash Tests

To reduce deaths and serious

injuries to motor vehicle occupants, NHTSA has been conducting

research to assess harm­reducing

concepts. Crash statistics indicate that

79 percent of injuries in frontal crashes

are from frontal offset crashes. Frontal

offset crashes are dangerous because

they cause structural damage that can

penetrate the cabin or occupant compartment. Frontal offset crashes result

in the deformation of one side of the

vehicle’s front end, which produces

passenger compartment intrusion. This intrusion generates different force

levels on the front­seated occupant. Frequently, the occupant’s lower legs

sustain severe injuries. Frontal offset tests are more demanding on the vehicle structure and

less demanding on the passenger restraint; the opposite is true for the full frontal tests.

NHTSA is developing and refining advanced dummies and associated injury criteria. To

better measure the resultant injury forces, NHTSA has developed specialized advanced

crash dummy lower extremities, Thor­Lx (50th percentile male) and Thor­FLx (5th percentile female), which incorporate improved biofidelic features and significantly expanded

instrumentation. Since 1982, the Volpe Center has supported NHTSA efforts in the areas of

vehicle crashworthiness studies, testing, data analysis, and biomechanics research.

In FY 2007, the Volpe Center completed a series of 11 vehicle­to­deformable­barrier frontal

offset tests in order to evaluate and compare vehicle and occupant responses in support of

NHTSA’s Offset Frontal Program. The reports, data, and video obtained from these tests

A vehicle­to­deformable­barrier frontal

offset test managed by the Volpe Center.

(Photo courtesy of Transportation Research Center, East

Liberty, Ohio)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 13
were evaluated for quality control to ensure utility to NHTSA. The results of this effort

will help NHTSA to determine the feasibility of developing a 35 mph frontal offset test

procedure to complement the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS 208). These

federal safety standards are regulations that present minimum safety performance requirements for motor vehicles or items of motor vehicle equipment. (Sponsored by DOT/NHTSA)

Safety Roadmap for Future Plastics and Composite­Intensive Vehicles

The U.S. Congress directed NHTSA in FY 2006 to “begin development of a program to

examine the possible safety benefits of lightweight Plastics and Composite­Intensive

Vehicles (PCIV)” to develop a foundation for cooperation with the Department of Energy

(DOE), industry, and other automotive safety stakeholders. NHTSA tasked the Volpe Center to conduct a research study in cooperation with the American Chemistry Council —

Plastics Division (ACC­PD) industry partners. This project supports the national policies of

achieving energy independence by developing and deploying fuel­efficient vehicles with

equal or better safety performance by 2020. The study identified promising, high­leverage

research partnerships and composite materials standards development efforts relevant to

PCIV safety, as well as major knowledge gaps and barriers to PCIV deployment. The study

also identified R&D priorities for the development and deployment of lightweight PCIVs,

which would meet NHTSA crashworthiness requirements and overcome vehicle

compatibility challenges by 2020. The PCIV Safety Research Roadmaps define major

R&D activities for the near term (three years), mid­term (three to five years), and longer

term (to 2020) and identify milestones to enable the design, development, and deployment

of lightweight, fuel­efficient, and environmentally sustainable PCIVs that will meet or exceed NHTSA crash­safety standards. In FY 2007, the study was delivered to NHTSA, and it is

currently in final agencywide (policy and regulatory) review.

Continued congressional interest and NHTSA funding will allow the Volpe Center to

undertake follow­up research in FY 2008 that will broaden, deepen, and implement key

near­term PCIV Safety Roadmap priorities, consistent with NHTSA’s integrated safety

strategy and in support of national fuel economy goals. (Sponsored by DOT/NHTSA)

NHTSA Support for Crash History Data

Each year since 1997, NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) has

selectively collected data and produced statistical summaries and individual case histories of crashes that occur on the nation’s highways. Detailed information on nearly 50,000

crash cases has so far been made available to researchers and policy makers in the federal

government as well as to various state governments, the automobile industry, academia, and

private research groups. Consumers of the data have always recognized its uniqueness and

14 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
great value but have consistently lobbied for a way to make it easier to use. In 2007, NCSA

introduced a web­based capability to retrieve 2004 and 2005 data. That capability was developed by the Volpe Center and was based on the use of eXtensible Markup Language

(XML) — the emerging standard for information interchange. The new capability provides

a more enhanced way to view and analyze data from the web and, even more significantly,

allows a direct download of data into the growing number of third­party tools that accept

data in XML format. This XML capability has been praised by members of the Alliance of

Automobile Manufacturers, representatives of the automobile industry, and researchers

from private advocacy groups. NCSA and the Volpe Center are now moving to meet the

demand of making all crash case data available in XML. (Sponsored by DOT/NHTSA)

MOTOR CARRIER

Household Goods National Consumer Complaint Database

While safety remains the Federal Motor Carrier Safety

Administration’s (FMCSA) top priority, the regulation

of interstate household goods (HHG) movers is one of

FMCSA’s key programs. As part of the Household Goods

Program, FMCSA focuses on educating the American public

about how to find and employ reputable HHG movers as well

as on reviewing the operations of HHG movers for compliance with federal regulations. One of the primary sources of

information about HHG movers is complaints submitted to

FMCSA by the public.

The Volpe Center worked with FMCSA to design and develop

a web­based information system for recording and reporting

HHG complaints, the National Consumer Complaint Database (NCCDB). The system became fully operational in April

2007. The NCCDB allows the public and FMCSA staff to

submit HHG complaints using an online form that includes

individual violations with straightforward descriptions. While

previous systems relied on a free­form narrative to describe the

nature of the complaints, users of the NCCDB simply select a violation from a standardized

list. This system has streamlined the process of submitting an HHG complaint while also

allowing for more standardized reporting and analysis. FMCSA investigators are able to run

reports tallying the number of complaints by violation and by category. These reports

improve the process of identifying unscrupulous HHG movers for review. The NCCDB is

integrated with an FMCSA­developed website, www.ProtectYourMove.gov, to assist consumers

moving across state lines. Consumers are able to search the NCCDB for a specific carrier

and view the carrier’s safety data, license, and insurance information as well as the number

of complaints submitted against the carrier. (Sponsored by DOT/FMCSA)

Roadside truck inspection. (Photo by Julie Nixon)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 15
Motor Vehicle Comprehensive Safety Analysis

FMCSA is developing a new operational model through its Comprehensive Safety

Analysis 2010 (CSA 2010) initiative. The goal of CSA 2010 is to develop and implement

more effective and efficient ways for FMCSA, its state partners, and industry to reduce commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crashes, fatalities, and injuries. CSA 2010 will help FMCSA

and its state partners to use continually improving data to better identify high­risk carriers

and drivers and to apply a wider range of interventions to correct high­risk behavior.

In FY 2007, the Volpe Center continued to help FMCSA identify the blueprint for a comprehensive safety program for 2010. The team determined the attributes and components

of a model for safety oversight that it considered to be ideal. Such an innovative model

would be flexible, efficient, and equitable. The CSA 2010 program is designed to respond

to unsafe behavior before it becomes chronic and habitual, utilizing a range of safety interventions beyond the current enforcement process to increase effectiveness and make better

use of resources. The Volpe Center is part of a technical team that developed the concept

for a new operational model that will employ new safety improvement tools for drivers and

motor carriers. The conceptual operational model for CSA 2010 features continuous monitoring and tracking of entities’ safety performance. Entities may be either carriers or drivers. All entities found to have problematic safety behavior will be subject to the newly

developed intervention process. The model is planned to be tested in the beginning of

2008, prior to national deployment scheduled for 2010. (Sponsored by DOT/FMCSA)

Motor Vehicle Comprehensive Data Quality Program: Development

and Implementation

The Volpe Center is assisting FMCSA in raising awareness of the importance of accurate,

complete, and timely state­reported data by developing a comprehensive data quality

program to evaluate states’ safety data quality and to provide states with the expertise and

assistance they need to improve the quality of the data.

Through the state partnership in the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP),

FMCSA shares a safety goal with the states: to reduce the number and severity of crashes

involving large trucks and buses on our nation’s highways. To meet this common goal, it is

essential that uniform, complete, accurate, and timely information on crashes and inspections be collected and reported to FMCSA. The Volpe Center made significant strides in

helping to improve the quality of crash and inspection data by supporting FMCSA in the

development of a comprehensive program. This program includes raising the awareness of

the importance of complete, accurate, and timely crash and inspection state safety data;

developing a means of measuring the state safety data quality; and working directly with the

states, either through the state onsite review process or the Volpe Center’s technical

assistance role.

16 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
During FY 2007, the Volpe Center developed new performance metrics for measuring incomplete reporting of large­truck crash data. These measures indicate areas of improvement for state reporting of crash data and elevate the awareness of states to sustain quality

data reporting. The Center conducted four onsite Data Quality Reviews in Tennessee,

Louisiana, Indiana, and Massachusetts, which included reviewing the states’ processes and

identifying specific steps that could be taken to improve the quality of state­reported data.

The Center implemented a technical assistance program to help states monitor their data

quality, identify specific data quality needs, and direct them to other resources such as grant

programs and educational tools. The results of these combined efforts are being used to develop “best practices” to assist states in improving the quality of state­reported crash and inspection data.

The quality of data submitted by states has shown marked improvement since the inception

of the program in 2004. These program components — evaluating state data, developing

improvement tools for states, and assisting individual states as they work toward improving

their data collection processes — combine to form an effective and comprehensive approach to improving the quality of state safety data. This also translates into more effective

use of FMCSA’s safety programs. (Sponsored by DOT/FMCSA)

Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan Training: Development and Delivery

The primary mission of FMCSA is to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving

large trucks and buses. To support this mission, FMCSA’s MCSAP provides financial

assistance to states to reduce CMV crashes, fatalities, and injuries through consistent, uniform, and effective CMV safety programs. To be eligible for MCSAP grant funding, states

must submit a performance­based Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan (CVSP) that includes

targeted safety strategies with performance goals.

The Volpe Center has worked with FMCSA for the past four years in the design and delivery

of the CVSP Training Program. The program is designed to support the states in conducting data analysis to develop performance­based CVSPs and is delivered by the Volpe Center

team to the nation’s FMCSA field and state staff in the spring of each year. In FY 2007, the

training was enhanced to include (1) a series of webinars delivered prior to the on­site

training to over 360 participants, (2) the delivery of a state­specific analysis report to each

state that provided an interpretation of available state­reported crash and inspection data,

and (3) the development of a new analysis tool, the CVSP Toolkit. The toolkit resides on

the Analysis and Information (A&I) Online website (http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov) and provides

online assistance and customized reports designed to assist FMCSA and state partners in developing, measuring, monitoring, and evaluating state­specific safety objectives. Each state’s

safety data are also available on the website. The Center also works directly with the states in

onsite half­day training sessions. The onsite training provides states with a step­by­step

process to conduct data analysis in the development of a state safety objective. The training

focuses on FMCSA’s fiscal year priority CMV improvement areas, including crash location,

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 17
driver, and data quality. The training continues to evolve, and the results have been realized in

improvement of the quality of performance­based plans. (Sponsored by DOT/FMCSA)

FMCSA Support for Existing Systems

The Volpe Center is FMCSA’s strategic partner for information technology support. As

such, the Center was charged with enhancing and maintaining a suite of safety information systems and rapidly responding with system changes resulting from congressional

legislation and administration requirements. In 2007, a major accomplishment was the

completion and deployment of a software code to address the opening of the Mexican

border to long­haul motor carriers. This was accomplished while providing FMCSA with

the tools to ensure the safety of Mexican trucking operations and to closely monitor their

performance. In addition, and almost simultaneously, a major release was made to FMCSA’s

suite of information systems to address enhanced functionality and user­desired features.

The coordination of these two significant efforts was technically complex and was accomplished on time and within project budgets. (Sponsored by DOT/FMCSA)

FMCSA Support for COMPASS

Two years ago, FMCSA initiated a business process improvement and information

modernization effort called COMPASS. The Volpe Center was instrumental in the

formative and planning phases of this effort and has been playing a critical technology

support role to FMCSA in the COMPASS development effort. As a first step, the Center

designed and implemented the FMCSA Integrated Configuration Management (CM) Plan.

This CM plan encompasses the entire agency and all its service providers for COMPASS as

well as its existing systems. In FY 2007, several major milestones were achieved. In August

2007, COMPASS Release 1 was implemented. A Service­Oriented Architecture (SOA)

platform for the COMPASS environment was created. This allows FMCSA to build its

Enterprise Architecture plan modeling COMPASS. Finally, the Center implemented the

e­Authentication program into the COMPASS pilot on time, as directed by DOT.

