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CENTERED ON SERVICE
Volume 5, Issue 2
May 2009

Centered on Service
Volume 5, Issue 2
May 2009

Table of Contents
Technical Assistance
Civil Rights Team Highlights Promising Practice
STAQ 2009 Jackson Florida
New COP on Historic Bridges

Technology Deployment
PDS Update National Title VI Nondiscrimination Forum
Precast Concrete Pavement Systems PDS

Training
New Course Helps Public Involvement Practitioners
New NHI Offering

Partnerships
Transportation Partnership Program News: LTAP/TTAP Activities
Office of Technical Services Brings Together RC, NHI, and TPP

Centered on Quality
Employee Highlight: RC Staff Honored for Commitment to Excellence

Centered on Results
New RC Staff

Calendar of Events

Start of Article 1

Commemorating Earth Day 2009
The FHWA and NEPA, 40 Years Later

The late 1960s were a pivotal time for life in the United States on many levels. We were at the apex of the Vietnam War, we landed the first Americans on the moon, and our social culture was experiencing fundamental changes. We also saw, during the entire decade, the proliferation of environmental issues nationwide, including rampant air pollution in our large cities, huge fish kills on the Great Lakes, concern over the widespread use of pesticides, and the spontaneous combustion of Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River.

It was out of events such as these that the environmental movement was born. In 1970, Earth Day was first commemorated to inspire awareness of, and appreciation for, our natural environment. In the past 39 years, Earth Day has grown from an event encompassing approximately 20 million people in a handful of communities in the United States to become a worldwide celebration, observed in 174 countries by more than 1 billion people, according to the Earth Day Network. According to former Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-WI), Earth Day’s founder, the event was conceived as a way to raise public understanding of environmental issues, while at the same time bringing those issues into the political limelight.

Senator Nelson’s original vision for Earth Day borrowed from the concept of the 1960s teach-in demonstrations that were organized on college campuses in opposition to the Vietnam War. Earth Day was conceived as an “environmental teach-in” and used community events, lectures, and other educational activities as the first national demonstrations on environmental problems. Earth Day celebrations of today retain this focus on education and dialogue, and they continue to foster greater environmental appreciation.

Caption: Photo of a road with many bends and turns as it winds through the country side.

There was another product of the 1960s environmental movement that was lesser known among the general public, yet is also significant and leaves an enduring legacy. Enacted in 1969, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) broke new ground by setting, for the first time, a national environmental policy related to Federal investments. NEPA required that environmental considerations be incorporated into all government decision making, and sought to achieve a balance between public investments and a sustainable environment. The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) was established by the White House to oversee NEPA’s implementation.

The U.S. Congress passed NEPA in recognition of the fact that investments made by the Federal Government, while necessary and meeting important goals do have an impact on the environment. Furthermore, in deciding to make Federal investments, these impacts need to be looked at, considered and addressed before projects could move forward. The range of impacts to be considered is wide and encompasses both the natural and built environment. NEPA fundamentally altered how lawmakers and regulators approached human impacts on the natural world by requiring Federal agencies to prepare Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) for all major Federal actions significantly affecting the environment. NEPA applies to all investments made by the Federal Government, including roads, bridges and other major transportation projects.

NEPA also established a basic framework for integrating environmental considerations into
Federal decision making. The law required that all alternatives for a potential project be
considered for their possible impacts on the environment; that direct and indirect impacts be
avoided or mitigated; and that the decision making process be open, incorporating the views of all stakeholders as well as the public. NEPA also required open disclosure and documentation, with results of analyses made available for comment from interested parties. Essentially, while the ultimate decisions made may, in some cases, end up being the same as those made prior to NEPA’s enactment, the process by which those decisions were made was forever changed under NEPA. In short, NEPA set forth an entirely new way of doing business in developing transportation projects.

Over the past 40 years, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has answered NEPA’s call and has incorporated the law’s principles into transportation project development, and those principles are common practice today.

Early and continuous interagency coordination and cooperation. NEPA requires that all agencies involved on a project begin coordinating early, when the
project is just beginning to be scoped out. For example, on the FHWA’s Hoover Dam bypass project, a multi-agency project team comprised of the FHWA and five other key agencies was convened in 2001 – this team came to an agreement on a final alternative in 2001 for a U.S. 93 bypass project that had been discussed since the 1960s. The FHWA recognized that only through a team approach would the project be able to be completed; as a result not only did the project meet NEPA requirements but it also incorporated the core values of the legislation.

Meaningful evaluation of alternatives and avoidance of commitments before a full evaluation is completed. In South Carolina, the FHWA worked with the State department of transportation (DOT) to form a partnership to address the most significant new road construction project in the State – linking the Myrtle Beach area with I-95. A partnership was forged, comprised of 12 State and Federal agencies, to develop an overall project delivery strategy. A Corridor Analysis Tool was developed, allowing the participants to rank 100 initial alternatives, narrowing seven alternatives for further study. This tool, as well as the relationships formed by the agencies, has enabled the project to secure all environmental permits in 3 years or less.

Public involvement and hearing procedures. NEPA requires early and continuous public involvement during the project development process. In Washington, D.C., for example, the 11th Street Bridges project to complete a pair of bridges over the Anacostia River actively pursued public input by creating an 11th Street Bridges Website, newsletters, and mailing lists; giving formal presentations and workshops to community groups; and holding public scoping meetings and other monthly meetings to involve multiple agency and citizen stakeholders throughout all stages of project development and the EIS review. The Website and newsletters were designed to present information to both the general public and technical experts to engage them in the process. This involvement helped
secure public buy-in for the project, and the project received a final Record of Decision in just 3 years.

Final design, property acquisition, and construction only occur once the NEPA process is completed. The purpose of this provision is to ensure that projects are not pre-decided, thereby skirting the NEPA process. Preliminary design, however, may occur during the NEPA process, and the FHWA issued a rule in 2007 outlining new contract procedures to streamline project development, while still preserving the integrity of NEPA.

