The Volpe Center-managed FHWA Research and Technology (R&T) Evaluation Program provides insight into how research goes from paper to roadway—from early research stages, to implementation, to measuring outcomes. By the end of fiscal year (FY) 2017, Volpe completed 12 evaluations. Five cross-cutting recommendations have emerged that can encourage research coordination and improve roadway safety and efficiency.
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Featured Work
The Tool That Informs Amtrak Service Levels and Helps Keep Half of All Riders Moving
New financial performance reports are helping states manage their passenger rail services with greater precision, and giving agencies the information they need to make data-driven decisions.
Improving Communications Between Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers
Adding textual communications between pilots and controllers into the mix: one step forward in making air travel safer and more efficient.
Wake Turbulence Research
The findings from the past decade of wake turbulence research are helping ensure wake turbulence safety, reduce airport delays, shorten final approaches to airports, and reduce fuel burn and emissions.
Optimizing Freight and Fuel Movement with Flow Analysis
From a single operator to an entire system, Volpe experts help transportation professionals understand how goods and people move today—and how they can move better in the future.
Maintaining and Improving National Airspace Infrastructure
Tackling complex, large-scale infrastructure upgrades at air traffic facilities in support of NextGen.
Staying on the Rails with Vehicle-Track Interaction
Track and infrastructure failure is the second leading cause of train derailments in the United States. Vehicle-track interaction research investigates wheel-rail contact forces and their consequences to reduce railroad derailments and improve safety.
Bringing Cost Savings to U.S. Department of Defense Container Shipping
The United States Transportation Command seeks Volpe’s research and analytical expertise to help increase fuel cost savings and maximize fuel efficiency for handling the combined shipping needs for all branches of the U.S. military, approximately 300,000 containers per year.
System Enables Drone Operators to Detect and Avoid Other Aircraft
The primary safety concern with unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) is the inability of remote operators to “see and avoid” other aircraft. Volpe has worked with the U.S. Air Force to develop and deploy a low-cost automated solution that is helping accelerate the safe integration of drones into the national airspace.
Maritime Safety and Security Information System (MSSIS)
Volpe developed a low-cost, unclassified, near real-time network that is used to track vessels as they traverse the world’s waterways.