(Sponsored by DOT/FMCSA)

FMCSA Support for System Infrastructure and Security

I

n addition to enhancing and maintaining a suite of existing safety information systems

for FMCSA, the Volpe Center provides infrastructure and security support for these systems to ensure that they are operating 24/7 and their security is not jeopardized. In 2007,

the Volpe Center successfully migrated both the application and database of the MCMIS,

the Enforcement Management Information System (EMIS), and the Licensing and Insurance (L&I) systems from an outdated suite of Compaq Tru64 servers into the Sun Solaris

V890 servers, which have higher performance and more software and hardware­supported

products. By implementing these changes into a load­balancing and failover environment,

18 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
FMCSA minimizes costs for database administration and increases server availability to 99.9

percent uptime. From a security perspective, the Center has successfully performed a disaster recovery test restoring FMCSA’s MCMIS, EMIS, A&I, Data Quality System (DataQs),

NCCDB, and L&I within 24 hours. In addition, the Center performed system tests of the

prescribed functionalities at the Mexican border in Arizona. (Sponsored by DOT/FMCSA)

PIPELINE

Pipeline Safety Monitoring and

Reporting Tool

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS)

administers the national pipeline regulatory program to ensure the safe and environmentally sound transportation of

natural gas, petroleum products, and hazardous liquids.

The primary mission of OPS is to ensure the safe operation of pipelines while

protecting the public and the environment through a comprehensive pipeline

safety program that includes effective risk management, compliance with regulations,

quality training, and a balanced federal/state partnership. The Volpe Center was tasked by

OPS with creating an enterprise­wide information system that would improve its safety

analysis and reporting capability while integrating pipeline inspection, monitoring, and

enforcement business processes. The resulting solution, the Safety Monitoring and

Reporting Tool (SMART), was developed by the Volpe Center as a web­based knowledgemanagement tool for collection, analysis, and reporting of pipeline information. SMART

provides PHMSA with an integrated information source to identify pipeline safety trends,

target solutions, and measure performance. SMART transforms the current environment of

standalone systems and isolated databases into an integrated internet­based portal enabling

cross­database query and analysis. SMART directly supports PHMSA’s mission by providing

a collaborative tool with integrated business processes for analysis of pipeline information

to meet the needs of a wide range of stakeholders.

The SMART application is being developed in three distinct phases. The first phase,

Start­up, provided a new enforcement application leveraging workflow and laid the

foundation for document management and query applications. Start­up was completed

in December 2004.

SMART Phase 2, referred to as the Initial Operating Capability (IOC), includes the first

production release of enforcement and inspection functionality. The primary objective of

Phase 2 is to provide an integrated tool for collaborative research, analysis, and reporting of

pipeline information. In September 2007, the Volpe Center conducted a User Acceptance

Test (UAT) to validate Phase 2 inspection functionality and integration with enforcement

actions. The UAT was a complete success, and the system was approved for deployment

Trans­Alaskan oil pipeline.

(© 2007 istockphoto.com)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 19
to all PHMSA regions. Currently, SMART is the system of record for pipeline compliance

actions and safety­related condition processing. By December 2007, it will also be the system

of record for pipeline inspection information. Work on Phase 2 will be completed by

February 2008.

SMART Phase 3, referred to as the Final Operating Capability (FOC), represents functionality focused on enhancements related to expanded stakeholder access (e.g., pipeline

operators and state agents), performance measurement, safety trend analyses, data

visualization, integrated business processes, and service to citizens. Phase 3 is scheduled to

be completed by September 2009. (Sponsored by DOT/PHMSA)

Low­Stress Pipeline Mileage Study

I

n 2006, two major petroleum spills involving low­stress pipelines (LSP) on the North

Slope of Alaska elevated public and congressional attention to these unregulated

pipelines. The term “low­stress pipeline” means a hazardous liquid pipeline that is operated

in its entirety at a stress level of 20 percent or less of the specified minimum yield strength

of the line. With this heightened awareness, Congress enacted Section 3 of the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement, and Safety Act of 2006, which requires that regulations

be issued subjecting all LSP to the same standards and regulations as other hazardous liquid transmission pipelines. Since data on unregulated rural LSP had not been collected

previously, PHMSA’s preliminary evaluation of the potential compliance costs of regulatory

options was based on an estimate of LSP mileage, which was later questioned during public

comment.

To address the LSP data gap and obtain a more accurate and reliable understanding of

existing, unregulated LSP mileage, the Volpe Center has been working with PHMSA to

conduct a two­phase request for information on unregulated LSP to confirm and/or modify LSP mileage estimates. A survey approach was selected as the most efficient method for

collecting these data since resource, technical, and logistical (e.g., geographic distribution)

constraints prohibited collecting them in the field. Phase I (completed in FY 2007) involved

surveying the nine largest interstate oil pipeline companies (as determined by the total

number of pipeline miles they own and/or operate). Phase II (currently underway) consists

of obtaining Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the survey so that it

might be administered industrywide. Both surveys seek information on the mileage,

diameter, products transported, and geographic location by state of rural LSP. This information will be critical to PHMSA in developing feasible regulations to increase the safety of

LSP. (Sponsored by DOT/PHMSA)

20 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
Federal­State Grant Tracking and Reporting Systems:

Development and Maintenance

I

n FY 2007, the Volpe Center continued to operate, maintain, and enhance the FederalState Tracking and Reporting (FedSTAR) systems, which streamline the integration

of Grants.gov (mandated for grant applications throughout the federal government) for

the PHMSA State Pipeline Safety grant program. The Center developed and conducted

training programs to aid the grantees in meeting this requirement while continuing to

assist the PHMSA OPS in processing pipeline safety grants in an efficient manner. FedSTAR

is a web­based system that integrates the information necessary to support the State

Pipeline Safety offices as well as PHMSA in its management of those interfaces with

state organizations.

In 2007, PHMSA was sufficiently pleased with support of the Grants.gov integration for

Pipeline Safety Grants that the Volpe Center was asked to support the Office of Hazardous

Materials Safety (OHMS) Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) grants

program in its transition to Grants.gov for applications. As with the Pipeline Safety grants

program, no previous HMEP grantees left the program due to this major shift in the

grant application process. FedSTAR continues to operate, with the Volpe Center providing

end­user hotline support, program and policy support, operations, and maintenance while

also developing enhancements and improvements to existing functionality. (Sponsored

by DOT/PHMSA)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 21
22 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
Reduced

Congestion

Reduce congestion and other impediments
 

to using the nation’s transportation system
 

Air Traffic Flow Management: Modeling and Predictions

FAA air traffic flow management (TFM) decision making is based primarily on a comparison of predictions of traffic demand and available capacity at various National Airspace

System (NAS) elements such as airports and en­route sectors. FAA uses the Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS) to predict traffic demand and available capacity, identify

congestion, and alert NAS elements when the predicted demand exceeds capacity. Based

on predicted severity and duration of congestion, the Air Traffic Control

System Command Center (ATCSCC) makes a decision on triggering an

appropriate Traffic Management Initiative (TMI), such as a Ground

Delay Program (GDP), Ground Stop (GS), or Miles­in­Trail (MIT), to

bring traffic demand to the level of available capacity. Although predicted demands and capacities are uncertain, ETMS treats them deterministically and does not take into account the errors in subsequent

prediction updates that may cause errors in identifying alert status of

NAS elements. That is why it is crucial to increase accuracy of air traffic

demand predictions and improve accuracy, stability, and reliability of the

ETMS Monitor/Alert functionality.

The Volpe Center is conducting a TFM Concept Engineering project for FAA to

research this issue. Preliminary results were presented at the American Institute of

Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference and

Exhibits (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, August 2007) in the paper A New Model to

Improve Aggregate Air Traffic Demand Predictions. This paper proposed a regression model for

JFK International Airport. (© 2007 istockphoto.com)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 23
improving aggregate traffic demand predictions in ETMS. This approach acknowledges

the uncertainty in these predictions and uses ETMS demand count data in a novel way to

make improved predictions (in terms of both accuracy and stability). The model was

calibrated and validated using data from nine airports and 13 en­route sectors on traffic

demand predictions for various lookahead times, ranging from 30 minutes to six hours.

The regression model reduced the standard deviation of demand prediction errors by 14 to

16 percent for airports and by 11 to 16 percent for sectors in comparison with the current

ETMS predictions for all lookahead times. The new prediction model for airports also

showed an improvement in stability of demand prediction compared with the current

ETMS predictions. When capacity was set equal to average demand, the number of changes

in alert status that characterize stability in Monitor/Alert functions decreased by 35 to 48

percent, depending on the airport.

These improvements in the accuracy and stability of demand predictions from the new

regression model provide significant benefits for Monitor/Alert functions, mainly in cases

when predicted demand counts are in the vicinity of airport or sector capacity, when the

instability and high fluctuations of successive demand predictions may cause significant

instability and fluctuations (flickering) in detecting alert status. (Sponsored by DOT/FAA)

Automatic Dependent Surveillance­Broadcast

There is widespread recognition that the NAS requires a major restructuring to achieve

the projected doubling or tripling of flights by 2025. There is further consensus that

Automatic Dependent Surveillance­Broadcast (ADS­B) — whereby aircraft broadcast their

identity, position, intent, and other information to air traffic control facilities on the ground

as well as to nearby aircraft — will be a key enabling component of the future NAS.

FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO) created the Surveillance and Broadcast Services

(SBS) Office to define and manage agencywide resources in the development and implementation of (1) ADS­B; (2) Flight Information Services­Broadcast/Traffic Information

Services­Broadcast (FIS­B/TIS­B), utilizing Ground­Based Transceivers (GBTs) that also

receive and broadcast surveillance messages and weather information; and (3) integration

of these three new services/systems into the NAS. Initial application regions include

Juneau, Alaska, for ADS­B and Wide Area Multilateration (WAM), another new surveillance

technology; Western Colorado for WAM, in conjunction with the Colorado Department of

Transportation (CoDOT); the Gulf of Mexico (GoMex) for ADS­B as well as air/ground

communication and automated weather systems; the Louisville, Kentucky, area for air­to­air

applications; the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area for terminal area surveillance; and the

U.S. East Coast and selected other regions for FIS­B/TIS­B services.

The Volpe Center has supported the SBS Office since its inception in December 2005.

During FY 2007, the Center was responsible for 11 technical tasks as well as for managing

most of the contractor workforce (approximately 40 full­time equivalent positions) that

supports the SBS Office. The technical tasks performed by the Volpe Center include study24 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
ing the impact of ADS­B/broadcast services on systems now using the 1030/1090 MHz frequencies; acting as lead system engineer for the Juneau WAM deployment and certification

as well as for the Gulf of Mexico; developing a system coverage tool; acting as lead for deployment of six ground sites in Oregon; conducting surveys of three East African counties;

and developing/deploying a prototype ADS­B monitoring system in the Midwest that is

being used to reduce risks associated with the production/operational system.

The major accomplishment achieved by the ADS­B team during FY 2007 was the award of

the prime system development contract, for $1.8 billion, to ITT Corporation in late August.

This was the largest and most important contract awarded by FAA in FY 2007, and Volpe

Center personnel and contractors played a major role in this significant accomplishment.

(Sponsored by DOT/FAA)

Tower Information Display System

Airports constitute a major bottleneck in the National Airspace System. One of the

limiting factors in increasing air traffic levels to and from an airport is the lack of

surveillance during night and low­visibility conditions and the lack of integration of

Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) systems and functions. Today, arrival and departure

aircraft are controlled using an “out­the­window” paradigm and decision­making

based on information from several different sources. This generally results in a

decreased total number of operations during low­visibility and night conditions and

necessitates significantly increased controller workloads during those times.

To address this issue, FAA is developing the Tower Information Display System (TIDS).

TIDS is currently an R&D initiative with the objective of providing technical aids to

ATCT controllers. TIDS eliminates dependencies on out­the­window visual observations, consolidates information from multiple current sources, and provides additional

air traffic flow information to the tower controllers.

During FY 2007, the Volpe Center was tasked to conduct a TIDS Quick­Look

Operational Feasibility Analysis. A prototype TIDS was designed and implemented

using large flat­panel displays for the local and ground controller positions. These

positions integrated data from Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X

(ASDE­X), and Electronic Flight Strip (EFS) and also included prototypes of possible

new controller aids.

The prototype TIDS was tested at FAA’s Airways Facilities Tower Integration Laboratory

(AFTIL) in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Controller performance using TIDS and out­thewindow was compared for various visibility and lighting conditions. Generally, TIDS was

found to be comparable to out­the­window in good visibility conditions but provided better

performance in poor visibility conditions. Controller workload was consistent over all

visibility conditions with TIDS and was generally lower than for the out­the­window

operations. (Sponsored by DOT/FAA)

Tower Information Display

System: Large flat­panel

displays for local and ground

controller positions, developed

by FAA.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 25
Part of Volpe Center­installed instrumentation for wake measurement at Lambert­St. Louis Airport. Left: Pulsed LIDAR installation. (Photo by Dave

Burnham) Right: Windline. (Photo by Kevin Clark)

St. Louis Airport Parallel Runway Approach Procedure

Congestion­induced delays are a major source of frustration to both operators and users of

the U.S. air traffic system. One cause of delay is the set of rules governing use of parallel

runways. Current regulations require that, under reduced ceiling or visibility conditions,

aircraft must be separated as though approaching a single runway when approaching

parallel runways spaced less than 2,500 feet apart — i.e., forming a single stream of traffic.