Growing Transportation Professionals to Fulfill NEPA’s Intent The FHWA helps transportation professionals implement NEPA in a number of ways. For the past 37 years, the National Highway Institute (NHI) has been addressing the unique training needs of the transportation community – helping it to select, develop, implement, and evaluate solutions that best meet its goals. NHI provides "training solutions for transportation excellence" through a variety of courses and seminars that address the full spectrum of the highway transportation system.

Numerous NHI courses are available for Federal, State and local transportation staffs, as well as the private sector, to facilitate transportation workforce development. The NHI courses related to project development include: Advanced Seminar on Transportation Project Development: Navigating the NEPA Maze
Beyond Compliance: Historic Preservation in Transportation Project Development Effective Communications in Public Involvement NEPA and Transportation Decision making Public Involvement in the Transportation Decision making Process

Other types of training are also available to transportation professionals. The FHWA’s Indirect and Cumulative Impacts workshop was developed to address the unique challenges posed by these specific impacts. Indirect and cumulative impacts are often more difficult to predict and assess than direct impacts, and can delay the NEPA project development process.

There are many other FHWA resources available to transportation professionals to aid in NEPA implementation and project development. The Environmental Capacity Building Program (ECB) provides a central source of information for transportation and environmental professionals to develop competency in the environmental disciplines required for their work. An online Competency Navigator has been developed which assesses the environmental competencies
required for nine different types of positions. For example, the navigator identifies public involvement, alternatives analysis and air quality as among the disciplines in which planners should have technical proficiency, and goes on to provide a catalog of resources which planners may consult to build their proficiency in such areas. The Competency Navigator was launched in the summer of 2008.

Other Assistance
In coordination with seven other Federal resource agencies, the FHWA developed Eco-Logical, which takes NEPA one step further by offering a framework for achieving greater interagency cooperative conservation. Eco-Logical provides a non-prescriptive approach that enables Federal, State, tribal, and local partners involved in infrastructure planning, design, review, and construction to work together to make infrastructure more sensitive to wildlife and their ecosystems. Eco-Logical also builds upon NEPA by recognizing open public and stakeholder involvement as the cornerstone for cooperative conservation.

In 2007, the FHWA awarded grants totaling $1.4 million in support of Eco-Logical for 15 demonstration projects to accomplish integrated planning and development of a Regional Ecosystem Framework. These grants have helped to forge partnerships, and the realization of environmental successes greater than could be achieved by any of the partner entities alone. For example, the Capital Area Council of Governments in Austin, TX, in partnership with area not-for-profit organizations, is implementing a pilot project to develop the Central Texas Greenprint for Growth - a tool for balancing sustainable conservation goals with
the infrastructure needs of the rapidly urbanizing Austin region.

“Our goal is an environment of decency, quality, and mutual respect for all other human creatures and for all living creatures. . . .The battle to restore a proper relationship between man and his environment, between man and other living creatures will require a long, sustained, political, moral, ethical, and financial commitment –far beyond any effort made before.” Former Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-WI), Earth Day Founder at the first Earth Day celebration in 1970

The implementation of NEPA over the past 40 years has continuously taken the spirit of the early environmental movement and put it into action, and it will continue to put it into action for at least 40 more.

For more information please contact:
Lamar Smith
Environment TST Team Leader
FHWA Resource Center
(720) 963-3210
lamar.smith@dot.gov
More information can be found at: Environmental Review Toolkit

End of Article 1

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Start of article 2

Civil Rights Team Highlights Promising Practices
The Civil Rights (CR) Technical Services Team (TST) of the FHWA Resource Center is currently working to strengthen the CR discipline by identifying and sharing Promising Practices (PP). This goal is a primary objective for the team to accomplish in FY ’09. To be identified as a PP the activity must meet at least two of the three criteria outlined below:

A practice that has been successfully implemented and has achieved results in a State transportation agency's (STA) civil rights program;
A practice that is easily adaptable by other STAs and achieves civil rights program objectives;
A practice that will improve an existing procedure/process or program (i.e. software program, forms, innovative or new technology, etc).

One element of strengthening the discipline is assuring that the CR TST's postings on the FHWA Resource Center Website for Civil Rights. This provides useful and relevant information. Providing information about PPs is one way to do this. Practices that have been identified as promising by the Civil Rights TST will be posted to the Website to be shared with the FHWA division offices and the STAs.

The STAs are encouraged to contribute to the effort by identifying and collecting PPs. In the event that the Civil Rights TST becomes aware of a PP from a STA, the respective FHWA division office must concur with the STA that it is a PP. The division offices are encouraged to share this information with their respective STAs.

Promising Practices will be organized by the various CR Program Areas:

ADA/504
Contractor Compliance/On-the-Job-Training (OJT)
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)
State Internal EEO (SIEEO)
Title VI/Nondiscrimination
American Indian/Alaska Native

Others:
Minority Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions of Higher Education (MIHEs: HBCU, HACU, TCs, etc.)
Supportive Services (OJT/SS and DBE/SS)

Proposed Promising Practices may be submitted in the form of a brief paragraph that describes how the practice meets the above criteria. Anyone with questions about a potential PP is encouraged to call Janet Hayes to discuss it.

For further information contact:
Janet Hayes
Civil Rights Specialist
FHWA Resource Center
(404) 562-3579
janet.hayes@dot.gov

Southern Region Air Quality
Conference Coming This Summer
STAQS 2009 to be held in Jacksonville, FL, August 25-27

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are sponsoring the Southern Transportation and Air Quality Summit (STAQS) 2009 this summer in Jacksonville, FL. The STAQS conference will take place August 25-27 at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville-Riverfront Hotel.

