U.S. DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

Meet Some of Our Student Interns: In our next edition of the ongoing “Journeys to Transportation” video series, hear from Erwin Figueroa, Maggie Harger, Mac L., and Brenden Resnick, community planners and policy analysts who started as Pathways student trainees. Learn more: is.gd/cQfrgb

Some members of our Climate Change Community of Practice (CoP) recently visited the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s (MassCEC) Wind Technology Testing Center (WTTC) in Charlestown, MA. At the WTTC, MassCEC works with manufacturers to test the durability and lifespan of wind turbine blades up to 90 meters long. WTTC offers a suite of certification tests for blades in different wind conditions. Our CoP got a tour of the facility, learned how they test wind turbine blades, and visited their control room with a view of the testing floor. Our CoPs are staff-led opportunities to exchange knowledge, share innovations, and learn about best practices to better our collective work and professional development. Learn more about our commitment to innovation: is.gd/qve95i

Join Federal Highway Administration tomorrow, Thursday, 10/31 at 1 p.m. ET for webinar on Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to update 23 CFR 772 (Procedures for Abatement of Highway Traffic Noise and Construction Noise). Our Environmental Measurement and Modeling team supported FHWA in facilitating this webinar and 10/22 webinar and supporting the development of the NPRM. 23 CFR 772 is more than 14 years old and has not kept pace with technological developments or best practices in the field. The NPRM’s goal is to address these issues. Key proposed changes include listing the required information for a state’s noise policy, discussing applicability and responsibilities for compliance by states or by any recipient, updating the process for adoption of new versions of the Traffic Noise Model (TNM), introducing Screening as a means of compliance with the rule, proposing exemptions to certain type I projects, addressing multiple updates and consolidation of analysis requirements for impact and abatement evaluations, and including other updates to improve the organization of the rule. The NPRM also proposes reorganizing the contents of the rule so that they follow the typical process of highway project development and thus make information and requirements easier to locate. The NPRM includes a new Documentation and Reporting section that consolidates information that is currently located in multiple areas of the rule.  Thanks to our team who support this work Sophie Son and Hastings, Aaron. Join webinar: is.gd/16gLdN Find the NPRM: is.gd/61zmV4 For more on our Environmental Measurement and Modeling team’s work: is.gd/JtM0RM

To track and respond to freight rail disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Federal Railroad Administration asked U.S. DOT Volpe Center’s economists to capture the performance of the freight rail network using data available in Surface Transportation Board reports. Thanks to our team who lead this important work: David Hyde, Greg Bucci, Kaitlin Coppinger, Arielle Herman, and Claire Roycroft. Learn about the innovative tools our team created: is.gd/YrCHaw

Apply Now: 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

Did you catch our 2nd session from the Making Good on the Potential of #BIL series on 10/8? View the recap and recording for insights on best practices to get big infrastructure projects off the ground: is.gd/m6raq7

We recently participated virtually in the Quiet Drones 2024 conference in Manchester, UK. During the session on Uncrewed Aircraft Systems / Urban Air Mobility Noise Regulations, our own Robert Downs, PhD presented “On the Evaluation of Sound Exposure Level Corrections for Small Drones,” with input from Environmental Measurement and Modeling Division colleagues Christopher Cutler-Wood, Michael Barzach, and Joseph Fletcher. This work was sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration Office of Environment and Energy as part of a larger project, which includes measurement and analysis of noise from small uncrewed aircraft. These new entrants into the public airspace operate in fundamentally different ways compared to conventional aircraft and understanding their impact on the environment is an ongoing effort supported by our Environmental Measurement and Modeling Division. For more on our Environmental Measurement and Modeling Division’s work, visit: is.gd/JtM0RM

Learn how we support historically disadvantaged and under-resourced communities and find out how to receive transformative infrastructure funding through the Thriving Communities Network, a recently launched program co-chaired by U.S. Department of Transportation and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that coordinates a technical assistance program across the federal government. Thanks to our team supporting the Thriving Communities Network: Kevin W., Kimberly Higgins, Christian Cervantes, AICP, and Harrison Clark, AICP. Find out more about our role: is.gd/ni4s3i

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.