The restriction (to one traffic stream) results in arrival capacity being essentially half the

capacity than it would be under visual conditions (when two similar streams are permitted).

This causes delays when traffic is heavy, as flights are scheduled based on capacity during

visual conditions. FY 2007 saw the culmination of more than three years of work resulting in

approval of new procedures for parallel runways.

The Volpe Center, as part of a team involving FAA and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC), devised and investigated the level of safety of a new procedure that would permit two arrival streams under instrument conditions at Lambert­St.

Louis International Airport (STL), where the primary runways are parallel and spaced

1,300 feet apart. The intent was to regain a significant fraction of the capacity lost under

low­visibility conditions. The overriding constraint was that any recommended new procedure must be as safe as or safer than the existing procedure. If successful, the new procedure could be extended to other airports with similar runway geometries.

A measurement campaign was planned at STL to collect wake, weather, and aircraft data.

A plan for the campaign was prepared by the Volpe Center and reviewed by the full team.

The plan was then presented to stakeholder organizations and revised based on their

comments. Beginning in June 2003, the Volpe Center progressively deployed a wake

measurement suite comprising three pulsed LIDARS (laser radars), three SODARS

(acoustic radars), and two anemometer Windlines (line arrays of propeller anemometers

oriented perpendicular to the runway). A meteorological tower, instrumented to measure

wind speed and direction, temperature, and relative humidity, was deployed to aid in

26 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
understanding the effect of the atmosphere on wake behavior. Additionally, several aircraft

measurement systems were deployed. This was the most heavily instrumented wake

measurement campaign ever conducted. The wake, weather, and aircraft data were

collected over a three­year period, with wake data being collected at six aircraft altitudes

(ranging from 100 to 1,200 feet).

Data collected at STL over three years were checked and analyzed in great detail (e.g., for

proper operation of the instruments, consistency with available theories, and consistency

among the instruments). The findings were reviewed several times by the Volpe Center

and presented to stakeholders. Ultimately, these findings formed the core of the Safety

Risk Management Document (SRMD) that accompanied the request for a new arrival

procedure at STL.

As a result of their efforts and accomplishments, the Volpe Center received approval from

the FAA Air Traffic Safety Oversight Service, for a two­year period, of the proposal for a new

procedure enabling two traffic streams to approach the parallel runways at STL under

instrument conditions. In the 35 years of the program, this is the first time that a new STL

approach procedure has been approved. This will improve both the safety and capacity of

any airport. Following completion of controller training, the procedure will be used in

operational service at STL and evaluated in terms of its effects on safety and airport

efficiency. It is planned to extend the new procedure to other airports with similar runway

geometries, such as Cleveland­Hopkins International Airport, Boston­Logan International

Airport, and Philadelphia International Airport. (Sponsored by DOT/FAA)

National Airspace System Performance Analysis System: Web­Based Version

I

n support of the FAA Air Traffic Organization, National Airspace System (NAS) Quality

Assurance and Performance Team, the Volpe Center developed the National Airspace

System Performance Analysis System (NASPAS) to support operations and maintenance

within the NAS. NASPAS is a computer­based repository for NAS facility and equipment

performance data and contains statistical and analytical tools for converting these data into

management reports. NASPAS is used to track service performance at air traffic facilities,

analyze facility outages, compare facility performance with national averages, and identify

equipment problems. The system was originally developed as an FAA headquarters­only information system in 1983. Since then, it has undergone major changes in equipment platforms and software. During FY 2007, the Volpe Center developed a web­based version of

NASPAS, to be deployed nationally in January 2008. (Sponsored by DOT/FAA)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 27
Non­Motorized Transportation

Pilot Program

There is a need to increase bicycling

and walking as alternative transportation solutions to address issues of

congestion, energy, and public health.

Section 1807 of the Safe, Accountable,

Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity

Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA­LU)

established a Non­Motorized Transportation Pilot Program that authorizes

$100 million to four communities

(Columbia, Missouri; Marin County,

California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and

Sheboygan County, Wisconsin) for

infrastructure projects and educational and promotional programs, to increase the amount

of bicycling and walking. The purpose of the pilot program is to demonstrate the extent to

which bicycling and walking can carry a significant part of the transportation load within

selected communities and represent a major portion of the transportation solution.

SAFETEA­LU calls on the Secretary of DOT to collect data on changes in travel behavior in

the four communities and to assess how these changes decrease congestion and energy use

and promote a healthier and cleaner environment. The Volpe Center is assisting FHWA,

the four communities, and other organizations involved in the program in developing and

implementing a comprehensive technical approach to evaluate this high­profile national

program. The Volpe Center played a major role, working with FHWA and the pilot communities, in writing the 2007 Interim Report on the program to Congress. Knowledge about

successful projects and programs, as well as information on those that are not as successful,

will be invaluable to other communities implementing programs designed to increase

cycling and walking and to improve the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians. (Sponsored by

DOT/FHWA)

Congestion Initiative Contributions

I

n May 2006, DOT announced a major initiative to reduce transportation system congestion. This plan, the National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America’s Transportation

Network (often referred to as the Congestion Initiative), provides a blueprint for

reversing the alarming trends of congestion. Part of this initiative is a series of Urban

Partnership Agreements with five cities, under which the cities commit to implementing

plans that incorporate tolling, improve transit, encourage telecommuting, and promote

technology and operations.

28 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
In FY 2007, the Volpe Center supported this initiative in a variety of ways:

•	 Contributing to the framing of the Congestion Initiative, including

highlighting the potential benefits of congestion pricing

•	 Advising the Congestion Initiative’s planned evaluation effort

(i.e., how to structure the evaluations so that they contribute to federal

policy development and future deployments)

•	 Conducting focus groups and writing a report (Exploring a New

Congestion Pricing Concept: Focus Group Findings from Northern

Virginia and Philadelphia) to provide information on how the public

perceives congestion pricing

•	 Synthesizing the experiences of London and Stockholm to provide

insight into which transit service characteristics would best support

the Urban Partnerships

(Sponsored by DOT/OST)

Southeast High­Speed Rail Study

DOT and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) have previously undertaken

research that indicated that high­speed ground transportation (HSGT) systems could

be a competitive alternative to highway and domestic air travel in high­density travel

markets and corridors in the United States. FRA also conducted a study of total costs and

benefits of implementing a range of HSGT systems, which found that high­speed rail might

divert significant numbers of trips from other modes and that HSGT’s total societal benefits

might exceed total costs in many corridors.

The Southeast High­Speed Rail Study, sponsored by the state of Georgia, looked at

high­speed rail options in a section of the Southeast corridor. In FY 2007, the Volpe Center

conducted market and economic studies to evaluate rail routes and technologies that

balance potential ridership and revenues with infrastructure and operating costs; forecast

ridership over a 25­year time period; assessed whether operating revenues might exceed

operating costs and infrastructure maintenance costs; and determined other quantifiable

economic impacts of high­speed rail corridor investments. Major findings showed that all

rail technologies, routings, and station­stop alternatives that were investigated will likely

require an operating subsidy in the initial years but that the 125 and 150 mph diesel

locomotives are projected to have an operating surplus starting after 2030. The states are

considering the results of the analysis in deciding next steps for rail transportation in the

corridor. (Sponsored by State DOT of Georgia)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 29
3030 JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONALPoints of Pride TRANSPORTATIONJOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER SYSTEMS CENTER
Global

Connectivity

Facilitate an international transportation system

that promotes economic growth and development

Eurocontrol Data Exchange

with Enhanced Traffic

Management System

I

n February 2006, the Volpe

Center Enhanced Traffic

Management System (ETMS)

team was tasked to provide the

necessary technical support to

make the FAA­Eurocontrol realtime exchange of flight data a

reality. In subsequent months,

the Volpe Center provided

analysis and technical solutions

to the many complex issues that

arose. The Center worked with Eurocontrol in defining the specifications of

the interface and the data, setting up a secure encrypted path for the data exchange over the internet, developing the software needed to ingest the European data, and providing ETMS data to Eurocontrol. ETMS data began flowing

to Eurocontrol in September 2006, and Eurocontrol data have been flowing

into ETMS since December 2006. The culmination of this effort was the signing

of the FAA­Eurocontrol legal agreement in August 2007, permitting the

European data to be used operationally in ETMS.

ETMS Traffic Situation Display screen,

developed by the Volpe Center, showing

sample flights with Eurocontrol departure

notification, resulting in earlier, more

accurate estimated time of arrival (ETA)

data. A recent 30­day study showed that

32 percent of all flights from Europe

(approximately 500 daily) had an

overall net benefit resulting from

Eurocontrol data.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 31
Both FAA and Eurocontrol have benefited from this data exchange. The ETMS Traffic

Situation Display (TSD) (graphic display of flight data) that the Volpe Center provided was

featured at the opening of Eurocontrol’s new headquarters this past summer. FAA in turn

benefits from the European data, which provide positive notice of departure times from European airports, leading to earlier and more accurate ETA data for flights in the United

States. (Sponsored by DOT/FAA)

Engineering, Installation, and Integration Support to the U.S. Air Force

I

n FY 2007, the Volpe Center continued to support the U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) Electronic

Systems Center (ESC) at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts, on the Department of Defense

(DoD) NAS program. This program, whose goal is to make DoD ATC facilities interoperable

with FAA ATC facilities, is a long­term project to replace DoD’s terminal radars, voiceswitching systems, and terminal automation systems as well as to consolidate several existing

informational displays.

The Volpe Center has been contributing to this upgrade through engineering and installation support for the implementation of the following major acquisitions: Digital Airport

Surveillance Radar (DASR); Enhanced Terminal Voice Switching (ETVS); Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS); and Airfield Automation System (AFAS).

Support for the ETVS has been completed, while support is continuing for the other systems. The Volpe Center team, skilled in areas including electrical engineering, program

management, and aviation operations, participates in the deployment of these systems at

more than two­thirds of the 177 USAF and Air National Guard (ANG) bases worldwide. For

the past eight years, the Volpe Center has played a major role in requirements definition,

system engineering, site engineering, and analysis of communications, surveillance, and automation systems for the NAS program office.

In addition to prime responsibility for the site­level engineering and integration of these systems, the Center provides input for system requirements, evaluates system performance

and troubleshoots faults, and resolves interface issues. The Volpe Center establishes the

site’s capability to support the new equipment and engineers the removal of old equipment

and the installation of the new equipment while keeping the site online. The Center also

creates and maintains facility drawings. Further, it provides the government’s technical

oversight, conducting System Acceptance Tests (SAT) for STARS and AFAS and participating in SAT for DASR at each location. Having become an integral part of the USAF

program office team, the Center’s responsibilities have grown each year, from assisting in

the development of Pre­Planned Product Improvements (P3I) to performing flight checks

on behalf of the program office.

Despite a lengthy delay in deployment of the AFAS due to information security issues, as of

mid­September 2007 the Volpe Center had completed nearly 19 AFAS installations after

having installed the key site system in FY 2006. The AFAS installations included two Air

32 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
Bases (AB) within the Republic of Korea, which were completed in conjunction with the

Volpe Center’s support to the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) Command for the ATC Systems

Relocation (reported as a separate project in Points of Pride). The Center has supported the

deployment of seven STARS and DASR systems this year, with substantial support for system

upgrades and improvements. The Center has also led the continued development of the

DASR Advanced Signal Data Processing (ASDP), with a test­bed facility established at

FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center (Technical Center). The ASDP processing will

ultimately provide the DASR with capabilities that no other terminal radar in the world will

have. The Volpe Center is furthering the development of requirements to deploy STARS

and DASR to overseas sites, including the incorporation of Mode S into both the radar and

automation systems. Finally, the Center continues to chair the joint DoD­FAA DASR­STARS

interoperability working group, which has developed and refined the process for optimizing these systems as a single entity rather than as individual components, resulting in the

best possible air picture for air traffic controllers. (Sponsored by DoD/USAF)

Relocation of the Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems at Kunsan Air Base,

Republic of Korea

The modernization of USAF Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems (ATCALS) and facilities has historically been a highly complex and long­term process. Several ABs are

currently building modern facilities within PACAF. All transitions of ATCALS to new facilities must occur without interrupting local and regional ATC capabilities. As such, site

preparations and transition management of all ATCALS communications, radar, flight data,

weather data, navigation aids, and information systems — while maintaining operational

capability — are required for successful relocation. This mandates careful relocation and

installation planning, process optimization, and execution management.