STAQS 2009 will bring together stakeholders from the fields of transportation and air quality to discuss the current and upcoming regulatory environment, new technologies, and current practices. The conference agenda is geared toward practitioners in the southern States involved with public agencies at all levels.

A host of speakers on the national and regional levels will be on hand to make presentations on key topics, best practices, and latest information vital to transportation, planning, and air quality professionals. Topics will include mobile source air toxics, the MOVES model, climate change, transportation conformity, interagency consultation, and more.

Caption: Image of the Southern Transportation and Air Quality Summit logo.

 

Don’t miss this opportunity to interact with other transportation and air quality professionals.

Those encouraged to attend include transportation and air quality staff at the Federal, State, and local government levels, including the FHWA, EPA, Federal Transit Administration, State DOTs, State air and environmental agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, transit agencies, city, and county agencies. Consultants, academia, and others involved in the transportation and air quality arenas are also urged to attend.

Conference co-sponsors include the Metro4-Sesarm and North Florida Transportation Planning Organization. To register for the conference and obtain more information, visit the STAQS website. There is a registration fee of $100.00 to attend the summit.

For additional information, contact one of the following:

Mike Roberts
Air Quality Specialist
FHWA Resource Center
(404) 562-3928
Michael.Roberts@dot.gov

Dianna Smith
Environmental Protection Agency
Region 4
(404) 562.9207
Smith.Dianna@epa.gov

Jeffrey Riley
Environmental Protection Agency
Region 6
(214) 665.8542
Riley.Jeffrey@epamail.epa.gov

NEW! Community-of-Practice on Historic Bridges

A new community-of-practice forum on historic bridges was launched on April 1 by the Center for Environmental Excellence on the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Website.

The community-of-practice provides an online venue for participants to identify emerging issues, trends, procedures, research, and data needs associated with the identification, evaluation, and management of the Nation’s historic bridges. It will also contribute to current discussions on how to effectively preserve and manage the Nation’s highway bridge assets. The online forum consists of some 43 experts in the discipline, including bridge engineers and historic preservation professionals from both the public and private sectors, as well as academia.

Caption: Photo of the Historic Suislaw River Bridge as it crosses a river in Florence, OR

In addition to offering a discussion forum, the new historic bridges community-of-practice site includes a resource library with documents and case studies, a glossary of relevant terms, a list of related web links, and a feedback form for comments and suggestions. It also provides a list of forum participants.

All discussion threads on the site may be viewed by the general public, and non-members may submit comments or information to the forum moderator, Terry Klein, Executive Director of SRI Foundation.

The historic bridges forum is the first online community-of-practice hosted by the Center for Environmental Excellence by AASHTO. Other community-of-practice forums have been developed on stormwater and air quality issues, although these forums are not web-based.

Caption: Photo of the Ashuelot Bridge in Winchester, NH

The moderators for each community of practice will prepare and publish state-of-the practice reports for each topic area to be posted on the Center website by the end of June.

Caption: Photo of the Monacacy River aqueduct on the C&O Canal in Maryland

For more information, link to the Historic Bridges Community-of-Practice through the AASHTO Center for Environmental Excellence Website

TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT

PDS Update: National Title VI/ Nondiscrimination Forum PDS - August 19, 2009

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and related statutes requires recipients of Federal funds to ensure nondiscrimination in all programs and activities. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) allocates billions of dollars to State departments of transportation (DOT), hereinafter referred to as State transportation agencies (STAs). The STAs are required to implement Title VI programs to ensure no discrimination by the STA and their subrecipients (cities, towns, counties, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), etc.). Many STAs are delegating more of their FHWA program responsibilities to their local agencies.

The FHWA Resource Center Civil Rights Technical Service Team is working in partnership with the Headquarters Office of Civil Rights (HCR), and the Southern Transportation Civil Rights Executive Council (STCREC) to host a National Title VI/Nondiscrimination Forum on August 19 in Birmingham, AL. The STCREC consists of civil rights officials from eight southern STAs who work collaboratively to advance these programs. The purpose of the National Title VI/ Nondiscrimination Forum is to provide an opportunity for STAs, local governments, other DOT recipients and subrecipients to learn about Title VI requirements.

The Title VI Forum will be hosted in conjunction with the STCREC’s biennial Civil Rights Training Symposium--about 200 DOT officials from across the Nation usually attend this symposium.

The following briefly describes the objectives, expected outcomes, and format of the Title VI/ Nondiscrimination Forum.

Objectives:
To deploy technology and demonstrate products, services and programs that promote uniformity and consistency by our STAs, local agencies, and other recipients in administering Title VI/Nondiscrimination programs.
To provide an opportunity for our customers, partners and stakeholders to network, share knowledge and resources to meet program requirements.
To share information on emerging issues regarding Title VI and other related statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders, such as ADA/504, Limited English Proficiency (LEP), and Environmental Justice.

Caption: Photo of the outside of the U.S. Supreme Court building

Expected Outcomes:
Title VI tools will be deployed to promote uniformity and consistency in program delivery.
STAs and local governments will have increased knowledge on emerging Title VI issues and be better prepared to address potential impacts.
State and local governments will have participated in an education and outreach forum as a major element in implementing Title VI.
Customers, partners, and stakeholders will develop partnerships, and have access to numerous contacts for sharing information and resources to improve their Title VI program.

No Registration Fee!
WHAT: National Title VI/Nondiscrimination Forum
Format: workshops; panelists; roundtables; keynote speakers
Title VI Showcase: exhibits, demo, Title VI Tools, STA program documents, software, & other data collection methods, etc.

