Our Volpe Innovation Accelerator (VIA) program is a staff-led initiative that promotes innovation. We recently capped off this year’s VIA program with the VIA Grand Challenge, where four challenge topics were posted, and interested staff members assembled into multidisciplinary teams, who were given a budget for research, and then “pitched” their findings to date in front of U.S. DOT Volpe Center and USDOT Research and Technology leadership. Four projects were funded in FY24 under the VIA Grand Challenge: - Improving Data Collection and Accessibility of Grant Applications - Integrative Field Sobriety Testing Using Mobile Applications - Reducing Emissions in EV Charging - Mobility+ Powering Equity in Transit with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) Thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s VIA Grand Challenge! For more on our culture of innovation, visit: is.gd/qve95i
U.S. DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
Research
Cambridge, Massachusetts 7,954 followers
More than 50 years of advancing transportation innovation for the public good.
About us
For more than 50 years, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Volpe Center has helped the transportation community navigate its most challenging problems. As the National Transportation Systems Center, our mission is to improve transportation by anticipating and addressing emerging issues and advancing technical, operational, and institutional innovations across all modes. The Volpe Center is a unique federal agency that is 100 percent funded by sponsored projects. We partner with public and private organizations to assess the needs of the transportation community, evaluate research and development endeavors, assist in the deployment of state-of-the-art transportation technologies, and inform decision- and policy-making through our comprehensive analyses. Home to renowned multidisciplinary expertise in all modes of transportation, the Volpe Center serves its sponsor agencies with advanced technologies, research, and programs to ensure a fast, safe, efficient, accessible, and convenient transportation system that meets vital national and international interests and enhances the quality of life for the traveling public, today and into the future.
- Website
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https://www.volpe.dot.gov/
External link for U.S. DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
- Industry
- Research
- Company size
- 501-1,000 employees
- Headquarters
- Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Type
- Government Agency
- Founded
- 1970
- Specialties
- transportation, research and development, policy and planning, environment, energy, safety management systems, logistics, security, engineering, aviation, human factors, technology and innovation, railroad, and trains
Locations
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Primary
55 Broadway
Cambridge, Massachusetts, US
Employees at U.S. DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
Updates
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Federal Highway Administration recently published its 2023 Program Report for the Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment Program, which funds the development and deployment of advanced transportation technologies. The Program Report includes details about the grantees' projects, such as technologies deployed, performance measurement, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations and describes findings from completed projects. These annual program reports are required by the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act and are prepared by our team. Thank you to Margaret Petrella, Anna Solow-Collins, Katya Garcia-Israel, and Evelyn Aaron who manage this project and authored this report. Read the report: is.gd/NM60WB Learn more about our Economic Analysis team’s work: is.gd/azI7WQ
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We recently traveled to Pittsburgh to support the PA Tribe and Nations Summit sponsored by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Federal Highway Administration. The meeting brought together members of Tribal Nations and federal and state practitioners to discuss government obligations to engage in the consultation process with Federally Recognized Tribal nations and to review current consultation practices. The meeting was a follow-up event to the 2019 Northeast Regional Tribal Nation Summit held in Harrisburg, PA. On the last day of the summit participants attended a field trip to the McKees Rock Burial Mound and learned the history of the site. Many thanks to our own Ashley Asuncion and Sara Secunda who helped organize the Summit location and invitational travel, documented the summit, and will produce a final report. Learn more about our Policy Analysis and Strategic Planning team’s work here: is.gd/B0RIsM
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📢 Now Hiring! 📢 Join us to learn about paid internships and student employment opportunities at this virtual information session: Tuesday, 10/22 at 12 p.m. ET. Register here: is.gd/YsL7EM
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Thank you to Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Administrator Amit Bose for visiting the U.S. DOT Volpe Center this week, meeting with our director Gregg Fleming and our rail safety experts. We appreciated hearing your perspectives on FRA’s work to advance freight and passenger rail safety and implement the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
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Now Hiring: 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
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We were recently in PA conducting a comparative study of mountain bikes and electric mountain bikes on natural surface trails. The project is supported by Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Western Federal Lands Highway Division and FHWA Recreation Trails Program, in coordination with Nittany Mountain Biking Association and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This effort is part of a larger project portfolio, which includes collaboration with Bureau of Land Management. The study of rider behavior will incorporate innovative use of video and telematics data collection, and AI-powered machine learning for analysis. Our findings will support data-driven management of trail use in public lands across the U.S. The project team is led by Jonah Chiarenza and Ali B., and includes research support from David Carrion, Leila Cesic, Chelsea Farinacci, and Jeremy Hicks. For more on our Public Lands team’s work, visit: is.gd/Vp0ZO3
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Our team of experts presented during U.S. Department of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT) recent Artificial Intelligence (AI) Day, which aimed to provide U.S. DOT staff with insight into AI and its potential, the current state of practice across the Department, future and emerging use cases, and ways staff can get involved with AI today. Our own Brian ODonnell shared AI Fundamentals in his session “AI Essentials Unleashed: Dive into the Future of Technology,” which aimed to offer a foundational overview of AI concepts and definitions, review types and categories of AI, and establish a high-level understanding of current and emerging AI uses in transportation. In “Empowering the DOT Workforce: Essential AI Resources for You,” Federal Highway Administration’s Craig Thor presented with our own Matt Cuddy on current and forthcoming AI resources for U.S. DOT employes, such as the U.S. DOT AI Community of Practice, explore how U.S. DOT modes are advancing AI learning and development with unique initiatives, and learn where to find and use available federal AI resources. Thank you and congratulations to Brian and Matt! For more on our Innovative Research team’s work, visit: is.gd/UlHYtc
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Now Hiring: We’re hiring several program support specialists to provide analytical support to division projects, financial management, HR, business operations, and other administrative functions. Seeking a diverse group of well-qualified candidates. Apply now: is.gd/eyQa8D
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We were recently in Philadelphia supporting the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Civil Rights with its Investing in America: U.S. DOT Wealth Creation Tour. At this stop, U.S. DOT Assistant Secretary Christopher Coes led a Fireside Chat with Philadelphia's transportation leaders. This tour stop also included a panel discussion about local transportation projects, a presentation focused on resources for communities and small businesses, and a networking session. Thank you to our own Mac L., April Davison Ph.D., and Mikayla Jing Rooney who were onsite providing logistical support, as well as Rachael Sack who supported planning and program management. For more on our Innovative Research team’s work, visit: is.gd/UlHYtc