In FY 2007, Volpe Center supported PACAF in relocating the newly constructed Radar

Approach Control (RAPCON) facility at Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea. This effort to relocate all ATCALS electronic systems from the existing RAPCON to the newly constructed

facility included conducting a requirements survey, developing transition and relocation

plans, completing three months of site preparations, and executing the relocation and

cutover of ATCALS systems at the new facility. Additional tasks included systems testing

and trial cutovers as well as constant coordination with the local USAF customers and

PACAF sponsor. The Volpe Center’s relocation team included a support contractor

(SI International), Kunsan AB Communications Squadron, an electronics technician (from

Tinker AFB), Radar Special Maintenance Team (from Hickam AFB), and antenna installers

(from Springfield ANGB, Illinois). The ATCALS cutover was accomplished successfully

during the July Fourth holiday, and the completed work was recognized by the fighter wing

and base commanders. (Sponsored by DoD/USAF)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 33
3434 JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONALPoints of Pride TRANSPORTATIONJOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER SYSTEMS CENTER
Environmental

Stewardship

Promote transportation solutions that

enhance communities and protect the natural

and built environment

Transportation­Related Noise Measurement and Modeling

I

n 1987, the National Parks Overflight Act was passed, requiring the

National Parks Service (NPS) and FAA to work together to achieve

“substantial restoration of the natural quiet” in Grand Canyon National

Park. In 2000, the National Parks Air Tour Management Act directed the

Administrator of FAA, with the cooperation of NPS, to develop Air Tour

Management Plans (ATMP). The Volpe Center has supported FAA and NPS

in meeting the environmental needs of both of these directives.

In FY 2007, Volpe Center staff supported the NPS natural sounds program

and the FAA Western­Pacific Region and Office of Environment and Energy

by (1) performing sound propagation modeling using FAA’s Integrated

Noise Model (INM), Version 6.2, for Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Hawaii

Volcanoes, Haleakala, and Grand Canyon National Parks; (2) evaluating

current methodologies and developing standards for computing ambient

sound levels in national parks; (3) producing ambient maps for the analysis

of aircraft audibility at Jackson Hole (Wyoming) Airport and Mesquite

Measuring baseline ambient sound

level at the Statue of Liberty and

Governors Island National Monuments.

(Photo by Cynthia Lee)

Airport (Nevada); (4) developing a screening spreadsheet that can be used in alternatives
 

development, soundscape management, and impact assessment; (5) developing an NPS
 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 35
and FAA guidance document of acoustic protocols for measuring and analyzing ambient

noise in low­level environments, such as the national parks; (6) developing improved

acoustical monitoring systems for long­term outdoor ambient measurements; (7) performing baseline ambient sound­level measurements at the Statue of Liberty and Governors

Island National Monuments; and (8) providing technical guidance in the establishment of

impact thresholds for aircraft noise over national parks. (Sponsored by DOT/FAA & DOI/NPS)

Reducing Environmental Liabilities at the FAA William J. Hughes

Technical Center Superfund Site

The FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center

(Technical Center) near Atlantic City, New

Jersey, is home to the Atlantic City International

Airport, a New Jersey Air National Guard (NJANG)

fighter wing, and extensive FAA facilities. Activities

at the Technical Center began in 1942 with the

construction of Naval Air Station Atlantic City

(NASAC). In 1958, the facility was transferred to

FAA, then later to the Airways Modernization Board,

which has used it as an airport and aviation safety

research center. Today the Technical Center is

the nation’s premier aviation R&D and test and

evaluation facility.

The Technical Center is also FAA’s only Superfund

site, having earned this distinction from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

in 1990. Today it accounts for nearly 80 percent (or $385 million) of FAA’s total estimated

environmental liability. By far the most significant challenge is presented by mercury

contamination found within stream and reservoir sediments and biota across the Technical

Center. Fish sampled in stream and reservoir sediments had the highest levels of mercury

contamination ever reported in freshwater fish in the United States, by several orders of

magnitude. Frustrated by rising costs and years of investigation that failed to identify a

mercury source or to determine whether FAA was responsible for the contamination, FAA

asked the Volpe Center for assistance.

The Volpe Center recommended an innovative investigative approach, developed in

collaboration with contamination and transport researchers at the Massachusetts Institute

of Technology, which centered on a geochronological study with the goal of time­dating

mercury deposition at the site. The recommended study was subsequently carried out by

FAA and has yielded the strongest evidence to date that the Navy rather than FAA is

responsible for the mercury contamination. Earlier in 2007, DoD took major steps towards

acknowledging responsibility for mercury contamination at the Technical Center. This has

the potential to release FAA from nearly $40 million in environmental liability. (Sponsored

by DOT/FAA)

Aerial photograph of

FAA’s Technical Center,

showing mercury

clean­up sites. (Image from

FAA’s 2004 Environmental Site

Clean­up Report, produced by

the Volpe Center)

36 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
Aviation Environmental Design Tool

I

n its 2004 Report to Congress, Aviation and the Environment,

the Bush Administration recommended that “The nation should

develop more effective metrics and tools to assess and communicate

aviation’s environmental effects. The tools should enable integrated

environmental and economic cost/benefit analysis.” As a consequence of this recommendation, FAA has launched a multiyear

effort, which will result in the development of an entirely new suite

of tools, including the Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT).

The Volpe Center leads the management, design, and development

of AEDT, which will integrate existing aviation noise, emissions, and

dispersion computer modeling tools developed by FAA’s Office of Environment and Energy. It is anticipated that this effort will lead to the development of

an unprecedented suite of tools, which will be used by the International Civil Aviation

Organization (ICAO) for the establishment of international environmental policy. It will

also support the development of the Next Generation Air Transportation System

(NextGen) in the United States.

During FY 2007, the AEDT was used to support several domestic and international initiatives at both the regulatory and policy levels. In support of the ICAO Committee for

Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP), AEDT was the centerpiece of a Nitrogen

Oxide Stringency Sample Problem. Researchers integrated common modules and

databases and implemented many concepts of the overall AEDT architecture to develop

worldwide predictions of fuelburn, emissions, and noise. Model outputs compared favorably with the other tools exercised in the sample problem; AEDT was the only tool to

provide CAEP with global fuelburn, emissions, and noise results. (Sponsored by DOT/FAA)

Analyzing Environmental Impacts from Truck and Bus Crashes

The Volpe Center is providing technical assistance to FMCSA in developing analytical

methodologies and estimates of the environmental impacts associated with Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) collisions. Prior to the Volpe Center’s research, there was limited

information on the environmental impacts of CMV collisions. The Center has conducted

preliminary research and adapted existing models to make an initial estimate of congestion, air quality, hazardous waste, and solid waste impacts.

Currently, the Volpe Center is performing a detailed study based on the recommendations

of FMCSA and other agencies. The analysis is being refined to provide a more accurate and

realistic representation of congestion conditions and driving behaviors following a CMV

crash. The incorporation of idling and acceleration/deceleration conditions within a traffic

queue and the estimation of the total time in congestion will better quantify fuel consumpAviation Environmental Design Tool System for

Assessing Aviation’s Global Emissions, developed by

the Volpe Center.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 37
tion, air quality, and greenhouse gas emissions resulting from CMV crashes.

The tools developed will allow policy analysts to make better estimations of congestioninduced air quality impacts under different safety and operational scenarios. FMCSA can

use the study and accompanying tools to identify the types of CMV crashes that create the

most congestion. In addition, this project will allow FMCSA to develop more comprehensive evaluations of proposed CMV safety regulations and will thus support the agency’s

regulatory and environmental compliance activities. (Sponsored by DOT/FMCSA)

Tire/Pavement Noise and Quieter Pavement Applications

Between 1970 and 1998, $1.8 billion was spent on the construction of highway barriers

to reduce noise along U.S. roadways. Budget­conscious state DOTs and FHWA are

researching innovative alternatives to barrier construction for highway noise abatement.

Quiet pavements have emerged as one of the more promising approaches.

With tire/pavement interaction being the dominant source of vehicle noise at highway

speeds, the use of quiet pavements as an alternative to noise barrier construction is an important area of research. Volpe Center staff have been extensively involved with national

and international tire/pavement noise research and are recognized for their expertise in

research planning, noise measurements, and general knowledge base.

In FY 2007, Center staff supported the Quiet Pavements Program by (1) helping to guide

research plans and field measurements for several states, (2) participating in several

expert panels to help guide projects for the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, (3) participating in the development of standard practices for tire/pavement noise

measurements, and (4) conducting noise measurement research to help quantify the benefit of quiet pavements. (Sponsored by DOT/FHWA)

Planning Alternative Transportation Programs and Systems for National Parks

and Public Lands

Since 1997, the Volpe Center has supported federal land management agencies (FLMA)

such as NPS, both at the headquarters level and at individual sites, in assessing

transportation system issues, providing policy and program assistance, articulating strategic

alternatives to address transportation needs and problems, and designing and implementing action plans to achieve transportation goals and objectives. Volpe Center staff have

particularly focused on analysis and development of alternative transportation systems to

alleviate congestion and minimize environmental impact in parks.

The Volpe Center has provided technical assistance to many national parks and other

public land units. Specific FY 2007 achievements include:

• 	 In association with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), prepared a manual and

developed a webinar for the new Alternative Transportation in Parks and Public Lands

38 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
(ATPPL) program, to inform federal land
 

management agencies about this new FTA
 

discretionary grant program to provide transportation alternatives that alleviate congestion
 

•	 Conducted Transportation Assistance Group

(TAG) site analyses on behalf of FTA, the U.S.

Department of Interior (DOI), NPS, the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land

Management (BLM), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, at

eight national parks, national forests, fish and

wildlife refuges, and national recreation areas

across the country

•	 Prepared a study of transportation management strategies for alleviating

traffic congestion at Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in Tongass National Forest, Juneau, Alaska

•	 Performed a fare comparability study to assist the NPS Concessions

Program in determining an appropriate structure and pricing for the

Alcatraz Ferry and in assessing vessel emissions of ferry operation proposals

•	 Assisted in reviewing an appraisal of the condition and residual value of concessionaire

fleet assets used to transport visitors to and from the Statue of Liberty

•	 Participated in operational assessments of new alternative transportation system services

in Glacier National Park, Sequoia – Kings Canyon National Park and Adams National

Historical Park

•	 Provided a conceptual design and plan of operations for improving entry station fee

collection at the Sandy Hook unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area in New Jersey

•	 Assisted USFS, BLM, and NPS in preparing white papers on transportation system

conditions and needs to help FTA and the FHWA propose appropriate programmatic

changes and/or funding levels as part of SAFETEA­LU reauthorization

•	 Prepared a series of fact sheets for NPS that highlight alternative transportation

opportunities and accomplishments at national parks

The Volpe Center’s initial effective support of NPS has led to requests from other FLMAs

for assistance in planning and developing alternative transportation programs and

solutions. The Volpe Center is working to promote a shared vision among FLMAs and

transportation agencies. Working with FLMAs provides an excellent opportunity for Volpe

Center staff to apply transportation best practices and lessons learned to help these federal

partners address their transportation requirements. (Sponsored by DOI/NPS and other FLMA

agencies and transportation programs)

Parking area at the Mendenhall Glacier

Visitor Center in the Tongass National

Forest, where the Volpe Center is supporting the development of a transportation

management strategy. (Photo by Frances Fisher)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 39
40 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
Security,

Preparedness

and Response

Balance transportation security requirements with the

safety, mobility, and economic needs of the nation and

be prepared to respond to emergencies that affect the

viability of the transportation sector

FTA Office of Safety and Security Five­Year Strategic Plan,

FY 2008–2012

The Volpe Center is supporting the FTA Office of Safety and Security by leading

a team of industry experts to develop the FTA Safety, Security, and Emergency

Management Five­Year Strategic Plan (formerly known as the Safety, Security, and

Emergency Management Technical Assistance Program [S2EMTAP]). The plan’s

comprehensive, all­hazards scope and its data­driven, continuous­improvement

focus is in line with FTA’s customer­oriented service approach, which incorporates the Malcom Baldridge customer and market focus excellence criteria. The

strategic planning process and vision were developed in partnership with key industry stakeholders. They provide the blueprint for FTA’s next­generation safety

and security programs.

The plan builds on the success of the original Security Emergency Management Technical

Assistance Program (SEMTAP) by incorporating an all­hazards approach to new programs

and products targeted to specific needs of the transit industry. Transit agencies need technology tools that are proven to be reliable in the transit environment, justifiable from a costA key lesson learned in the last

several years is the need for an

all­hazards integrated approach to

safety, security, and emergency

management.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 41
Posters developed by the V

benefit evaluation derived from a security risk assessment viewpoint, and balanced between

human resources and technology applications.