WHO: For STAs, local public agencies, other Federal-aid Highway Program fund subrecipients, and minority colleges & universities
WHEN: August 19, 2009 (8:30 am – 5:00 pm)
WHERE: Wynfrey Hotel
Phone: (205) 987-1600

For additional information, please contact:

Teresa Banks
Civil Rights Technical Service Team Leader
FHWA Resource Center
(404) 562-3592
teresa.banks@dot.gov

For more on the PDS program contact:

Mark Sandifer
Technology Deployment Specialist
FHWA Resource Center
(708) 283-3528
mark.sandifer@dot.gov

Precast Concrete Pavement Systems PDS - May 21 - 22, 2009

Precast Concrete Pavement Systems (PCPS) are being used around the Nation as an alternative pavement treatment for the repair, rehabilitation, and new construction of PCC Pavements. Ideally suited for work zone lane occupancy restrictions of 12 hours or less, existing distressed PCC panels are removed, the sub-base is prepared, and a precast concrete paving slab is placed, under-sealed, post-tensioned, and ready for traffic within the restrictive lane occupancy time limits – in as short as 5 hours! This type of approach helps to accelerate construction sequencing of the project and reduce work zone size while maintaining traffic on adjoining lanes using temporary lane closures.

On May 21-22, a PCPS showcase will feature speakers from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Highways for LIFE program, Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), and contractors associated with a nearby DelDOT project (that will be visited as part of the demonstration).

Presentations will cover topics ranging from planning to more technical aspects on the Rt. 896/US40 project.

WHEN: May 21-22, 2009
WHERE: Embassy Suites
Phone: (302) 368-8000
WHAT: The PDS includes
2-day workshop on PCPS
Travel to night-time site visit
Refreshments

To register for this PDS visit the PDS website. There is a registration fee of $10 for participants. After registration is completed, a representative will contact you to take credit card payment via phone.

New NHI Course Helps Public Involvement Practitioners Become Better Communicators

The job of today’s transportation official has never been more challenging. Much of what they do in their daily work involves solving problems, whether it’s enhancing the traffic flow of a highway bottleneck, improving the safety of an intersection, or preserving the environmental integrity of wetlands near a freeway.

In solving these problems, transportation officials have to be more versatile than ever before. For example, Federal laws, such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), require transportation officials on certain projects to conduct public involvement activities--the process of receiving public input about the project’s social, economic, and environmental impacts.
Through the public involvement process, transportation officials take time to listen and talk to various stakeholders, organize and hold public meetings, disseminate information, give presentations, deal with emotionally charged issues, and sometimes even talk to the news media. All of these activities require good communications skills.

Caption: Photo of a crowd of citizens gathering at a public meeting.

To help transportation officials acquire the communications skills and techniques needed to succeed in transportation planning and public involvement, the National Highway Institute (NHI) is now offering the course Effective Communications in Public Involvement (NHI Course No. 142059). This 6-hour course is delivered entirely via the Internet, so participants can complete the course from the comfort of their own office or home over several days.
Effective Communications in Public Involvement teaches participants how to overcome the frustrations and loss of control that may occur during public meetings because of hostilities, grandstanding, and gamesmanship. The course explores how and why the public develops entrenched and sometimes inflexible, emotionally charged positions, traces the root causes of hostilities and anger in public involvement, and teaches strategies to help you and your organization gain trust and credibility with the public. The course also covers how to:

incorporate an effective communications plan into the public involvement program,
prepare for and carry out all types of public meetings,
handle hostile groups and individuals,
give effective presentations at public meetings, and complete proper meeting follow up.

The first module is delivered via instructor-led Web-conference training (WCT) and lasts about 90 minutes. The instructor provides theories and insights into the social and psychological processes involved in individual and group decision making. The instructor explains how people make decisions that best fulfill their values, meet their needs, and allow them to pursue their interests. Failure to consider the public’s values, interests, and needs (abbreviated VIN) in a project can lead to anger and hostilities – and ultimately a loss of trust and credibility. The more transportation officials understand why public involvement can become so emotionally charged, the better they can communicate with the public.

The first module provides overviews of Hans and Annemarie Bleiker’s Systematic Development of Informed Consent (SDIC) and the Federal Highway Administration’s Triangle of Satisfaction, both of which focus on solving problems through consideration of your public’s values and interests rather than their entrenched and often emotionally charged positions.

Caption: Photo of a speaker standing before a gathering of citizens at a public hearing.

The course shifts to self-paced, Web-based training (WBT) for the next four modules, which each last about 30 minutes, and can be completed over 5 business days. Modules 2 and 3 take learners through a step-by-step process of how to communicate with various stakeholders, interested groups, and individuals through their VIN. Participants learn how to identify project stakeholders, initiate contact with them through various communications techniques, define the emotionally charged issues, and implement a sound communications strategic plan that leads to success. This entire process emphasizes the importance of identifying and communicating effectively with potential project opponents.

Modules 4 and 5 guide the learner through a series of tips and exercises on what can be done before, during and after a public meeting to ensure success. A Public Meeting Survival Guide takes participants through a 10-step process of how to plan the public meeting, beginning with:

establishing goals and objectives,
identifying target audiences,
determining appropriate formats,
developing written agendas,
defining roles and responsibilities,
determining how to receive audience feedback, and closing the meeting.

Modules 4 and 5 continue with tips on how to prepare for the public meeting itself, including establishing operating norms and ground rules, selecting various roles and responsibilities, developing main messages, crafting a written agenda, selecting an appropriate meeting site, identifying unexpected problems, and anticipating the audience’s mood. Next, the lesson shifts to providing guidance on what can be done during the public meeting to enhance communications, including tips on how to give an effective presentation and deal with hostile groups and individuals.

The sixth and final module shifts back to instructor-led WCT. The first 30 minutes or so are dedicated to class discussion and questions and answers about the previous four self-paced WBT modules. The remainder of Module 6 consists of a class exercise in which small teams of class participants take turns answering hostile questions from the instructor and other classmates regarding a hypothetical project. Team members listen to a hostile question, and then discuss among themselves how to respond constructively to the question using interest-based problem solving techniques learned in Module 5. Module 6 concludes with tips on what to do after the public meeting, including following up with public meeting participants and news reporters, as well as determining whether to hold a post-meeting conference to assess lessons learned.

