U.S. DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

A U.S. DOT Volpe Center team, including Nicholas Sclafani and Matthew Benson supported the US Navy and instructed naval and coast guard personnel from Kenya and Seychelles during the International Maritime Exercise/Cutlass Express (IMX/CE) military exercise, which is held annually to enhance regional cooperation, information-sharing practices, and maritime domain awareness within the Persian Gulf and East African nations. SeaVision training and collaboration with the U.S. DOT Volpe Center team and the U.S. Navy’s Naval Information Warfare Center are critical to help strengthen and enhance each participating country’s maritime security capabilities. For more on our Situational Awareness and Logistics work, visit: is.gd/Dl8ioK. 

The solicitation period for the FY25 U.S. Department of Transportation SBIR program is now open thru March 7! Plus, register for the Pre-offer Webinar happening Feb. 10 to learn more about the proposal process, this year’s topics, and Pitch Day: is.gd/af8wSx 

Welcome to the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Duffy and family!

Understanding Construction Change Orders: announcing a new report from the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) Project Delivery Center of Excellence on some of the major causes of construction change orders and best practices that reduce their use: is.gd/CnhHXE This new resource identifies those common issues that result in change orders and cause project delays and overruns, as well as best practices to minimize and mitigate their use. The report also highlights noteworthy project delivery practices and approaches of project sponsors who have successfully addressed the impacts of change orders. The U.S. DOT Project Delivery Center of Excellence developed this resource in collaboration with national organizations representing transportation agencies, industry partners, and practitioners. Special thank you to American Public Transportation Association, American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), American Society of Civil Engineers, and AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officers). Ultimately, understanding the underlying causes of change orders and deploying best practice strategies can help practitioners prevent or minimize the potential negative consequences of change orders. This will improve the likelihood of delivering the benefits of federal transportation funding to the public by ensuring projects are constructed on time and on budget. Thanks to our team who developed this important resource: Alaaddin Baskurt, Andrea Vann Easton, Cynthia Maloney, Luisa Paiewonsky, Sean Walsh, and Lorin Willett. For more on the U.S. DOT Project Delivery Center of Excellence: is.gd/LJEJnk

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and the legacy of his work advancing the civil rights of all Americans, we’ll pause on Monday to give our team time to reflect on ways we can further work for racial justice, serve our communities, and advocate for others. His life’s work aligns with our mission to transform transportation for all.

We recently released Freight and Fuel Transportation Optimization Tool (FTOT) Version 2024.3 to the public. FTOT is a national, multimodal, optimization model that transportation analysts can use to assess optimal supply chain freight and fuel transport patterns, costs, and emissions. We developed FTOT in support of the Federal Aviation Administration Office of Environment and Energy, with additional sponsorship from the United States Department of Defense Office of Naval Research and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Policy Office. FTOT is also currently being used in support of Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office, and Oregon State University. Version 2024.3 includes user-customizable first-mile last-mile costs, user-customizable demand fulfillment incentives, updates to the Tableau dashboard, and other bug fixes and documentation updates. Many thanks to the U.S. DOT Volpe Center development team supporting this project, which includes: Dan Flynn, PhD, Olivia Gillham, Michelle Gilmore, Kirby Ledvina, Kristin Lewis, PhD (PM), Mark Mockett, Alex Oberg, Tess Perrone Poe, Scott Smith, PhD, Gretchen Reese, Jaewoong Yun, and Kevin Zhang, PhD. Get access to FTOT here: tinyurl.com/pkjt8yud 

Now Hiring: We’re seeking an executive to lead and oversee our Technical Center for Policy, Planning, and Environment, one of four Technical Centers at the U.S. DOT Volpe Center that undertakes transportation policy analysis and research to advance a 21st century transportation enterprise. The Policy, Planning, and Environment Technical Center Director provides executive leadership and direction to eight technical divisions and one program office with more than 250 total employees, a portfolio of 270+ projects, and annual obligations of more than ~$50M. Seeking a diverse group of well-qualified candidates. Apply now or share with your networks: is.gd/wM2ozC Learn more about our Policy, Planning, and Environment team’s work: is.gd/rUfAEv

Our own Sean Laffey, P.E. recently delivered a presentation at the New England ITS Annual Meeting, attended by more than 100 transportation professionals from across the New England region. His presentation highlighted Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office efforts to strengthen professional capacity building within the transportation workforce, with a focus on initiatives such as the development of the Smart Communities Resource Center, a website currently being maintained and enhanced by our team: is.gd/X4YB1g. For more on our Surface Transportation Systems Safety team’s work: is.gd/WcqB3w 

We’re hiring General Engineers to join our team of transportation professionals to lead and work on various transportation-related projects. General Engineers will be given a wide range of tasks and assignments using your engineering and project management skills for the development, evaluation, and operation of transportation systems. Seeking a diverse group of well-qualified candidates. Apply now! is.gd/EWLUsM

We recently managed and oversaw the demolition of a decommissioned Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) navigation facility in Key West, FL. The decommissioned equipment will be removed from FAA’s inventory, subsequently reducing future costs and liabilities to FAA, and the property will be restored for future beneficial use by the surrounding community and public beach. In support of FAA’s Real Property Disposition and Environmental Cleanup Programs, we’ve been coordinating and implementing actions necessary to facilitate disposition of real property infrastructure and to remediate contamination at FAA facilities throughout the country. Thanks to Jacob Klaybor and Haley T. for supporting this work. For more on our Environmental Science and Engineering team’s work: is.gd/p1Klgh