The plan also defines the role of FTA in relation to its federal partners such as other DOT

agencies and the Department of Homeland Security that are involved in complementary

activities. (Sponsored by DOT/FTA)

Hazardous Materials Training for the U.S. Postal Service

One of the greatest challenges facing the

United States Postal Service (USPS) is the

control of hazardous materials (hazmat) in the

mail stream. For eight years, the Volpe Center

has been supporting the USPS Aviation Security

Group’s (AVSEC) Hazmat Program in keeping

the mail safe from potential impacts of hazmat

and other restricted materials.

olpe Center. A significant portion of the Volpe Center’s

support includes developing and conducting

hazmat awareness training as well as preparing instructional materials and standard operating procedures. The training is designed to instruct postal employees in proper procedures

for both acceptance and handling of mailable hazmat as well as in procedures to identify

and handle restricted and nonmailable hazmat that is improperly commingled in the mail

stream. Approaches range from conducting end­user and train­the­trainer classes to

employing training videos and web­based training classes.

During FY 2007, the Volpe Center developed operations­specific training for seven different

USPS functional operations and conducted multiple16­hour classes, spread across the

country, for Processing, Business Mail Entry, and Pricing and Classification Service Center

employees. Other deliverables aimed at delivery and retail operations personnel included a

15­minute refresher training video for use in FY 2007 coupled with a 30­minute training

video prepared for deployment in FY 2008. The Volpe Center also developed a 30­minute

training video for Military Postal Service personnel. Separate web­based classes were developed for Executive and Administrative Schedule and Business Sales Network employees, to

be released in FY 2008.

Since FY 2001, approximately 1.8 million hours of hazmat training have been completed by

USPS employees, involving more than 704,000 USPS trained personnel. The Volpe Center’s

hazmat training support continues to respond to changing needs, ensuring the safety of

USPS employees, the public, and the transportation network. (Sponsored by USPS)

42 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
Maritime Safety and

Security Information System

The Volpe Center has been

involved in the development

of Maritime Domain Awareness

(MDA) networks since its

groundbreaking work at the

Panama Canal with the

Communications, Tracking and

Navigation (CTAN) system. The Volpe Center developed an MDA network

known as the Maritime Safety and Security Information System (MSSIS) for

the U.S. Navy Sixth Fleet, which is headquartered in Naples, Italy. The goal of

the network is to enhance global maritime security through the development of a comprehensive vessel traffic situational awareness picture of Automatic Identification System

(AIS)­equipped vessel traffic in the European Command (EUCOM) Area of Responsibility

(AOR). A secondary goal of the network is to foster cooperation among U.S. allies by

allowing them to be active partners in the MSSIS network. Currently, the system has 29

participating countries. The MDA situational awareness picture comprises real­time

AIS­derived vessel traffic information gathered from both shoreside and afloat receiving

stations. Data from the network are displayed on the Volpe Center­developed MDA software

known as Transview. Recently, the MSSIS network provided U.S. commanders with real­time

vessel traffic situational awareness during the evacuation of Americans from Lebanon. In

2007, the Volpe Center expanded the MSSIS to include the U.S. Navy Second Fleet vessel

and its AOR. (Sponsored by DoD/U.S. Navy)

Decommissioning of Nuclear Ship Savannah

The NS Savannah was the world’s first nuclear­powered cargo/passenger

ship, built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation at Camden, New

Jersey. The NS Savannah is 600 foot long with a displacement of 22,000 tons and

was designed to carry 9,400 tons of cargo, 60 passengers, and 124 crew at a design speed of 21 knots. In the early 1970s the NS Savannah was partially

decommissioned. The NS Savannah is currently in a state of protective storage

preservation while berthed at a ship repair facility in Norfolk, Virginia. Although all fuel assemblies, radioactive fluids, and other significant sources of

radioactivity were removed from the ship during decommissioning, radiation

monitoring, environmental surveillance, access control, and security measures

have been established and maintained continually under the existing license as

amended, to ensure that the health and safety of employees, military and civilian personnel at the shipyard, visitors, and the general public are not subjected

to any undue hazard.

Global coverage of the Maritime
 

Safety and Security Information System,
 

developed by the Volpe Center.
 

NS Savannah (Photo courtesy of MARAD)

NS Savannah’s nuclear power plant

control board. (Photo by Michael Buonopane)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 43
A nationwide vessel­monitoring system, developed for USCG by

In FY 2006 and 2007, the Volpe Center provided marine engineering, environmental

engineering, naval architecture, logistics, acquisition support, and program management

expertise to support the Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Office of Ship Disposal,

Savannah Technical Staff (STS) in its conduct of the NS Savannah Decommissioning,

Decontamination, and Remediation program. Specific tasks have included conducting an

environmental assessment for decommissioning work, developing a fire protection plan,

designing a fire alarm and detection system, designing a security monitoring system, developing a Heath and Safety Plan, developing a Vessel Security Plan, conducting an evaluation

of an existing CO2 fire extinguishing system, and preparing Port Operating Plans. The

Center is also part of an acquisition proposal review team and actively participates in

Savannah Review and Audit Committee meetings. (Sponsored by DOT/MARAD)

Nationwide Automatic Identification System

To meet MDA objectives, United States Coast Guard

(USCG) is establishing a nationwide vessel­monitoring

network based on the Automatic Identification System

(AIS) transponder technology. AIS is an international

standard for communicating navigation­ and voyagespecific information from commercial vessels. The

Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) of 2002

directed USCG to “implement a system to collect,

integrate, and analyze information concerning vessels

operating on or bound for U.S. waters.” With more than

15 years of working with various vessel tracking technologies, the Volpe Center is able to provide the needed technical expertise in assisting USCG in deployment of the

Nationwide Automatic Identification System (NAIS) network. In the first of three system

implementation phases, the Volpe Center participated in a multidisciplinary Integrated

Product Team (IPT) to design the AIS network and receiver subsystems. In validating the

system design and data communications concepts, the Volpe Center also deployed and

tested prototype AIS radio sites in 2006. This led the way for a full­scale Phase 1 deployment

of radio sites that will provide AIS signal coverage to 100 critical ports and waterways. This

first increment is expected to be in full operation by late 2007. Using the phased strategy,

USCG will be able to bring usable increments to the field to meet operational needs in half

the usual systems­acquisition time. (Sponsored by DHS/USCG)

Mobile License Plate Reader Systems Assessment

DoD’s Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) tasked the Volpe Center to evaluate

the current state of the art in mobile License Plate Reader (LPR) systems to determine the relative effectiveness of this emerging technology. The systems can be used by

law enforcement or in combating terrorism applications. In FY 2007, the Center conducted

a series of side­by­side tests of four commercial mobile LPR systems that use different

Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER

the Volpe Center.

44
hardware technologies and software approaches. Tests were conducted using both fixedsite and mobile platforms (to gauge the impacts on performance when operating while

in motion) and under various weather, lighting, and traffic conditions. Included were a

series of known or “benchmark” license plates that were used to baseline the effectiveness of each system. The Volpe Center then interpreted the results of the testing and

provided TSWG with a report that detailed how each system performed, giving it better

insight into the overall effectiveness of current mobile LPR systems. (Sponsored by

DoD/TSWG)

National Disaster/Incident Support

Following Hurricane Katrina, Volpe Center staff deployed immediately to Louisiana and

played a key role in providing transportation services in response to Katrina’s devastation

and in planning and executing evacuation in the face of Hurricane Rita’s 28­foot storm

surge. More recently, in response to transportation requirements from Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA) Regions 1, 2, and 6, the Volpe Center has responded to flood

emergencies in Maine, New Hampshire, and New York; fuel shortages in Maine; and tropical

storm and hurricane threats in the Virgin Islands and Louisiana.

After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, FEMA, for the first time, activated a new emergency support function, Long­Term Community Recovery. Volpe Center staff served as DOT’s overall

coordinators for this function, leading a combined field and support team that included

staff from all the modal administrations and coordinating with FEMA and state and local

agencies participating in the disaster recovery. For the past two years, Volpe Center staff

members have continued to work with FEMA and DOT to develop the transportation scope

of the long­term recovery function. The demonstrated ability of the Volpe Center to

provide intermodal transportation support to the hurricane response effort through

disaster planning, response, and recovery highlights its ability to support federal, state, and

local governments as they undertake planning to better prepare for future emergency and

disaster situations, incorporating best practices from incident management disciplines in

the public and private sectors.

The Volpe Center’s hands­on experience with disaster planning, response, and recovery

has positioned it well to work with FHWA, the American Association of State Highway and

Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and state DOTs to clarify the latter’s role and to

develop appropriate training for state DOT staff that will equip them to respond effectively

in a disaster or other emergency incident. (Sponsored by DHS/FEMA & DOT/FHWA)

Testing License Plate

Reader systems. (Photos by

Daryl Song)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 45
World Trade Center Site Master Security Plan Development

I

n 2006, the Volpe Center participated in the development of the Master Security Plan

(MSP) for the new World Trade Center (WTC) site in New York City. The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) was tasked with acquiring the resources to enable

the Lower Manhattan Counter­Terrorism Advisory Team

(LMCAT) to develop an MSP for the new WTC site that would

be applied to all phases of the project, including construction,

occupancy, and operations of facilities on the site. The MSP

covers a broad range of security topics, but the most significant

is drafting guidelines for the development of protective

measures to counter the threats of vehicle and person­borne

explosives or other weapons of mass destruction, including

chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents.

The Volpe Center served as technical consultants to LMCAT

and worked with the team’s contractor to provide (1) specific

subject­matter expertise in the area of vehicle, personnel, and

cargo screening and best­practices and (2) general oversight of

the development of other topics, including access control,

evacuation planning, and construction site security.

One of the responsibilities of the Volpe Center was to attend

meetings between the contractor and stakeholders to identify

and address security requirements and constraints. Stakeholders included the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey,

the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center

(LMCCC), local law enforcement and emergency responders,

architects and builders, the WTC Memorial Foundation, facility planners and managers,

and impacted neighbors such as Verizon and Goldman Sachs. These meetings revealed

many challenges, and the Volpe Center worked to achieve a balance in the struggle to

provide security and assurance with minimal impact to normal operations.

Another important contribution of the Volpe Center was to compile best practices. These

included relevant work performed by the Center, such as U.S. Capitol Police and technology surveys, as well as surveys of security in other facilities and organizations, such as the

Sears Tower and Canary Wharf. These best practices served as a valuable reminder to

stakeholders that screening at commercial properties is feasible and to developers that

commercial interests must be taken into consideration.

A final draft of the MSP was delivered in September 2007. Its security recommendations

and guidelines are being practiced to secure the construction site and to design

the structures and spaces of the WTC site. (Sponsored by LMDC)

Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER

Artist’s rendition of the Freedom Tower. (© 2005 Skidmore,

Owings & Merrill, LLP/dbox)

46
Digital Microwave Radio Communications Network

for the Iraqi Republic Railways

Seamless railroad radio communication is essential to maintaining safe and efficient

train operations as well as the safety of employees, equipment, and the public on the

Iraqi Republic Railways (IRR).

The Volpe Center is supporting the Iraq Transition Assistance Office by managing the

development, manufacturing, installation, integration, and acceptance of a turnkey digital

microwave radio communications network for IRR between the port facilities of Umm Qasr

and the Syrian border. This effort is part of the U.S.­led reconstruction relief effort to

rebuild Iraq. The network will function as the railway’s backbone communications link for

both voice and data transmission and is an essential component of a communications­based

train control (CBTC) system that is being deployed for IRR.

During the past year, the Volpe Center awarded the largest fixed­price procurement in its

history and is managing this complex project. The design, manufacturing, and shipping

phases are nearing successful completion, and the challenging construction phase is beginning in Iraq. When the project is completed, 33 microwave tower sites will have been constructed and IRR will be able to communicate between the Baghdad dispatching

office and all locomotives and stations along the north­south right of way (ROW). (Sponsored

by U.S. DOS, Iraq Transition Assistance Office)

Strategic Movements Review

The United Kingdom’s Strike Command (UK/STC) of the Royal Air Force (RAF)

requested help from the Volpe Center in evaluating how best to consolidate the

strategic movements of its military forces at Brize­Norton RAF base. This task was

carried out under the UK’s Strategic Movements Review (SMR) process. The Volpe Center

was asked to identify cost­effective alternatives for reorganizing RAF’s air transport (AT)

Movements (Movs) Trade to meet the UK’s expeditionary air warfare (EAW) requirements

for the future. The study evaluated RAF Brize­Norton, the main Ministry of Defence

(MOD) Air Port of Embarkation, as a consolidation alternative to the more than 20 present

bases from which the UK projects strategic transport.

Volpe Center experts proposed a cost­effective path for the UK to follow in consolidating air

movements to Brize­Norton. Moreover, the Center developed a flexible and easily updated

approach to risk analysis and evaluation of alternatives for consideration. In 2007, Senior

RAF staff (equivalent to the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff) reviewed and accepted the Volpe

Center’s recommendations for implementation across the RAF logistics organization. Based

on this success, the Volpe Center has recently been invited to carry out further risk analysis

supporting STC audits of transport movements and the UK’s Defence Science

Technology Laboratory (DSTL). (Sponsored by UK/MOD)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 47
48 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
Organizational

Excellence

Advance the Department’s ability to manage

for results and achieve the goals of the President’s

Management Agenda

On Behalf of Our Clients

The Volpe Center supports our clients in

meeting their organizational needs

Directing DOT’s Small Business Innovation Research Program

The Volpe Center’s mission is to anticipate future transportation issues and act as a catalyst

for innovation. In carrying out this mission, the Volpe Center serves as a bridge for transportation expertise among industry, academia, and other government agencies.

