| DOT Operating Administration |
Name of Project |
Subject and Purpose |
Project Dates |
Government Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) |
The Conditions and Performance (C&P) Report is intended to provide Congress and other decision makers with an objective appraisal of the physical conditions, operational performance, financing mechanisms, and future investment requirements of highways and bridges. The report offers a comprehensive, factual background to support the development and evaluation of legislative, program, and budget options at all levels of government. It also serves as a primary source of information for national and international news media, transportation associations, and industry. |
The peer review will be conducted prior to the submission of the 2006 edition of the Conditions and Performance report. The current target date for the review is Fall 2005. |
Darren Timothy 202-366-4051 |
|
| Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) |
|
Tentatively planned for May-December 2006. |
Michael Savonis 202-366-2080 |
|
| Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) |
Metrics to evaluate the acceptability of supersonic overland flight |
The objectives of this project are to assess applicability of existing noise metrics to sonic boom, determine annoyance associated with supersonic jets and provide guidance for designating and operating supersonic jets that are acceptable to the public. |
The peer review would occur in the second half of Fiscal Year 2007. |
Dr. Lourdes Maurice (202) 493-4293 |
| Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) |
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through the Partnership for Air Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction (PARTNER) Center of Excellence and in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is pursuing research to reduce uncertainties regarding the contribution of aviation to climate change to levels that enable appropriate action. |
The peer review would occur in the second half of Fiscal Year 2009. |
Dr. Lourdes Maurice (202) 493-4293 |
|
| Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) |
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is pursuing research to measure, understand and quantify the impacts of aircraft hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions in relation to other sources. The research will lead to assessments of the health risks associated with aviation HAPs. This research project could result in metrics and models to calculate aviation HAPs and influence regulatory action and technology development that could exceed the $500 million per year threshold definition for highly influential scientific disseminations. The findings may support Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) and are expected to be of high public interest regardless of the level of quantification relative to other sources because of the health impacts potentially associated with aviation HAPs. |
The peer review would occur in the second half of Fiscal Year 2010. |
Dr. Lourdes Maurice (202) 493-4293 |
|
| Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) |
Monetizing Aviation Environmental Impacts and Benefits from Abatement Actions |
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is developing a comprehensive suite of software tools that will allow for thorough assessment of the environmental effects of aviation. Environmental impacts will subsequently be evaluated in the form of mitigation costs, external costs, and benefits (improved societal welfare such as better health, reduced adverse socio-economic effects, etc.). The economic assessment of aviation environmental impacts will include private sector manufacturer and operator mitigation costs of noise and emissions reduction. Environmental external costs will include health-related and socio-economic costs from aviation emissions and noise. Benefits will primarily be generated from any reductions in external costs. Research outcomes are expected in the form of monetizing relationships to enable conducting global-level analyses that include monetized benefits and societal costs. This research project could influence regulatory policy and aircraft/engine technology development that could exceed the $500 million per year threshold definition for highly influential scientific disseminations. The findings could also be controversial. |
The peer review would occur in the second half of Fiscal Year 2008. |
Dr. Lourdes Maurice (202) 493-4293 |
| Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) |
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are pursuing research under the Partnership for Air Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction (PARTNER) Center of Excellence to assess existing aircraft and airport noise metrics and to evaluate potential new metrics to assess the impact of airport and other noise sources on a community and to understand the relationship between noise annoyance, physiological responses, cognitive performance, and sleep quality. The project will involve laboratory experiments and social surveys to evaluate human response to aircraft noise. This research may result in a set of recommended acceptance metrics and threshold criteria that must be subjected to peer-review as the findings are expected to be of high public interest, and potentially lead to regulatory action and technology development that could exceed the $500 million per year threshold definition for highly influential scientific disseminations. |
The peer review would occur in the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2007. |
Dr. Lourdes Maurice (202) 493-4293 |
|
| Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) |
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Defense (DoD), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with manufacturers, airports and airlines, and in consultation with other stakeholders is pursuing research to understand and quantify aircraft particulate emissions (PM) in relation to other sources. This research is expected to result in metrics and models to calculate aviation PM and influence regulatory action and technology development that could exceed the $500 million per year threshold definition for highly influential scientific disseminations. The findings will support Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) and are expected to be of high public interest regardless of the level of quantification pertaining to aircraft relative to other sources because of the health impacts associated with PM. |