To obtain more information or register for Effective Communications in Public Involvement, visit the NHI Web site.

For help in developing project-specific public involvement activities contact:

Steve Moler
Public Affairs Specialist
FHWA Resource Center
(415) 744-3103
steve.moler@dot.gov

More New Course Offerings from the National Highway Institute

The National Highway Institute (NHI) has a number of new course offerings available that have launched since the beginning of the year:

FHWA-NHI-134061
Construction Program Management and Inspection
The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) responsibilities for construction project and program oversight has changed considerably throughout the years. Today, the FHWA field engineers are typically involved in a diverse array of issues that were not common in construction projects of decades past. This training workshop highlights the FHWA roles and resources to assist the State in delivering a quality construction program. The training was developed to assist the FHWA field engineers in maintaining and improving technical competence and in selecting a balanced program of construction management techniques.
The “Construction Program Management and Inspection Guide” is used as instructional material. While the workshop is focused primarily at the FHWA’s staff and FHWA oversight activities, participation by State partners and other relevant entities is highly encouraged to further educate and train Federal-aid partners to act on FHWA’s behalf in line with the division office/State DOT Stewardship Agreements.

FHWA–NHI-134073
Leap Not Creep: Accelerating Innovation Implementation
This course provides transportation employees with the necessary tools to implement innovations quickly and successfully and mainstream the innovations into an agency's standard practice. The training discusses the features of successful deployments, provides information on the components of a deployment plan, lists resources for locating innovations and funding for implementation, and discusses strategies for neutralizing challenges to implementing innovations. The course is taught in two formats: first, participants attend a 2-hour Web conference to introduce the course and set expectations. One-to-two weeks following the Web conference, participants attend 2 days of in-person training to complete the course.

Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to identify the benefits of implementing innovations, describe the evolution of an innovation from the identification of a need to mainstreaming an innovation into standard practice, describe the key factors of successful innovation implementation, and develop a deployment plan for implementing an innovation.
This course is recommended for people who are responsible for leading a team, or who are preparing to lead a team that's responsible for deploying an innovation, selecting innovations that will be implemented, or promoting the use of innovations within an organization.

FHWA-NHI-134085
TCCC Incompatibility in Concrete Pavement Systems
(Web-based training)
NHI developed this course in partnership with the Transportation Curriculum Coordination Council (TCCC) to review integrated materials and construction practices for concrete pavement. This course is recommended for the Transportation Curriculum Coordination Council levels II - IV.

FHWA-NHI-134087
TCCC Mix Design Principles
(Web-based training)
NHI developed this training in partnership with the Transportation Curriculum Coordination Council (TCCC) to review integrated materials and construction practices for concrete pavement. This course is recommended for the Transportation Curriculum Coordination Council
levels II - IV.

This module discusses mix design and mix proportioning. Mix design is the process of choosing the desired characteristics for concrete mixtures. Mix proportioning involves taking the information provided by the mix design process and using that information to determine the actual proportions of ingredients in the mixture. This course discusses theoretical, laboratory, and field testing to determine the Portland cement concrete mix that will achieve the best possible durability, strength, constructability, economy, and uniformity. This module is part of a curriculum from the “Integrated Materials and Construction Practices for Concrete Pavement” manual developed through the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center at Iowa State University. Other modules will be available as they are converted to web-based training.

FHWA-NHI-142055
Advanced Seminar on Transportation Project Development: Navigating the NEPA Maze

Building upon demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the NEPA project development process; this advanced training provides practical tools and approaches to successfully resolve complex environmental issues and challenges. Designed in seminar format, this training is highly interactive and guides participants through the NEPA decision making process, pointing out potential pitfalls and providing the skills and knowledge to apply critical thinking to reach defensible decisions.

FHWA-NHI-380085
Guardrail Installation Training
(updated course)

Proper installation of barrier systems (guardrails) is paramount to the safety of our roads. This course provides a basic foundation for understanding guardrail hardware operation. The course includes a brief description of the roadside safety problem, the clear zone concept, and barrier warrants. It examines barrier testing requirements and the performance of metal systems, including videos addressing this subject, and an explanation of the principles of proper guardrail installation. The training covers such installation topics as deflection, soil backing, slopes, and fl are rates. It also examines the demonstration of barrier treatments for special situations. This includes leaving out post(s), turnout openings, and barrier/curb combinations. The training focuses on the length of need of barriers (including a field expedient procedure), but also includes instruction on guardrail transitions and guardrail end treatments.

While not yet formally launched, a number of other, new courses are now being offered by NHI:
FHWA-NHI-310116 - FHWA Role in Public Private Partnerships
FHWA-NHI-380088 - Improving Safety of Horizontal Curves
FHWA-NHI-380093 - Application of Crash Reduction Factors (CRF)
FHWA-NHI-380094 - Science of Crash Reduction Factors
FHWA-NHI-134070 - SPECRISK Quality Assurance Specification Development & Validation (Web-based training)
FHWA-NHI-131113 - Fundamentals of Life Cycle Cost Analysis (Web-based training)

For more information about NHI offerings, or to host, or to enroll in a course, visit the NHI website.

PARTNERSHIPS

Transportation Partnership Programs News:
The Latest on LTAP and TTAP Program Activities

ARRA and Safety
Safety is a major focus area for the local technical assistance program (LTAP) with more than 50 percent of the Nation’s LTAP centers’ workshops and materials devoted to safety. Joe Toole, Associate Administrator for Safety, and Beth Alicandri, Director, Office of Safety Programs presented a web conference on March 4 on the key elements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to the LTAP and the FHWA Division Office Safety Program Managers.

Caption: Image of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) logo.

 

Representatives from various State departments of transportation, the American Public Works Association, and other local agency representatives also participated in the web conference program.