One demonstration of this mission is the direction of DOT’s Small Business Innovation

Research (SBIR) program. Each year, the Volpe Center issues an annual solicitation, the

purpose of which is to invite small businesses, with their valuable resources and creative

capabilities, to submit innovative research proposals that address high­priority requirements

of DOT. This year, all proposals were submitted electronically; there were 89 proposals,

received from 33 states. All of this was accomplished with limited resources for outreach.

This year’s SBIR focus is on safer, smarter transportation solutions as well as system

performance and 21st­century solutions. In the 2007 DOT SBIR solicitation, 17 research

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 49
topics were submitted to the DOT SBIR program office from the sponsoring organizations

(FHWA, PHMSA, NHTSA, FMCSA, FTA, and FRA). The 2006 DOT SBIR solicitation

included only nine topics. Also, there were nine contract awards in 2006, and in 2007 there

will be 18 recommendations for contract awards.

The DOT SBIR program’s annual solicitation is one way that the Volpe Center assists the

DOT in meeting its strategic objectives. (Sponsored by DOT/FHWA, FMCSA, PHMSA,

NHTSA, FTA, & FRA)

FAA Terminal Facilities Support

The Volpe Center supports FAA in the areas of program management, schedule

management, and systems engineering for the replacement of air traffic control towers

(ATCT) and terminal radar approach control (TRACON) facilities. FAA’s Terminal

Facilities Sector is responsible for the establishment, replacement, and modernization of

terminal ATC facilities to ensure that cost­effective infrastructure platforms exist for the

control of air traffic in the NAS. In FY 2007, the Volpe Center supported the Terminal Facilities Sector in the following activities:

•	 It provided onsite support during January 2007 for the successful cutover and

commissioning of the new ATCT/TRACON facility at Phoenix Sky Harbor

International Airport.

•	 It played a key role in establishing baselines for new projects, including LaGuardia

ATCT (New York); Memphis, Tennessee ATCT/TRACON; Dayton, Ohio ATCT; Pensacola, Florida TRACON; Islip, New York ATCT; Reno, Nevada ATCT; and Boise, Idaho

ATCT.

(Sponsored by DOT/FAA)

Phoenix ATCT/TRACON: Construction and artist’s rendering. (Photo by Skip Paschke, FAA; Artist’s rendering by Jacobs Engineering Group)

50 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
Airport Security Training Evaluation
 

The mission of the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Operational and

Technical Training Division (OTT) is to develop and deliver technical training that

enables the TSA workforce and others involved in transportation security to perform their

duties in protecting the nation’s transportation systems. The Volpe Center was tasked by

OTT in October 2005 to conduct a program evaluation of OTT’s training development and

delivery program. The evaluation is in response to the requirements of the Government

Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993, which was enacted to improve the confidence

of the American people in the capabilities of federal agencies by systematically holding them

accountable for achieving program results. In Phase 1 of the evaluation (completed in April

2006), the Volpe Center created an overall definition of OTT’s program using a program

logic model that defined inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impacts. In Phase 2

(completed in November 2006), the Volpe Center performed an evaluation of two aspects of

OTT’s operations: the degree to which OTT is achieving its defined outputs and outcomes,

and its internal training development and delivery processes. In Phase 3 (currently in

progress), the Volpe Center is supporting OTT in several improvement areas, including implementation of a job performance survey to assess the effectiveness of TSA’s transportation

security officer (TSO) training program, output and outcome performance measures, an

overall performance measurement management system, a training projects tracking database, and development of an OTT annual training plan. (Sponsored by DHS/TSA)

Public Transportation Participation Pilot Program

Soliciting and obtaining input from community members impacted by transportation

decisions continues to be a major challenge. Section 3046(a)(11) of the Safe,

Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users

(SAFETEA­LU) provides funding for a Public Transportation Participation Pilot Program

to test new tools and techniques for achieving effective, informed public participation in

metropolitan and statewide public transportation investment decisions.

The Volpe Center is assisting FTA in managing this important, highly visible program. In FY

2007, the Center’s support has included designing and implementing a process to solicit

and select pilot program participants; monitoring the progress of participants’ research;

and setting up frameworks to evaluate the pilot program’s achievements. The Center is also

helping FTA to disseminate information on lessons learned and effective practices in order

to advance the state of the practice in public participation for public transportation planning. (Sponsored by DOT/FTA)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 51
Automatic Dependent Surveillance­Broadcast: Acquisition Support

The Volpe Center provides research, development, and limited implementation efforts

aimed at enhancing the safety, efficiency, and capacity of NAS for the Office of

Surveillance and Broadcast Services (SBS) Program Office. FAA plans nationwide

implementation of Automatic Dependent Surveillance­Broadcast (ADS­B) and Ground

Broadcast Services (GBS) over the next decade and expects to install 400 ADS­B ground

stations by 2014.

Volpe Center participation in providing ADS­B project support included efforts provided

through the following Volpe Center acquisition vehicles:

• Transportation Analysis and Communications Expertise (TRACX) contract

• OMNI Contracts for Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS)

This contracting support was effective in helping the FAA SBS Program Office to successfully award its basic contract for ADS­B system development and deployment on August 29,

2007. The ADS­B contract is worth a potential $1.8 billion over 18 years.

The team effort provided for this project through the use of Volpe Center contractor

support demonstrates the Center’s collaboration with contractors and clients in addressing

critical transportation issues. (Sponsored by DOT/FAA)

Development of Professional Capacity­Building Programs

The Volpe Center’s Professional Capacity­Building (PCB) programs provide information, technical assistance, tools, and training to transportation professionals at all levels

of government. Building on the success of the PCB program developed for the Intelligent

Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office, the Volpe Center has supported the development of PCB programs in other areas, including planning, roadway safety, security and

emergency management, environmental stewardship, and public­private partnerships.

The Volpe Center was also instrumental in establishing a PCB Council that brings together

managers of capacity­building programs across DOT. The Council encourages managers to

share experience, exchange information and best practices, identify opportunities for enhanced knowledge management, and better integrate training, technical assistance, and information dissemination among programs. By developing and leading the PCB Council

and the individual professional capacity­building programs, Volpe Center staff are establishing a strong DOT leadership role in transportation workforce development, training, and

technical assistance. As state DOTs and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs)

strive to develop a professional workforce to support the 21st­century transportation system,

52 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
the Volpe Center is working both with them and with U.S. DOT modal agencies,

AASHTO, and the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) to develop appropriate training courses and materials and to share best practices and lessons

learned throughout the transportation community. (Sponsored by DOT/FHWA)

Iraqi Republic Railways Acquisition Support

As described in the Security section of this report, the Volpe Center provides project

management and technical oversight, both in the United States and Iraq, aimed at completing the Digital Microwave Radio Communications Network (DMRCN). The network

consists of a series of 33 microwave radio base stations, transmission towers, telecommunications equipment shelters, and auxiliary power systems from the Syrian border to the

port of Umm Qasr. The DMRCN will serve as the backbone link to a CommunicationsBased Train Control (CBTC) network designed to enable the Iraqi Republic Railways

(IRR) train operators to communicate with each other along the predominantly singletrack railway in Iraq, thereby limiting the number of accidents and increasing the

amount of traffic. When completed, this will be the longest CBTC/microwave­based system in the world.

The Volpe Center supports the DMRCN project through management of a contract

award and administration, including the acquisition of equipment, inspection of

materials, tracking of project deliverables, and construction efforts in Iraq. The contract,

awarded in FY 2007, is a single award to a U.S. contractor with several subcontractors

based outside the United States, including those in Turkey and Iraq. The total contract

value including options is approximately $38 million. This project demonstrates the

Center’s excellence in providing management and acquisition expertise on high­risk

projects and complex contract vehicles. (Sponsored by U.S. DOS, Iraq Transition

Assistance Office)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 53
Volpe Center Management Initiatives

The Volpe Center continued to enhance its

management of human and financial resources

in order to provide better service to its clients

Human Resource Management

The Volpe Center has always recognized its employees as its most critical asset since its

performance in delivering a return on investment for both customers and American

taxpayers directly depends on the talents and abilities of its workforce. During its strategic

planning process, the Center identified the recruitment of the best and brightest from

diverse talent pools and the development and retention of current employees as one of its

four strategic goals. The Volpe Center’s Human Resources (HR) Management Division has

initiated a number of programs to further this goal. These programs include:

•	 Human Capital Advisory Group (HCAG). The Federal Human Capital Survey (FHCS),

administered by the Office of Personnel Management, offers an assessment tool to

measure and provide general indicators on how well an agency is managing its human

capital. The Volpe Center management team tasked HCAG with reviewing the Center’s

results and to administer a local human capital survey. HCAG is a joint labor/management endeavor, tasked with contributing to maximizing organizational performance by

recommending workforce management strategies and actions based on research and

employee feedback on the Center’s work environment. In FY 2007, HCAG sponsored

focus groups to gain additional information from employees so it could develop clearer

recommendations on how the Center can move forward in three human capital drivers:

Internal Communications, Performance Management and Recognition, and Career

Development and Training. Based on the focus groups, HCAG developed recommendations in three tiers; Tier 1 recommendations were determined to be the highest/

most important for the Volpe Center Executive Council to consider. HCAG has a

continuing role in monitoring the Center’s response to these recommendations and

providing future recommendations on human capital strategies based on employee

feedback and research on best practices.

•	 Human Resources Open House. In FY 2007, there were “Open Houses” for the first

time, which provided an opportunity to demonstrate the various programs and services

available to Volpe Center federal staff. These included:

•	 Recently implemented e­gov HR systems

•	 Other services, such as the Employee Assistance Program, Retirement Counseling,

Benefits Options, Volpe Fellows Program, and Leadership Development Program

•	 Electronic Learning Management System (eLMS)

•	 Demystifying the Volpe Center Merit Promotion Staffing Process (Hiring Manager)

54 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
•	 Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF)

•	 Employee Express and (specifically) Federal Employee Benefits Statement (FEBS)

•	 Coop Student Program. A vibrant coop program is key to entry­level hiring. HR and

Volpe Center hiring managers have maintained a large, active, and successful coop

student program. From FY 2003 through FY 2007, the Center has hired 159 coop

students from a wide range of colleges and universities and in the full range of

occupations. From this group, 48 were converted to positions in the Center’s

permanent workforce. The coop program is the primary source of “entry­level”

hires for the Center, necessary to maintain a pipeline for a vibrant and technically

capable workforce.

•	 Administrative Professional Certificate. A certificate training program was created in

FY 2007 to develop and improve administrative support skills at the division level. It is

open to all division secretaries who, with supervisory approval, complete a set of ten

required and six elective courses in the eLMS. Employees are expected to complete

the courses in an 18­to­24­month period. The courses have been selected to address

the skill areas that correspond to the Most Efficient Organization Quality Control

performance elements.

Financial Management: Controlling Indirect Rates

The Volpe Center works as a 100 percent reimbursable fee­for­service organization with

no appropriated funds. As such, each year — as prescribed in its Working Capital Fund

enabling legislation — the Center must recover all costs incurred in the current fiscal year,

including overhead costs. Accordingly, the Center establishes provisional rates at the beginning of each fiscal year that are designed to recover all overhead costs through charges to

our projects, based on a combination of direct labor and direct contract obligations

incurred during the year. As the year progresses, the indirect budget staff monitors progress

toward indirect spending and our ability to achieve or better the provisional rates. In FY

2007, each of the overhead rates will be met, resulting in a return of approximately $1.6

million to projects. Project managers will be able to use these funds to deliver direct services

to Volpe Center customers.

Improving Business Processes

•	 Volpe Center Business Plan Data Collection Tool. Since FY 2005, the Volpe Center has

developed financial and performance goals for its annual business plan. The business

plan describes major business opportunities and organizational, workforce, and financial goals as well as business strategies to meet them. The Business Plan Data Collection

Tool was developed in early FY 2006 to monitor progress toward financial goals as well

as provide input for future planning. In FY 2007, a more effective, web­based tool was

developed and implemented. This enhanced tool contains the financial data necessary

to measure progress toward business plan goals, to provide input to the budget, and to

develop future financial performance goals as defined in the business plan.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 55
•	 Conversion to DOT­mandated systems (GovTrip and Mark View). DOT has mandated

that all Operating Administrations (OA) convert to DOT­sanctioned accounting and

reporting systems in an effort to modernize and create process efficiencies. During the

last year, the Volpe Center converted from its legacy travel management system to

GovTrip, the DOT travel management system. The Center also implemented Mark

View, the DOT electronic invoice approval system. To facilitate implementing these two

systems, the Volpe Center arranged group and individual training for its employees by

the Enterprise Service Center (ESC) staff. Additional training by the ESC is being

scheduled for the GovTrip system early in FY 2008. After initial difficulties, the new

systems are functioning as designed.

