U.S. DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

Congratulations, Gregg Fleming, the new U.S. DOT Volpe Center Director! We’re pleased to announce that Gregg G. Fleming has been named our new U.S. DOT Volpe Center Director, effective October 1, 2024. Learn more: is.gd/kvPEG7 

How is U.S. Department of Transportation addressing a critical need in aviation accessibility for passengers who fly with a wheelchair or scooter—or those who require hands-on transfer assistance? Learn how our multidisciplinary team of experts informed the development of this rulemaking: is.gd/tVMqFc Thank you to our team: Jonathan Badgley, Joseph Reed, and Donald Fisher. 

LAST DAY TO APPLY – TODAY, 10/28: We’re hiring experienced community planners who will develop, plan, and implement guidance, tools, and policies related to transportation planning, environmental stewardship, and research. Seeking a diverse group of well-qualified candidates. Apply now: is.gd/qt7zfZ

As part of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, our Disability Employment Program hosted a recent Colleagues Chat for U.S. DOT Volpe Center employees for a discussion on accessible public transportation advocacy and opportunities. Katarina Torres Radisic (Kat), Community Organizer at Boston Center for Independent Living/Riders’ Transportation Access Group (RTAG) Facilitator presented the history of RTAG, the barriers faced by the disability community in transportation, and RTAG’s advocacy efforts and campaigns aimed at eliminating these challenges. Thank you, Kat, for joining us and sharing your perspective from your efforts to ensure that individuals with disabilities have every opportunity to be fully participating members in our community, a mission that aligns well with our commitment to transform transportation for all. 

JOIN US OR SHARE WITH YOUR NETWORKS: We’re hiring experienced community planners who will develop, plan, and implement guidance, tools, and policies related to transportation planning, environmental stewardship, and research. Seeking a diverse group of well-qualified candidates. Apply now: is.gd/qt7zfZ

We recently worked with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to publish the Summer 2024 edition of the Fostering Multimodal Connectivity Newsletter, which showcases real-world examples of project delivery and design innovation in multimodal transportation that support safer, more sustainable, and more vibrant communities. The new edition of the newsletter reached more than 8,000 subscribers and featured articles from Stamford, Connecticut; Columbia, South Carolina; Vineyard, Utah; and Central Virginia. U.S. DOT Volpe Center staff research and contact local authors, edit and deliver draft documents, and manage the publication process as part of our work on strategic communications and outreach for FHWA’s Office of Human Environment. Thank you to our teammates—Nicole Cacozza and Ailish Ferrick from the Policy Analysis and Strategic Planning Division and André Lafontant from the Transportation Planning Division—whose support of the newsletter helps U.S. DOT communicate real-world examples of multimodal transportation investments that provide access to jobs and improve safety. Find the newsletter here: is.gd/0tONEa Sign up to receive future editions of the newsletter: is.gd/5I2Fqr Learn more about our Policy Analysis and Strategic Planning team’s work here: is.gd/B0RIsM

We were recently in San Francisco at Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s Fort Mason supporting Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Park Service (NPS), who hosted an in-person meeting of the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group (NPOAG). The purpose of the NPOAG is to provide advice and counsel to FAA and NPS regarding implementation of the National Parks Air Tour Management Act (NPATMA). Our team supports FAA and NPS in  implementing and meeting requirements of NPATMA. Thank you to the U.S. DOT Volpe Center staff who attended in-person: Briana Litchholt, Daniel J. DJ Mason, Amanda Rapoza, Kaitlyn Rimol Prakash, and Jennifer Papazian, who supported facilitation and notetaking, as well as Deirdre Carrigan who supported planning efforts for the meeting. For more on our Policy, Planning, and Environment Technical Center’s work, visit: is.gd/rUfAEv

JOIN US OR SHARE WITH YOUR NETWORKS: We’re looking for engineers to expand our U.S. DOT team comprised of transportation professionals who will work on various transportation-related engineering assessments and design studies that are intended to evaluate and improve the safety and performance of all modes of transportation systems and infrastructure. Seeking a diverse group of well-qualified candidates: is.gd/45rpSc

We traveled recently to San Diego for the Digital Avionics Systems Conference (DASC), presenting on research we’ve completed for Federal Aviation Administration that examines flight crew perspectives on performance-based navigation departure procedures. The project explored scenarios associated with a proposed air traffic concept that would allow flight operations with reduced separation between pairs of aircraft under authorized conditions. The research also gathered flight crew perspectives from discussions with nine line pilots about traffic-threat assessment and about factors that contribute to flight path deviations on departure procedures. Thank you to our Transportation Human Factors Division’s Divya Chandra and Andrea Sparko who presented at DASC, along with Drew Kendra who supported the research. Find the report here: is.gd/0DyIwd Learn more about our Transportation Human Factors team’s work: is.gd/9YlMnr

TODAY’S THE LAST DAY TO APPLY – WED. 10/23: We’re hiring mid-career to seasoned management & program analysts to support implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and serve as an advisor to management who evaluates the effectiveness of government programs and operations and the productivity and efficiency of programs. Seeking a diverse group of well-qualified candidates. Apply now: is.gd/zr9Upn