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Did you know that the Volpe Center offers a variety of transportation engineering services ranging from transportation safety evaluations to multimodal operation analyses? These services help advance transportation projects through the planning stage and into the preliminary engineering phase with visually appealing concept plans and preliminary cost estimates. Our “plangineers” bridge (no pun intended!) the gap between planning and engineering.
Traffic Operations Analysis
 Traffic Simulation at Rock Creek Park. Source: Volpe Center.
Model traffic operations using Synchro and other traffic simulation software
- Traffic Impact Studies
- Macrosimulation and Microsimulation
- Proposed Signal Phasing and Timing
- Warrant Analysis
- Intersection Control Evaluation (ICE)
Transportation Safety
 Road Safety Audit at Natchez Trace Parkway. Source: Volpe Center.
Improve safety and congestion through site-level analyses
- Safety Countermeasure Recommendation and Evaluation
- Roadway Safety Audits
- Crash Data Analysis
- Stopping Sight Distance Review
Preliminary Cost Estimates
 Construction of the Rock Harbor Dock at Isle Royale National Park. Source: Volpe Center
Provide preliminary cost estimates to help public land management agencies scope out overall level of effort for potential transportation engineering and design changes
- Construction estimates
- Operation estimates
Concept Plans
 Pedestrian/Bike conceptual plan at the National Mall and Memorial Parks. Source: Volpe Center.
Develop conceptual plans to allow sponsors and gateway communities to visualize recommendations and determine a preferred plan
- Bicycle and Pedestrian Access
- Signing and Pavement Marking
- Intersection and Corridor Geometric Modifications
- Parking and Vehicle Circulation
Contact: Michael Littman and Ben Rasmussen
Over the past few years, Volpe’s Public Lands Team has been increasingly asked to develop conceptual designs for trailhead areas, intersections and roadways, pedestrian crossings, access roads, and parking lots. To respond to these requests, Volpe has hired new staff and enhanced the capabilities of current staff to work with design tools like the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite (including Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop), AutoTURN, and Google Earths’ Elevation Profile Tool. These staff include engineers, landscape architects, and graphic designers.
Conceptual designs allow Volpe to develop a more complete report with a visual component that makes the proposed plan much easier to describe. In return, the plan is easier for sponsors and their stakeholders to understand, especially when they are not as technically experienced in transportation designs. The results of this work have not only enabled the visualization of desired future conditions, but have facilitated stakeholder discussions of the pros and cons of various concepts, directly informed the selection of preferred concepts, and have generally been well-received and valued by our FLMA partners. With refined conceptual plans for future development, our partners are able to better garner support for their projects from stakeholders and the public and pursue funding to bring the projects to fruition.
Below are some recent examples of concepts developed by the PLT for our FLMA partners.
 Source: Volpe Center
Current signage, pull-outs, and other attributes along the SD 244 corridor leading to Mount Rushmore National Memorial. This graphic provides an overview of how signage may affect motorists in areas with other activities present.
 Source: Volpe Center
A concept for Little Sand Bay at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. This concept provides an overview of kayak loading and unloading zones and through-lane traffic improvements to relieve bottlenecks and reduce safety concerns.
 Source: Volpe Center
The location of a conceptual shared-use path near Gore-Deluge Trailhead in the White River National Forest. This concept generated discussion about its feasibility; it was ultimately determined to be infeasible due to its impact on the environment compared to other, less intrusive options. Note the inset map, which provides an elevation profile of the proposed path.
 Source: Volpe Center
Potential parking lot and trail improvements at Sapphire Point in the White River National Forest. This concept provides an overview of how the site can be improved to better separate various uses while improving safety and traffic flow as well.
 Source: Volpe Center
A protected bicycle lane along Madison Drive through the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The concept plan was part of the National Mall and Memorial Parks (NAMA) Multimodal Strategic Implementation Plan that identified ways to improve multimodal travel through the area.