•	 Implementing the new intra­agency agreement process. DOT has undertaken several

major improvements to its financial management systems to advance its ability to manage for results and achieve the goals of the President’s Management Agenda. One of

these improvements required a change to the policies for transferring funds within

DOT through intra­agency agreements (IAA). Because customer agreements represent

the Volpe Center’s only source of funding, this new policy represented a significant

change to the Center’s business practices, affecting over 65 percent of its projects and,

beginning in FY 2008, over 75 percent of its funding/financial transactions.

The Center needed a proactive approach to adopt DOT’s new policy, recognizing that

a change of this magnitude can be difficult to implement, particularly since the

Center’s new procedures would need to coordinate with each of the Operating

Administration’s individually developed procedures for processing IAAs. A task force

with dedicated resources was formed to take the necessary steps to minimize any

possible disruptions to customers’ projects while transitioning to the new process,

all without undermining the Center’s financial stability or ability to responsibly

manage projects.

Working with DOT headquarters policy staff, the Volpe Center met all affected parties

within DOT during FY 2007 to ensure a shared understanding of the impact of doing

business with the Center and to collaborate on developing procedures and strategies

for effective and efficient implementation. Briefings, meetings, and e­mail updates kept

all parties informed, and thorough analysis and evaluation of existing processes, proposed changes, and resulting impacts ensured effective and efficient implementation.

An intranet site was established to provide reference material and status updates for

employees and customers, and an initiative to automate the IAA agreement process was

undertaken with the approval of DOT staff offices. Pilot tests of the new procedures

were conducted with three customers, providing the opportunity to identify problems

and best practices. Robust communication and a collaborative approach ensured that

employees and customers were engaged, informed, and prepared when the policy took

effect on October 1, 2007.

56 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
Customer Satisfaction

Round 3 of the Volpe Center’s customer satisfaction monitoring was completed, with

nearly a 60 percent response rate from all active customers. This represented 218

interviews, including 143 at the project level and 75 at the senior level. The raw data and

results were used to:

•	 Improve individual products and services by customer

•	 Draft agency or agency office­level reports to share customer­specific findings and areas

for improvement

•	 Identify projects for senior executive attention (i.e., Senior Management Review Board

[SMRB] reviews)

•	 Respond to Volpe Center management inquiries (e.g., analyses of ease of access,

perception of Volpe Center value, systems perspective)

•	 Assess customer trends (e.g., overall customer satisfaction of 8.3 on a scale of 1 to 10)

•	 Identify themes for corporate­level improvements, publish a communiqué, and share

the “Round 3 Interview Results and Actions Summary Report” with customers and

Center employees

•	 Develop customer plans and marketing

opportunities

•	 Influence the draft of DOT 2300.8 Order to

include a requirement for monthly project status

reporting as a term and condition for doing

business with the Volpe Center

The completion of Round 3 provided (1) an independent, credible assessment of the Volpe Center’s customer

satisfaction for the Center’s customers and stakeholders,

(2) actionable data for the Center’s project teams,

and (3) important customer trend data — one of the

Volpe Center’s key performance metrics.

Acquisition Initiatives

•	 Workforce Initiatives. The 1996 Clinger Cohen Act and Office of Federal Procurement

Policy (OFPP) established career management, education, and training and experience

requirements for contracting personnel (contracting officers and purchasing agents)

in civilian agencies. Based on these requirements, DOT subsequently established

department­wide training and education requirements for its acquisition workforce.

The Services Acquisition Reform Act of 2003 (SARA) defined “acquisition” to include
 

(along with traditional contracting functions) requirements definition, measurement of
 

contract performance, and technical and management direction. In April 2005, OFPP
 

issued Policy Letter 05­01, which provided guidelines for a government­wide acquisition
 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 57
•
 

workforce for all civilian agencies. One of the principal functions of this policy was to officially expand the definition of the term “acquisition workforce” to include contracting

officers’ technical representatives (COTR) and program/project managers (P/PM).

The policy also introduced new training standards for the acquisition workforce and

created a Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC­C) program.

The intent of the FAC­C program is to create a certification program that reflects

government­wide standards for education, training, experience, and core competencies

in a variety of acquisition­related disciplines. It is designed to develop a professional,

capable, and competent federal acquisition workforce by creating common training

standards.

The Volpe Center has been extremely proactive regarding the training and development

of its contracting workforce. The Center has a performance goal of 100 percent certification for contracting staff by the second quarter FY 2008. The DOT Performance Goal

for certification in this area is 90 percent. The Volpe Center has provided notification

regarding these new training standards and procedures to its COTRs and P/PMs and

continues to work in partnership with Human Resources and DOT’s Senior Procurement Executive’s Office to implement the FAC­C program.

Enhancing the professional standing of the acquisition workforce will help to ensure

that the goods and services are procured economically and efficiently, thereby safeguarding both public funds and public trust.

Revised Acquisition Handbook. The federal government spends approximately 350

billion tax dollars each year on a wide range of goods and services. Accordingly, it is

critical that federal acquisitions are executed in an efficient, effective, and accountable

manner, maximizing the value of each dollar spent. However, systemic weaknesses

continue to be identified in key areas of acquisition. As recently as September 2007, the

DOT inspector general included “managing acquisition and contract operations more

effectively to obtain quality goods and services at reasonable prices” as one of the nine

top DOT management challenges for FY 2008. The framework developed by the

Government Accountability Office (GAO) for assessing the acquisition function at

federal agencies identifies policies and procedures as a primary cornerstone essential

to an efficient, effective, and accountable acquisition process.

Such a cornerstone had already been established at the Volpe Center in October 2003.

At that time an internal directive, or order, titled “Acquisition Handbook,” was issued to

serve as a single vehicle for transmitting significant guidelines and functional responsibilities regarding the Center’s procurement function to all members of its acquisition

workforce. Links to a variety of guidance documents were also included in the order, to

facilitate accessing many of the required documents needed to process a procurement.

However, since that time, many changes have occurred that impact the processing of

acquisitions at the Volpe Center. Accordingly, a major update to the order, including

its links, has been issued that incorporates profound federal regulatory changes and

58 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
various DOT policy initiatives, organizational changes, and electronic processing

requirements. The latest version of the handbook will provide all members of the

acquisition workforce with an invaluable tool to satisfy customers’ procurement needs.

Volpe Center Reorganization Assessment

Following a recent reorganization of the Volpe Center, staff conducted an assessment of the

effectiveness of the new organizational design and structure. The assessment consisted of a

structured questionnaire that was used in interviews of the senior team, deputies, key staff,

and union president as well as in division chief focus forums. The findings were published

in a report that included recommendations and division profiles reflecting critical business

metrics. These profiles, depicted in the framework above, were then issued on a quarterly

basis and used extensively by management to analyze the overall health of divisions as well

as each division’s likelihood of business outlook success. Numerous enhancements were

made each quarter in response to requests from the leadership team. In addition, an

implementation plan was developed whereby five of the six study recommendations were

implemented or handed off to Volpe Center Offices of Primary Interest (OPI) for action.

Framework for

division profiles,

developed as part

of the Organizational

Assessment.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 59
Onsite Contractor Support Service
 

The Volpe Center’s staffing strategy uses a combination of federal and contractor employees to meet the broad range and quantity of skills needed to support projects. During FY 2007, the Volpe Center’s Transportation Information Project Support (TRIPS)

contract provided 179 labor years of information systems and information technology professionals capable of meeting programmatic requirements. The Transportation Research

Analysis and Communications Expertise (TRACX) contract provided 72 labor years of operations research analysis and communications support services to the Volpe Center.

Through the use of these onsite technical support service contracts, the Volpe Center was

able to respond to the uncertain and changing requirements of customers by establishing a

pool of easily accessed professional and technical personnel. As befits performance­based,

cost­plus­award fee contracts, biannual performance evaluations were successfully

conducted on each contract in FY 2007. The results of award­fee evaluations drive the

contractor’s profit and provide important incentives and motivation for top­quality

performance. In FY 2007, annual assessments of contractor performance were also prepared

in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994.

Information Technology Improvements

•	 Novell Server Replacement and Data Migration. In early FY 2007, the Volpe Center successfully completed the Novell Server Replacement and Data Migration Project. This

project increased the available storage space to the Center’s computer users by a factor

of 10,000 (from 0.7 gigabytes to 7 terabytes). Unlike the Novell servers, these new

Windows 2003 servers provide a safe, secure, and scaleable storage environment that

meets current DOT security guidelines. The Novell migration project was an essential

milestone that had to be completed before the follow­up Secure Remote Access (SRA)

project could be implemented.

•	 Secure Remote Access (SRA). The Volpe Center recently implemented an SRA solution

that provides global access to mission­critical data for its mobile workforce. The new system enables remote and mobile users to securely access, authenticate, and use centralized applications based on endpoint host checks and approved access levels for

personnel and devices. Employees can use their existing user names and passwords and

have their access levels monitored by the IT department. The connectivity occurs across

public network infrastructures using secure technologies. Previously, remote access was

achieved through software­based clients installed on the remote workstations. This

approach was too time­consuming from a support standpoint, as users’ home network

environments are problematic. The new system requires only a computer’s web browser

(e.g., Microsoft Internet Explorer) and internet connectivity. Remote access helps the

Center to meet environmental targets set by the government to reduce travel and provides employees with a more flexible work environment. Today, 6.6 percent of federal

60 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
Volpe Center’s Secure Remote employees telework. Telework lets federal agencies benefit from better

Access enables remote and mobile business continuity for both standard and emergency operations. In users to securely access, authenticate,

addition, agencies find that the telework option helps them to recruit and and use centralized applications.

retain better, happier employees and increases productivity by enabling (Graphic by Volpe Center staff)

after­hours work.

•	 Financial Data Mart. The Financial Data Mart (FDM) is a tool that makes project financial data easy to access. It is meant to assist project management staff in presenting and

analyzing funds and expenses in a variety of ways. It is designed to reduce the clerical

aspects of formulating project financial status. In FY 2007, an initial implementation

(FDM 1.0) was released and evaluated by users. A plan to develop an expanded

version of FDM was devised and implemented. The project team included Volpe

Center staff throughout the direct and indirect divisions as well as contractors.

Issues identified by FDM 1.0 users included:

• The data were reorganized and supplemented with additional fields to provide
 

project managers with more flexibility in reporting.
 

• Additional mechanisms for organizing the data were implemented. These included
 

several new date range functions.
 

• A major effort was made to ensure that data matched manually prepared reports
 

in use.
 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 61
Security and Emergency Response Improvements

The Volpe Center’s management goal is to provide a safe and secure work environment

and ensure that all of its occupants are informed about how best to react or prepare for

emergency situations. FY 2007 achievements are presented here:

• Sustained Emergency Response Operations. The Volpe Center has developed and

continually reviews and revises its processes and procedures in addition to conducting

regularly scheduled emergency evacuations to test its internal response assets and

capabilities. This is a major step in ensuring that we can evacuate the Center’s

personnel safely during a crisis or an emergency, such as a fire or similar disaster. We

have also trained approximately 140 personnel to act as CPR/AED first responders,

floor monitors, and security and safety staff in their specific emergency management

roles at the Center.

•	 The Volpe Center Community Emergency Response Handbook was developed in early

2007 under the Center’s Sustained Emergency Response and Management Operations.

The handbook is a comprehensive site­specific text that is intended to prepare Volpe

Center occupants to react in a variety of emergency situations as well as to provide

training for the Center’s internal response. All processes and procedures will be

reviewed on a regular basis, and lessons learned will be incorporated whenever

practicable. It is available in print and on the Volpe Center intranet.

•	 Sustained Personnel Security Operations. The Volpe Center has reviewed approximately 1,500 federal, contractor, and tenant organizations’ personnel and ensured that

all employees who work at the Center have had the required background investigation

associated with their assigned positions. This is a major step in attaining the goal of

Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) #12, that all employees who work for

the federal government have the required background investigation completed prior to

beginning work. The Volpe Center also maintains with 100 percent certainty that all

personnel have appropriate, verifiable background investigations in place for the work

they are doing, based on their supervisor’s assessment.

Property Improvements

FY 2007 saw some major property improvements, including fire alarm replacement, fire

suppression, and elevator renovation. These capital improvements provide a safer and

more productive work environment.

Improving Fire Safety

•	 In Phase II of the fire alarm replacement project, all new fire alarm devices such as

smoke detectors, annunciators, and pull stations were installed. Extensive testing and

documentation were performed to comply with National Fire Protection Association

(NFPA) codes.

•	 The fire suppression installation in Building 3 included a complete sprinkler system

62 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
plus specialized systems for the Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS) Lab

and Data Center. New ceilings were installed throughout, with new lighting in

corridors. Every room in the building was affected, requiring extensive communication

and coordination. Building 3 now possesses all the fire safety features of any modern

low­rise office structure.