Toole reviewed key provisions of the ARRA including highway funding amounts, factors related to funds release, and the timelines for implementation. He also discussed provisions for fund eligibility, how funds will be distributed, and where to go in the States for assistance in accessing ARRA funds.

Caption: Image of the Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery logo.

ARRA provides $48.1 billion for transportation infrastructure projects administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Of that, $27.5 billion is for highways and bridges, $8.4 billion is for transit, $8 billion is for high speed rail projects, $1.3 billion is for Amtrak, $1.5 billion is for discretionary infrastructure grants $1.3 billion for airports and Federal Aviation Administration facilities and equipment and $100 million is for shipyards. In early February, prior to the passage of the ARRA, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood established the Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) team within the DOT to ensure that economic recovery dollars for transportation infrastructure projects are rapidly made available and that project spending is monitored and transparent.

The use of key safety countermeasures was also encouraged to be considered when implementing projects as part of the ARRA. For example, rumble strips, rumble stripes, pavement edge lines, guardrails, and retro-reflectivity for highway signs can make an important contribution to saving lives and preventing injuries. With the focus and urgency associated with project administration in the ARRA, Toole emphasized the need for the highway community to also recognize the importance of safety in the ARRA implementation process.

Building Bridges in the Iron City

The 27th Annual LTAP/TTAP Meeting (themed Building Bridges in the Iron City this year) will be held July 27-30 in Pittsburgh, PA.

Caption: Image of the National Local Technical Assistance Program logo

The 2009 program focuses on a number of key LTAP/TTAP efforts in the safety, infrastructure, environment and planning areas. For example, preliminary agenda presentations include: Application of Crash Reduction Factors; Implementation Tools for Safety Countermeasures: Road Safety Audits, Rumble Strips and Safety Edge; Helping Local Agencies Kick Start their Asset Management Programs; and, Funding Diversification and Strategic Partnerships.

WHAT: Building Bridges in the Iron City LTAP/TTP 2009
WHEN: July 27-30, 2009
WHERE: Omni William Penn Hotel
PHONE: (412) 281-7100

For more information about the LTAP/TTAP Annual Meeting visit the website.

Office of Technical Services Brings Together RC, NHI, and TPP Staffs

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently merged three agency staffs to create the Office of Technical Services (OTS). The OTS is comprised of:

The FHWA Resource Center
The National Highway Institute
The Technology Partnership Programs

By re-aligning the FHWA Resource Center, the National Highway Institute, and the Transportation Partnership Programs staffs, under the leadership of the Director of Technical Services, the agency is better able to streamline its offerings in the areas of technical assistance, training, and technology deployment.

The OTS's work will remain focused on advancing the strategic goals and objectives of the FHWA by:

Continuing to provide expert technical assistance to FHWA division offices and their partners.
Developing and providing training to FHWA staff and our transportation partners.
Assisting Headquarters program offices in disseminating new policies, technologies, and techniques.
Building partnerships with local, tribal, international and academic groups to meet future transportation needs.
Deploying market ready technologies that will assist FHWA in advancing its strategic goals.

The FHWA Resource Center staff continues to serve as an on-call, nationwide team of dedicated technical experts. This staff is focused in the areas of Air Quality, Civil Rights, Communications & Marketing, Construction & Project Management, Environment, Finance Services, Geotechnical & Hydraulic Engineering, Knowledge Applications, Operations, Pavement & Materials, Planning, Safety & Design; and Structures.

The Resource Center's services will also help customers build technical expertise, deploy technology, and solve technical problems. Internally, the Resource Center maintains its role as the source of solutions for technical problems facing FHWA division offices, Federal Lands Highway program staff, and Headquarters Offices. Externally, the Resource Center serves transportation agencies partnering with the FHWA (such as State departments of transportation), industry, and academia. For these external customers, the Resource Center works through FHWA division offices and Headquarters Offices, to represent the agency as a single organization.

Caption: Image of The National Highway Institute logo

 

The National Highway Institute staff will work to improve the performance of the transportation industry through training. Key NHI services include:

Training Development: In addition to classroom training, NHI offers many distance learning formats that can save participants time and money. NHI also offers Web-based and Webconference training.
Training Delivery: NHI partners with the transportation industry to deliver training throughout the country in instructor-led and electronic formats. NHI provides all the tools necessary to host successful training.
NHI Provides Continuing Education Units (CEUs): NHI is authorized to award CEUs for many of its training courses, making NHI training a more valuable use of training dollars.
NHI Instructor Certification: An Instructor Certification program is offered to provide continuous high quality instructor skills and adult instructional techniques.
NHI On-line Resources: To ensure the successful implementation of any training-- including NHI courses--essential tools such as style guides, templates, and other ideas can be provided for courseware development and delivery.

Caption: Image of The Technology Partnership Program logo

The Technology Partnership Programs staff efforts support training, education, and workforce development through:

Affiliate Programs:
Local Technical Assistance Program/Tribal Technical Assistance Program --
Improving the safety and quality of local roads through training, technical assistance, and technology transfer.
International Program – Supporting professional development and technology transfer with FHWA's international partners.
Workforce Development – Building partnerships to meet 21st century transportation needs.

Universities & Grants Programs:
Eisenhower Fellowship Program --
Attracting and supporting students through the education pipeline into the transportation workforce.
Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Education Program --
Preparing K – 12 students in science, technology, engineering, and math, through transportation activities.
Transportation Education Development
Pilot Program -- Enhancing transportation curriculum and providing innovative workforce development initiatives.

CENTERED ON QUALITY

EMPLOYEE HIGHLIGHT:
RC Staffers Recognized for Commitment to Excellence
The FHWA Resource Center is proud to report that two team members, Shay Burrows, Senior Structural Engineer; and Mark Doctor, Safety/Geometric Design Engineer, were recently named by the National Highway Institute (NHI) as the 2008 FHWA Instructors of Excellence!