Project Contact: Michael Littman and Ben Rasmussen
The National Park Service (NPS) National Capital Region (NCR) supports national park units in the Washington, D.C., area. NPS owns and maintains several parkways in the Region that are classified as principle arterial roadways and generally carry more than 250,000 vehicles per day. Transportation modifications to these roadways can impact more than just park users, including commuters and local residents, as well as adjacent roadways owned and managed by other transportation agencies. Any changes to the NCR transportation system require a multimodal approach because the Region’s parks also support significant visitors walking, biking, using other micromobility options, and taking transit.
The U.S. DOT Volpe Center supports NCR on a variety of transportation engineering and transportation planning initiatives, which include traffic operations analysis, safety analysis, planning level cost estimating, data collection and data analysis, and conceptual design plans. Some of these projects include:
- The Volpe Center is completing a transportation impact report to study the reversible operations along Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway. The reversible operation occurs every workday converting all four lanes to inbound in the morning and outbound in the afternoon. The study has helped the NCR identify key transportation safety and capacity modifications while engaging with District Department of Transportation (DDOT) as a primary stakeholder.
- The Volpe Center is also working with NCR and the National Mall and Memorial Parks (NAMA) to create a transportation management plan for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. The festival occurs around mid-March to mid-April and can attract over 1.5 million visitors on the peak bloom days. The plan will provide NCR and NAMA with strategies to manage the influx of visitors who arrive by vehicle, bicycle, on foot, public transit, and/or tour bus.
- Lastly, the Volpe Center has completed a Safety Assessment and a Safety Implementation Plan at the intersection of Suitland Parkway at Naylor Road, one of the most challenging intersections for pedestrians throughout the NPS. Over the past decade, ten pedestrian fatalities have occurred at this location. The documents include a variety of safety recommendations and coordination with Maryland DOT and local utility companies.
Project Contact: Eric Englin and Michael Littman
 Michael at Nauset Lighthouse on Cape Cod National Seashore. Source: Volpe Center
What public lands projects are you working on now? What has been your favorite?
I co-manage the NPS National Capital Region (NCR) portfolio, which focuses on the Washington D.C. Metro region and I spend most of my time working on a variety of traffic analysis and safety projects. I also support the Park Planning and Special Studies (PPSS) portfolio. I really enjoyed working on the Cape Cod National Seashore because I have personal experience visiting there before I started working at the Volpe Center.
What types of projects outside of public lands do you work on?
I try to focus my efforts on safety or projects that improve the transportation experience for alternative transportation users. I have enjoyed the grant review projects as it’s a nice change from my regular line of work. When reviewing grants, I am able to apply my technical expertise and respond to safety elements someone else created.
What are your fondest memories of public lands?
I grew up in Ithaca, New York, which has an endless number of swimming holes throughout the gorges and rivers. The popular parks are Treman and Buttermilk State Parks but some of the more unknown spots are Flat Rock, and “Bubbles” (which is what I know it as, but I don’t know if there is an official name). We would sit under little waterfalls, lay on the warm sun-baked rocks, and turn over rocks to find bugs, crawfish, and lizards.
What new public land have you discovered since working at Volpe?
Shenandoah National Park! Unfortunately, when I was there it was November and freezing, and I didn’t get to actually hike or swim, but it was an amazing place regardless. I hope to go back soon so I can experience it as a visitor and a hiker.
I also really enjoyed the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island along the North Shore of Massachusetts. It has an amazing variety of wildlife, beaches, and of course, transportation challenges.
What’s the most unique, interesting, or strangest job you had before working at Volpe?
I was a camp counselor for a nature center (called Cayuga Nature Center) for a few summers when I was younger. I loved it so much! I was always assigned to the youngest campers, generally aged 5 and 6. We would go on mini adventures every day exploring nature and the outdoors. Kids have such a natural curiosity and I love fostering that. I like to think this experience contributed to my development as the “World’s Best Dad” according to my two daughters (age 5 years and 1 year).
If you were to have a job that wasn’t transportation or public lands related, what would it be?
Probably something that involved food, either growing food or cooking food, and of course eating food. I love to cook and have had some success with growing food. I also have an identical twin brother, Scott, who is a chef. I think we would make a great team.
Contact: Michael Littman
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