Volpe Center: Volpe Center Highlights

Volpe Center Highlights - August 1996

Human and Natural Environment

Protect and enhance communities and the natural environment affected by transportation.

Participation in Southeast Asia Regional Workshop on Greenhouse Gases

At the request of the Secretariat for the U.S. Initiative on Joint Implementation (U.S. IJI), Mr. Kevin Green, of the Center's Strategic Planning and Analysis Office, recently represented the Department at the "Southeast Asia Regional Workshop on Activities Implemented Jointly," which was held June 25-27 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The workshop was held to identify potential activities in the region to reduce and/or sequester emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). The U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change provides for the reduction of emissions through cooperative international activities, and the U.S. IJI is pursuing the development of such projects during a pilot phase that has been established through international negotiation. Transportation-related projects have yet to be demonstrated within this context. Mr. Green presented an overview of activities and policy developments related to U.S. transportation sector GHG emissions, and provided suggestions for potential jointly implemented activities in this area. As a result of this presentation, the U.S. IJI Secretariat has expressed interest in working with the Volpe Center in the future on developing transportation-related background materials, outreach activities, and project concepts for the initiative.

Air Quality Technical Planning (FHWA)

Dr. Don Pickrell and Ms. Beth Deysher, both of the Volpe Center's Office of Research and Analysis, presented papers at the Transportation Research Board's Summer Session, "Regional Transportation and Air Quality Planning -- Expanding the Dialogue and Advancing the Practice," which was sponsored by the Committee on Air Quality and Transportation. Dr. Pickrell presented an analysis assessing the effectiveness of reducing emissions through the use of transportation control measures by disaggregating the emissions rates and use of vehicles by different trip types. Dr. Pickrell also presented a review of forecasted emissions reductions and vehicle mileage trends submitted by metropolitan areas as part of their efforts to comply with the transportation conformity rule of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. Ms. Deysher presented an analysis assessing the effectiveness of reducing vehicular emissions through retiring old vehicles. Reports on the analyses will be published in the near future.

Moving Towards "Free Flight" (FAA)

The Volpe Center recently delivered to the FAA's Air Traffic Operations a major system feature of the Center-developed Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS) that enables Air Traffic personnel the ability to manage sector workloads more effectively. This major feature, ready for operational testing, is referred to as the National Route Program (NRP). The NRP allows aircraft between selected city pairs to fly more direct, fuel-efficient paths at higher altitudes in en route airspace. NRP capabilities represent the first steps in implementing aspects of "free flight" in the active air traffic control system.

Delivery of Aviation Facility Maintenance Management Tool (FAA)

In support of the FAA, the Volpe Center develops tools that support more efficient and effective aviation facility maintenance and system management. In mid-July, the Volpe Center's Information System Division delivered to the FAA the Simplified Automated Logging (SAL) tool for operational test and evaluation, a step which is an important prerequisite to full national deployment. SAL provides a mechanism for field maintenance specialists to generate, maintain, and review information about their maintenance activities and review all specialist activity for facilities and equipment that the reviewing technician helps to maintain. In addition, SAL provides a management level review function.

National Workshop on Airway Facilities Staffing Requirements (FAA)

The FAA's Airway Facilities (AF) organization includes 9,000 people responsible for installing, operating, and maintaining all facilities that comprise the National Airspace System used for air traffic control and aeronautical navigation nation-wide. In support of this responsibility, the Volpe Center has developed the Staffing Standards and Analysis System (SSAS) as AF's official tool for projecting staff requirements and allocating available staff resources to field organizations. SSAS is also used by AF management for human resource and organizational planning studies, and provides FAA and DOT top management with information vital to FAA and departmental interaction with the Congress. The FAA SSAS National Workshop was recently held in Redondo Beach, CA, to validate the staffing requirements generated by SSAS. At the workshop, major databases for staffing computation were validated, staffing abnormalities were investigated, and items for further investigation were identified. Representatives from the FAA regions and headquarters reached general consensus on equitable allocations of FY97 AF staffing resources. Dr. Li Shin Yuan, of the Center's Operations Assessment Division, attended the Workshop as the developer and technical consultant on SSAS applications for staffing requirements validation and on SSAS issues in general.

National Traffic Accident Data System Training Course (NHTSA)

Recently, representatives from NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis, the Transportation Safety Institute, and the National Accident Sampling System (NASS) Zone Centers and Primary Sampling Units attended the first in a series of training courses held by the Volpe Center's Center for Transportation Information (CTI). NASS is the mechanism through which NHTSA collects nationally representative data on motor vehicle crashes to aid in the development, implementation, and evaluation of motor vehicle and highway safety countermeasures. It is being entirely redesigned by the Volpe Center as a totally electronic data collection system. The training course addressed operation of the basic NASS Electronic Data Collection System under development by CTI. The session included Windows '95 fundamentals, hardware components and setup, digital camera operation, pen system operation, police accident report data entry and sampling, computer software-supported accident scene sketches ("Visio drawing"), and the NASS data collection application. The knowledge gained from this course will provide the essential foundation for the phase two testing process. A second training session on NASS data collection application and other NASS functions will be held in September.

Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization Strategy Development (OST)

The Volpe Center has recently completed a two-year pollution prevention planning project for OST's Office of Administrative Services and Property Management. The project included the development of a departmental strategy, model pollution prevention plans for the Coast Guard and other DOT facilities, and facility plans for several specific USCGC, Maritime Administration, and St. Lawrence Seaway sites. Each plan involved the analyses of all operations and waste streams at a facility or group of facilities, and cost/benefit analyses to most effectively target process changes. OST and USCGC are now distributing the model plans to all affected facilities for timely compliance with the Executive Order mandating the pollution prevention program. The Environmental Engineering Division's expertise in environmental and marine transportation issues was instrumental in the successful completion of this multi-faceted project.

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