Caption: Photo of Shay Burrows, Senior Structural Engineer

Shay Burrows served as an Instructor for the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA)“Bridge Inspection Refresher Training” (NHI Course No. 130053). In January 2008, he delivered the 3-day, comprehensive course twice — both times in New Jersey to more than 55 attendees between the two courses. In addition, from the Spring of 2008 to February 2009, Burrows worked with the NHI to develop course material for the new “Load and Resistance Factor Rating for Highway Bridges” course (NHI Course No. 130092), while he was also busy working on his Master Trainer Certification.

As indicated in the February 2008 issue of Centered on Service, this new course (available in February 2009) provides novice and experienced bridge engineers with the fundamental knowledge necessary to apply the most recent AASHTO Load and Resistance Factor Rating (LRFR) Specifications to bridge load rating.

Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:
describe the purpose of load rating,000000
recognize the benefits of the LRFR methodology,
demonstrate the application of the LRFR process and equations,
identify legal loads and describe their use in load ratings,
recognize the distribution factors used for LRFR ratings,
identify the LRFR limit states,
select evaluation factors for LRFR ratings,
describe the importance of load postings and the LRFR process used for load postings,
identify overload permit classifications and describe the LRFR evaluation procedure for overload permits, and
demonstrate the application LRFR requirements by completing load rating exercises.

This 2-day course is intended for bridge engineers with 0-20 years of experience.

Caption: Photo of Mark Doctor

Mark Doctor, Safety/Geometric Design Engineer

Mark Doctor’s chief duties for NHI involved instructing students on the “Fundamentals of Planning, Design and Approval of Interchange Improvements to the Interstate System” (NHI Course No. 380073).

In 2008, he delivered the course five times, reaching a grand total of 139 students. In Concord, NH, there were 21 participants, in Lincoln, NE there were 28; in Trenton, NJ, there were 26; in Richmond VA, another 28, and in Boston, MA, there were 36.

The National Highway Institute has a new course available in this area entitled, Geometric Design: Applying Flexibility and Risk Management (NHI Course No. 380095). This course is a moderate to advanced level course intended for highway design practitioners that have at least a basic understanding of geometric design criteria. Highway designers often face many complex tradeoffs and a quality design is commonly thought of as one that satisfies the needs of a wide variety of users and balances cost, safety, mobility, social and environmental impacts. Good design requires more than simply assembling elements from the available tables, charts, and equations of criteria.

This course provides participants with knowledge to make informed decisions when applying when applying engineering judgment and flexibility with respect to geometric design. This course emphasizes the application of current knowledge from research and operational experiences dealing with human factors and the safety effects for various design elements.

The course includes facilitated discussions and questioning with practical work problems and exercises based on actual case studies. The target audience is engineers who are involved in applying engineering judgment in the selection of design criteria and in the assessment of design exceptions.

Upon completion of the new course, participants will be able to:
Define the relationship among design criteria, design guidelines and design standards
Describe the concepts of design speed, target speed, posted speed and operating speed
Describe the FHWA Policy for Design Standards and Design Exceptions
List the 13 controlling geometric design criteria that require a formal written design exception from FHWA
Evaluate the safety effects and qualitative risk of proposed design exceptions
Evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of mitigation strategies for design exceptions
Describe the relationship between safety and key geometric features of highway alignment and cross section
Describe the applicability of a human centered approach to geometric design considerations

If you are interested in either of these topic areas contact:

Shay Burrows
Senior Structural Engineer
FHWA Resource Center
(410) 962-6791
shay.burrows@dot.gov

Mark Doctor
Safety/Geometric Design Engineer
FHWA Resource Center
(404) 562-3732
mark.doctor@dot.gov

CENTERED ON RESULTS

FHWA Resource Center
Welcomes New Team Members

ENVIRONMENT TST

Daniel W. Johnson
Environmental Protection
Specialist
(410) 962-0702
danw.johnson@dot.gov

Dan Johnson is the newest member of the Environment Technical Service Team of the FHWA Resource Center. Johnson brings more than 30 years of experience at the FHWA division office level in the development of projects through the NEPA process -- including the execution of some 27 environmental impact statements (EIS) on projects in Pennsylvania and Maryland that are currently either open to traffic or under construction. Of particular note, Johnson was the FHWA Environmental Manager for the Inter-County Connector (ICC) project in Maryland -- from the Notice of Intent through the Record of Decision (ROD), lawsuit challenges, and on into construction. He is a Certified Instructor for the National Highway Institute's "NEPA and Transportation Decision Making," course. His specialties include: Environmental Stewardship and Streamlining; Section 4(f); Section 106; Context Sensitive Solutions; Public Involvement; Interagency Cooperation; Adaptive Management; Green Highways/Green Infrastructure; Environmental Process Improvement; and Working with Toll Partners. Johnson earned his Bachelor of Arts in Social and Behavioral Science from Johns Hopkins University.

OPERATIONS TST

Grant Zammit
Operations TST Team Leader
(404) 562-3575
grant.zammit@dot.gov

Grant Zammit was recently promoted to the position of Team Leader for the Operations Technical Service Team (TST) of the FHWA Resource Center. Zammit has been a staff member of the FHWA Resource Center for the past 9 years, most recently as a Traffic Management/Systems Operations Specialist. Zammit has been with the FHWA since 1991, which includes tenure at the Kentucky and Florida Division Offices. While a member of the FHWA Resource Center Operations TST, Zammit served as a Lead Instructor for the Managing Travel Demand workshop and co-authored a new chapter on demand management for the update of the ITE Traffic Engineering Handbook. He has also been a champion of the FHWA Traffic Analysis Tools Team. In his new position, Zammit will provide leadership to the TST in helping to advance the Freight and Operations Disciplines in the FHWA, working closely with the Headquarters Office of Operations and FHWA division offices on this and many other important activities. Zammit earned his Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering at Oregon State University.