Elevator Renovation

The elevator renovation completely replaced the original mechanical systems with stateof­the­art digital controls. Elevator cars were modernized with new interiors and control

panels. The result is a safer and more efficient vertical transportation system.

Volpe Center’s Expanded Recycling Program

I

n conjunction with Earth Day, the Volpe Center kicked off its

expanded recycling program. Members of the Volpe Center’s

Leadership Development Program formed a team to determine the

feasibility of expanding the Center’s recycling program. Since 1990,

the Center’s focus has been on white paper recycling only. With the

launch of its expanded recycling program in FY 2007, the Center

now recycles mixed paper, commingled containers (plastic, glass,

aluminum), and cardboard on a regular basis. The Center’s

expanded recycling program was implemented at minimum cost

and has resulted in reduced trash expense and a positive effect

on the environment. It also aids the Center in complying with

Executive Order 13423, calling upon all federal agencies to recycle

materials to the maximum extent practicable. The success of the

recycling program is directly attributable to the Center occupants’

support and their willingness to “Go Green.”

The Center’s recycling program continues to seek future opportunities to expand recycling

and enhance the Center’s energy­saving initiatives through the formation of a “Green

Team.” Technical and administrative staff volunteer time once a month to share ideas and

recommendations on how to enhance the Center’s energy conservation, use renewable

energy, and further educate Volpe Center occupants on recycling and ways to make a

positive impact on the environment.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 63
64 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
Volpe Center Customers

Thanks to Our Fiscal Year 2007 Customers
 

U.S. Department of Transportation

Federal Aviation Administration

Federal Highway Administration

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Federal Railroad Administration

Federal Transit Administration

Maritime Administration

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Office of the Secretary of Transportation

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

Research and Innovative Technology Administration

Transportation Safety Institute

Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation

Surface Transportation Board

Other Federal

Central Intelligence Agency

Defense Threat Reduction Agency

Department of Agriculture

U.S. Forest Service

Department of Commerce

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Department of Defense

U.S. Air Force

U.S. Army

U.S. Navy

Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Department of Homeland Security

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Transportation Security Administration

U.S. Coast Guard

Department of State

Department of the Interior

Bureau of Indian Affairs

National Park Service

Environmental Protection Agency

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

U.S. Postal Service

State and Local

California Department of Transportation

City of Baltimore, Department of Transportation

City of Boston, Massachusetts

City of Flagstaff, Arizona

City of St. George, Utah Municipal Airport

District of Columbia, Department of Transportation

Fairfax County, Virginia

Georgia Department of Transportation

Lower Manhattan Development Corporation

Maine Department of Transportation

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

Massachusetts Port Authority

Tri­County Metropolitan Transportation,

District of Oregon

Foreign Entities

Airservices Australia

Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (UK)

DFS Germany

NAV CANADA

United Kingdom Ministry of Defence

Other

Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers

American Concrete Pavement Association

American Public Transportation Association

American Trade Initiatives

INOVA Fairfax Hospital (Honda)

Sensis Corporation

Wake Forest University (Toyota)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 65
DOT Secretary’s Award Ceremony,

December 20, 2006

Volpe Center Recipients

Individual Awards

Secretary’s Award for Meritorious Achievement

Terrence M. Sheehan

Secretary’s Award for Excellence

Carol A. Ferrante

Regina Y. Houston

Secretary’s Award for EEO Affirmative Action

John P. O’Donnell

Secretary’s Award for Volunteer Service

Patricia M. Gordon

Team Awards

Secretary’s Partnering for Excellence Award

Corporate Average Fuel Economy Team:

Kevin A. Green

Joseph J. Mergel

Don H. Pickrell

Mark Shaulov

John E. Van Schalkwyk

Louisiana Recovery Assistance Team:

Eric J. Plosky

Matthew D. Rabkin

Gary T. Ritter

Volpe Center Technical Support Team for the Development of a National

Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America’s Transportation Network:

Ellen E. Bell

Richard R. John

Douglass B. Lee, Jr.

Don H. Pickrell

66 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
Secretary’s Distinguished Service Certificate

for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Frances B. Fisher

Gerard J. Flood

Robert J. Hallett, Jr.

Matthew B. Isaacs

David W. Jackson

Jonathan A. Jerome

Melissa M. Laube

Elizabeth C. Machek

Tashi G. Ngamdung

Eric J. Plosky

Carson Poe

Michelle A. Priante

Matthew D. Rabkin

Benjamin K. Rasmussen

Gary T. Ritter

Terrence M. Sheehan

Alison R. Shedd

David J. Spiller

William R. Sullivan

Department of Transportation 2006 Presidential Award

for Management Excellence

Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

Competitive Sourcing

Government­Wide Management Initiative

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 67
Acronyms and Abbreviations
 

AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

AB Air Base

ACC­PD American Chemistry Council–Plastics Division

ADS­B Automatic Dependent Surveillance­Broadcast

AED Automated External Defibrillator

AEDT Aviation Environmental Design Tool

AFAS Airfield Automation System

AFS FAA Flight Standards Service

AFTIL Airways Facilities Tower Integration Laboratory

A&I Analysis and Information

AIAA American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

AIS Automatic Identification System

AMPO Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations

ANG Air National Guard

AOC Area of Concern

AOR Area of Responsibility

APTA American Public Transportation Association

ASDE­X Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X

ASDP Advanced Signal Data Processing

ASI Aviation Safety Inspector

AT Air Transport

ATC Air Traffic Control

ATCALS Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems

ATCSCC Air Traffic Control System Command Center

ATCT Air Traffic Control Tower

ATMP Air Tour Management Plan

ATO Air Traffic Organization

ATOS Air Transportation Oversight System

ATO­T Air Traffic Organization, Terminal Services Unit

ATPPL Alternative Transportation in Parks and Public Lands

AVSEC Aviation Security Group

BAC Blood Alcohol Concentration

BLM Bureau of Land Management

BrAC Breath Alcohol Concentration

C3RS Confidential Close Call Reporting System

CAEP Committee for Aviation Environmental Protection

CAFE Corporate Average Fuel Economy

CBTC Communications­Based Train Control

CFR Code of Federal Regulations

CM Configuration Management

CMV Commercial Motor Vehicle

CNS Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance

68 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
CoDOT Colorado Department of Transportation

COTR Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative

COTS Commercial Off­the­Shelf

CPR Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

CSA 2010 Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010

CTAN Communications Tracking and Navigation

CVSP Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan

DAMIS Drug and Alcohol Management Information System

DASR Digital Airport Surveillance Radar

DataQs Data Quality System

DHS Department of Homeland Security

DMRCN Digital Microwave Radio Communications Network

DoD Department of Defense

DOE Department of Energy

DOI Department of Interior

DOS Department of State

DOT Department of Transportation

DSTL Defence Science Technology Laboratory

EAW Expeditionary Air Warfare

EFS Electronic Flight Strip

eGov e­Government

eLMS Electronic Learning Management System

EMIS Enforcement Management Information System

eOPF Electronic Official Personnel Folder

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

ESC (USAF) Electronic Systems Center

ESC (FAA) Enterprise Service Center

ETA Estimated Time of Arrival

ETMS Enhanced Traffic Management System

ETVS Enhanced Terminal Voice Switching

EUCOM European Command

FAA Federal Aviation Administration

FAC Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting

FDM Financial Data Mart

FEBS Federal Employee Benefits Statement

FedSTAR Federal­State Tracking and Reporting

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency

FFRDC Federally Funded Research and Development Center

FHCS Federal Human Capital Survey

FHWA Federal Highway Administration

FIS­B Flight Information Services­Broadcast

FLMA Federal Land Management Agency

FMCSA Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

FMVSS Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 69
FOC Final Operating Capability

FRA Federal Railroad Administration

FSIMS Flight Standards Information Management System

FTA Federal Transit Administration

FY Fiscal Year

GAO Government Accountability Office

GBS Ground Broadcast Services

GBT Ground­Based Transceiver

GDP Ground Delay Program

GoMex Gulf of Mexico

GPRA Government Performance and Results Act

GPS Global Positioning System

GS Ground Stop

HAZMAT Hazardous Materials

HCAG Human Capital Advisory Group

HHG Household Goods

HMEP Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness

HR Human Resources

HSGT High­Speed Ground Transportation

HSPD Homeland Security Presidential Directive

IAA Intra­Agency Agreement

ICADTS International Counsel on Alcohol, Drugs, and Traffic Safety

ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization

INM Integrated Noise Model

IOC Initial Operating Capability

IPT Integrated Product Team

IRR Iraqi Republic Railways

IT Information Technology

ITS Intelligent Transportation Systems

ITWS Integrated Terminal Weather System

JPDO Joint Planning and Development Office

L&I Licensing and Insurance

LIDAR Light Detection and Ranging

LMCAT Lower Manhattan Counter­Terrorism Advisory Team

LMCCC Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center

LMDC Lower Manhattan Development Corporation

LPR License Plate Reader

LSP Low­Stress Pipelines

MADD Mothers Against Drunk Driving

MARAD Maritime Administration

MCMIS Motor Carrier Management Information System

MCSAP Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program

MDA Maritime Domain Awareness

MIT Miles­in­Trail

70 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
MOD	 Ministry of Defence

MPO	 Metropolitan Planning Organization

MSP	 Master Security Plan

MSSIS	 Maritime Safety and Security Information System

MTSA	 Maritime Transportation Security Act

NAS	 National Airspace System

NAIS	 Nationwide Automatic Identification System

NASA	 National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASAC	 Naval Air Station Atlantic City

NASPAS	 National Airspace System Performance Analysis System

NCAP	 New Crash Assessment Program

NCCDB	 National Consumer Complaint Database

NCSA	 National Center for Statistics and Analysis

NextGen	 Next Generation Air Transportation System

NGRTC	 Next Generation Rail Tank Car

NHTSA	 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

NJANG	 New Jersey Air National Guard

NOA	 New Obligation Authority

NPMS	 National Pipeline Mapping Service

NPS	 National Parks Service

NTSB	 National Transportation Safety Board

OA	 Operating Administration

OFPP	 Office of Federal Procurement Policy

OHMS	 Office of Hazardous Materials Safety

OMB	 Office of Management and Budget

OMNI	 Omni Contract

OPI	 Office of Primary Interest

OPS	 Office of Pipeline Safety

OTT	 Operational and Technical Training

P3I	 Pre­Planned Product Improvements

PACAF	 Pacific Air Forces

PCB	 Professional Capacity Building

PCIV	 Plastics and Composite­Intensive Vehicle

PHMSA	 Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

P/PM	 Program/Project Manager

RAF	 Royal Air Force

RAPCON	 Radar Approach Control

R&D	 Research and Development

RITA	 Research and Innovative Technology Administration

ROW	 Right­of­Way

S2EMTAP	 Safety, Security, and Emergency Management Technical Assistance Program

SAFETEA­LU	 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act:

A Legacy for Users

SAMO	 Substance Abuse Management Oversight

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION 71
SARA Services Acquisition Reform Act

SAT System Acceptance Test

SBIR Small Business Innovation Research

SBS Surveillance and Broadcast Services

SD Situation Display

SEMTAP Security Emergency Management Technical Assistance Program

SMART Safety Monitoring and Reporting Tool

SMR Strategic Movements Review

SMRB Senior Management Review Board

SOA Service­Oriented Architecture

SODAR Sonic Detection and Ranging

SPAS Safety Performance Analysis System

SPPS State Pipeline Processing System

SRA Secure Remote Access

SRMD Safety Risk Management Document

STARS Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System

STL St. Louis International Airport

STS Savannah Technical Staff

TAG Transportation Assistance Group

TCWF Terminal Convective Weather Forecast

TFM Traffic Flow Management

TIDS Tower Information Display System

TIS­B Traffic Information Services­Broadcast

TMI Traffic Management Initiative

TO Technical Operation

TRACON Terminal Radar Approach Control

TRACX Transportation Analysis and Communications Expertise

TRB Transportation Research Board

TRIPS Transportation Information Project Support

TSA Transportation Security Administration

TSD Traffic Situation Display

TSO Transportation Security Officer

TSWG Technical Support Working Group

UAT User Acceptance Test

UK/STC United Kingdom’s Strike Command

USAF United States Air Force

USCG United States Coast Guard

USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture

USPS United States Postal Service

WAM Wide Area Multilateration

WTC World Trade Center

XML eXtensible Markup Language

72 Points of Pride JOHN A. VOLPE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CENTER
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION / RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION
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­

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P

U.S. Department of Transportation

Research and Innovative Technology Administration

Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

55 Broadway

Cambridge, MA 02142 1093

www.volpe.dot.gov

For More Information:

Lynn C. Murray, Director of Communications

Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

Phone: (617) 494 2224

Fax: (617) 494 2370

Email: MurrayL@volpe.dot.gov