The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
Research and Innovative Technology Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and part of the newly created Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), was established in 1970 to fulfill the need of the newly formed U.S. DOT for broad technical support. Since its inception, the Center’s systems-level understanding of transportation technology, operations, and institutions, coupled with a wide range of analytical and engineering capabilities has been an invaluable resource to the Department and others.

Operating under the guidance of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and the RITA Administrator, the Volpe Center -- in step with the Department’s national transportation objectives and priorities -- contributes to the public good through it work to improve the performance and effectiveness of the nation’s transportation system. In the thirty five years since the Volpe Center was established, it has addressed major national transportation issues related to safety, congestion reduction (mobility), environmental stewardship, global connectivity and security.

By applying its unique combination of technical knowledge and expertise, the Volpe Center has lent critical support to its clients – U.S. DOT, other Federal agencies, state, and local governments, industry, and academia -- to successfully carry out their missions. Today, the Volpe Center has evolved in to an internationally recognized center of transportation expertise. Through research and development, engineering, and analysis, the Volpe Center helps decision-makers define problems and pursue solutions. The Center repeatedly exhibits its ability to respond rapidly to emerging needs within DOT, and its skill at deploying systems that work in complex environment.

The Volpe Center’s work includes a broad mix of projects that cut across traditional transportation modes and technical disciplines. The Volpe Center has also successfully implemented several major programs such as the Federal Aviation Administration's Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS) and Safety Performance Analysis System (SPAS), and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's SafeStat Online.

The Volpe Center differs from most Federal organizations in that it receives no direct appropriation from Congress. Instead, the Volpe Center is funded 100% through a fee-for-service structure in which all of our costs are covered by sponsored project work. A catalyst for innovation, the Volpe Center serves as a key source of critical insight necessary to realize transportation's promising future.

http://www.volpe.dot.gov