STRUCTURES TST

Shay Burrows
Structures TST Team Leader
(410) 962-6791
shay.burrows@dot.gov

Shay Burrows was recently selected for promotion to the Team Leader post within the FHWA Resource Center Structures Technical Service Team (TST). Burrows has spent the past 5 years as a member of the Structures TST, as a Senior Structural Engineer. Burrows was instrumental in developing the national framework for bridge inspection quality control and in leading efforts to update the Recording and Coding Guide for the Structure Inventory and Appraisal of the
Nation’s Bridges. In his new position, Burrows will provide leadership to the TST in helping to advance the Structures Disciplines in FHWA, working closely with the Program Office and Division offices on this and many other important activities. Prior to joining the Resource Center, Burrows served the agency in the New Jersey Division Office. Burrows joined the Federal Highway Administration in 1996 as part of the Highway Engineer Trainee Program. Burrows is a registered P.E. in Pennsylvania. He also holds a bachelor of science degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Civil Engineering, both from Rutgers University.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

This Calendar of Events is presented to highlight upcoming conferences, workshops, and other special dates of interest to the transportation community.

May 11 - 14 -- 34th Southwest Geotechnical Engineers Conference - Phoenix, AZ - For more info contact: Norman Wetz, ADOT, (602) 712- 8093, nwetz@azdot.gov or Dan Alzamora, FHWA, (720) 963-3214, daniel.alzamora@dot.gov.

May 18 - 21 -- Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering (SAMPE) ‘09 Symposium & Exhibition, Baltimore, MD, to be held
at the Baltimore Convention Center; co-locating with the 2009 Global Pultrusion Conference. For more info visit the SAMPE website.

Jun 01 - 04 -- Title VI Nondiscrimination Training - Oklahoma City, OK - This training focuses on preventing discrimination in the Federal-aid Highway Program:
A Systematic Multidisciplinary Approach. For more info contact: Darren Kaihlanen at (405) 254-3312.

Jun 08 - 10 -- 2009 National ADA Symposium: Revitalizing the ADA - Kansas City, MO - This event is being held at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City, MO. For more info call: (816) 421-1234.

Jun 10 - 12 -- Geotechnical Lab Testing Short Course - Rolla, MO - For more info call: (573) 341- 6222 - Email: dce@mst.edu.

Jun 22 - 25 -- FHWA Civil Rights Learning and Development Seminar - Albuquerque, NM - This seminar is intended for FHWA field civil rights professionals
in grades GS 11-13 and features ADA and Title VI. For more info E-mail: Teresa.Banks@dot.gov; or call Candace Groudine (202) 366-4634; or
Brenda Armstead (202) 366-1583.

Jul 13 - 15 -- 9th International Symposium on FRP Reinforcement for Concrete Structures, Sydney, Australia, For more info visit the symposium website.

Jul 20 - 24 -- Investigating External Complaints of Discrimination - Reno, NV - For more info: E-mail Thalia.Williams@dot.gov ; or call (202) 366-1595.

Jul 27 - 31 -- ICCE-17 - Hawaii. 17th Annual International Conference on Composites/Nano Engineering, organized by the International Community for
Composites Engineering and the College of Engineering, University of New Orleans. For more info: E-mail dhui@uno.edu.

Aug 09 - 13 -- Federal Dispute Resolution (FDR) Conference, Phoenix, AZ. The FDR Conference provides training for all professional HR, labor and
employee relations, EEO/Diversity and employment law. This conference is regarded as the premier conference on Federal dispute resolution. For more info on this conference visit FDR Conference website.

Aug 18 - 20 -- Southern Transportation Civil Rights Training Symposium - Birmingham, AL - This 3-day Symposium will feature concurrent sessions on major
FHWA civil rights programs. Contacts: Cammie Davenport (Tennessee Department of Transportation) at (615) 741-3681, or Clarence Hampton at (334) 242-
6340.

Aug 19 -- Title VI/Non-discrimination Forum. Birmingham, AL. For more info E-mail: Teresa Banks@dot.gov, or call, (404) 562-3592.

Aug 25 - 27 -- Southern Transportation and Air Quality Workshop - Jacksonville, FL

Reading Centered on Service supports the goals of the FHWA's Learning Highway

Caption: Image of FHWA’s Learning Highway logo

See our July 2009 issue for more on this new program

Federal Highway Administration
Resource Center
Editorial Staff

Carin Michel
Communications & Marketing Team Leader
Phone: (410) 962-2530/Fax: (410) 962-3655
E-mail: carin.michel@dot.gov

Ann Crouch
Leadership Development Coordinator
Phone: (202) 366-9492/Fax: (202) 366-7495
E-mail: ann.crouch@dot.gov

Judith Johnson
Marketing Specialist
Phone: (404) 562-3682/Fax: (404) 562-3700
E-mail: judith.johnson@dot.gov

Steve Moler
Public Affairs Specialist
Phone: (415) 744-3103/Fax: (415) 744-2620
E-mail: steve.moler@dot.gov

Stephanie Roth
Special Assistant
Phone: (703) 235-0509/Fax: (703) 235-0593
E-mail: stephanie.roth@dot.gov

Marie Roybal
Marketing Specialist
Phone: (720) 963-3241/Fax: (720) 963-3232
E-mail: marie.roybal@dot.gov

Mark Sandifer
Technology Deployment Specialist
Phone: (708) 283-3528/Fax: (708) 283-3501
E-mail: mark.sandifer@dot.gov

Deborah Vocke
Marketing Specialist
Phone: (410) 962-3744/Fax: (410) 962-3419
E-mail: deborah.vocke@dot.gov

NOTICE: The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers’ names that may appear herein are
only mentioned because they are considered essential to the object of this document--to share information on innovations and technologies available to the
transportation community.

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