The peer review would occur in the second half of Fiscal Year 2008. |
Dr. Lourdes Maurice (202) 493-4293 |
|
| National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) |
Review of corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) model and supporting documentation. |
Supporting analysis for setting fuel economy standards. The peer review will examine the model that estimates benefits, costs, and environmental impacts from setting fuel economy standards for light trucks. The CAFE model will influence fuel economy standards that will have impacts that exceed $500 million. |
Peer Review completed September 2005. (DOT Docket Number NHTSA-2005-21974) |
Carol Hammel-Smith 202-366-5206 |
| National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) |
Crashworthiness - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration developed injury criteria and associated threshold levels for use with side impact dummies for assessing injury potential in recent upgrade to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 214 side impact protection. This project will influence a rulemaking (FMVSS No. 214) that will have impacts that exceed the $500 million threshold. |
The peer review would occur in the second half of Fiscal Year 2005. |
Shashi Kuppa (202) 366-3827 |
|
| National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) |
The Role of Post Crash Headroom in Predicting Roof Contact Injuries |
NHTSA completed the study, "The Role of Post-Crash Headroom in Predicting Roof Contact Injuries to the Head, Neck, or Face During Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 216 Rollovers" in January 2004. The stated purpose of FMVSS No. 216 is "to reduce deaths and injuries due to the crushing of the roof into the occupant compartment in rollover crashes" (49 CFR 571.216). This project will influence a rulemaking (FMVSS No. 216, roof crush resistance) that will not exceed the $500 million threshold. |
Peer Review completed August 2005. (DOT Docket Number NHTSA-2005-22154) |
Rory Austin (202)-493-2631 |
| National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) |
Update Statistical Analysis of the Effectiveness of Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Systems |
In 2004, NHTSA initiated an evaluation to assess the effectiveness of ESC in reducing single vehicle crashes in various domestic and imported passengers cars and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs). The preliminary results from last year’s study indicated that ESC is highly effective in reducing single vehicle crashes. NHTSA is in the process of proposing safety standards for ESC. NHTSA has embarked on this update and modification of last year’s analysis to support the agency’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). |
The peer review is scheduled for FY 2006. |
Jennifer N. Dang 202-493-0598 |
| National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) |
For over thirty years, NHTSA has refined its methodology for estimating the initial cost and retail price impacts of proposed safety and fuel economy standards. The methodology consists of three distinct components: 1. A physical teardown and engineering analysis of the system or component under study; 2. A manufacturing cost analysis based on labor, material, burden rates, and capital assets employed in accordance with best industry practices and; 3. Retail price development based on account-by-account analysis of OEM financial statements. This project will elicit comments from knowledgeable peers on the depth and accuracy of the analytical techniques employed and, hopefully, generate suggestions for enhancement. |
The peer review is anticipated for FY 2006. |
Bruce Spinney 202-366-4925 |
|
| National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) |
Update/Uncertainty Analysis of Quality Adjusted Life Year Loss Estimate |
When NHTSA values benefits due to reductions in injuries (as part of its regulatory analyses), its estimates include a metric called “quality-adjusted life year” (QALY), which measures the value of lost quality of life associated with injuries of different severities. The QALY was last updated in 1995. This project will update this measure, and provide confidence bounds for it. This will ensure the measures are based on the newest data and methodological research, and will enable NHTSA to examine the uncertainty surrounding these estimates in formal uncertainty analysis for significant rulemakings. The QALY project is not currently associated with any particular rulemaking, but will eventually be used to value injuries in most of NHTSA rulemakings, including those that exceed $500 million. |
The peer review is anticipated for FY 2006. |
Jonathan Walker 202-366-8571 |
| National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) |
The review of two reports entitled "Future Potential of Hybrid and Diesel Powertrains in the US Light-duty Vehicle Market," and "Fuel Economy Potential of 2010 Light Duty Trucks" will provide supporting analysis for setting fuel economy standards. The objective of these studies is to expand upon NHTSA’s existing knowledge base of vehicle fuel economy technology potential that could be used to increase fuel economy by the seven light-truck manufacturers that have a significant share of the U.S. market. The assessments estimate fuel economy technology potential in the 2009 - 2010 timeframe. The focus of the reports is to update (with the most recent technology assessment data) the light-truck fuel economy potential by class outlined in the 2001 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report, “Effectiveness and Import of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards.” Current estimates of the costs and effectiveness of diesels and hybrids by class, and vehicle down-weighting by material substitution are also included. |
The peer review is scheduled for FY 2006. |
Carol Hammel-Smith 202-366-5206 |
|
| National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) | Evaluation of Side Impact Protection | NHTSA is evaluating the fatality-reducing benefits of measures to improve a vehicle’s crashworthiness in side impacts, including upgrades to structures and padding, torso air bags and head air bags. The estimates of fatality reduction for torso and head air bags will be cited in the regulatory analysis supporting NHTSA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to add a pole test to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 214. | The peer review is scheduled for FY 2006 | Charles J. Kahane 202-366-2560 |
