FHWA Awards Small Businesses $1.26 Million To Conduct Innovative Transportation Research |
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Federal Highway Administration
June 29, 2001
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 29, 2001
Contact: Karen Whitney
Lori Irving
Telephone: 202-366-0660
FHWA 25-01
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today announced that it has awarded a total of $1.26 million to 13 small businesses to conduct 11 innovative transportation research projects as part of the Small Business Innovative Research program (SBIR).
“Applying new technology to complex real-world transportation problems is one of the major challenges for transportation,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta said. “This program provides an excellent opportunity for small businesses to help the United States advance in an arena that affects the quality of life of every American.”
The funding will enable the companies to conduct research activities ranging from development of an early warning driver alert of pedestrian presence to development an ultra violet bulb for automotive headlamps to help make fluorescent materials in pavement markings and signs, for example, more visible for drivers.
Staff at FHWA’s renowned Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center worked with experts throughout the agency to identify projects and issues that not only provide an opportunity for small businesses to participate in the SBIR program, but also complement ongoing FHWA research and help to support the agency’s strategic goals. Other U.S. Department of Transportation administrations also participate in the SBIR program, which is administered by the department’s Research and Special Programs Administration.
Congress established the SBIR program to stimulate technological innovation, utilize small business to meet federal research and development needs, encourage participation by minority and disadvantaged businesses in technological innovation, and increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from federal research and development.
It is a nationwide program that is open to all small businesses throughout the United States.
The following list names the projects and the small businesses that received awards:
“A Driver Early Warning Alert of Pedestrian Presence,” Creare, Inc., Hanover, N.H., and OPTIMUS Corporation, Silver Spring, Md.
"Development and Implementation of Compact Disk Read Only Memory (CDROM) Training Program," SayTech Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind.
"Analysis of Urban and Rural Transportation Corridor Development Conflicts,” Vieux & Associates, Inc., Norman, Okla.
"Development and Implementation of Automated Management of Additions/Deletions of Highway Driveways," Simwright, Inc., Navarre, Fla.
"Software Package for Fitting and Evaluating Material Models for the Finite Element Code DYNA3D," APTEK, Inc., Colorado Springs, Colo.
"Development of an Ultra Violet (UV) Bulb for Use in Automotive Headlamps," Physical Optics Corporation, Torrance, Calif.
"Recycling of Portland Cement Concrete Pavement," Road Processing Resources, Inc., Vail, Colo.
"Development of a Sidewalk Assessment Process," Moore Iacofano Goltsman Inc., Berkeley, Calif.
"Development of Technology to Increase Native Seed Source," Solis Environmental, Byran, Texas.
"Development of an Enforceable Handicapped Parking Placard," Mainstream Engineering, Rockledge, Fla., and Handiplate, Malibu, Calif.
"Non-intrusive Wind Field Mapper," Science Research Laboratory, Inc., Somerville, Mass.
For the SBIR project descriptions go to http://www.volpe.dot.gov/sbir/sol00/sec8.html on the Internet.