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Office
of Transportation Workforce Development and Technology Deployment |
8th Edition 2022 |
Summer |
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Welcome! |
Welcome to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Local Aid Support's Summer Newsletter. Our team has been busy the past few months going to region
meetings and conferences to share information on FHWA resources for no-cost
training and technical assistance through the Local and Tribal Technical
Assistance Programs (LTAP/TTAP). Many thanks to the Tribal
Transportation Program Coordinating Committee, 2022 Lifesavers National
Conference, Rocky Mountain Region Tribal Transportation Program, National
Association of County Engineers Conference, Annual Training Officers
Consortium Institute, Nebraska Tribal Transportation Conference and the
National Local and Tribal Technical Assistance Program Association. Our program is only as successful as our partnerships.
We are also excited to share that we are
a step closer to re-establishing the Tribal Technical Assistance Program
(TTAP) Centers. We are currently reviewing applications
received during the Notice of Funding Opportunity period to set up new TTAP
Centers in several regions throughout the country. We will have
more details later.
Another fun announcement is that we have
new online training at no cost to local government and Tribal
agencies. We heard you and immediately went to work to develop the
online training modules to support your programs. Visit our website for more information.
And, we are wrapping up the Build a
Better Mousetrap 2022 program with winners to be announced in July. If you missed this nomination period, now is the time to start
thinking about innovations eligible for next year. We have a new video
on YouTube that provides 5 tips to help you get
started.
We are here to support all programs of
the LTAP/TTAP community. For more information on the FHWA Local Aid Support
team, visit https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/clas/. Lastly, we invite you to send your questions to CLAS@dot.gov.
Sincerely, Joe Conway Director, FHWA Local Aid Support |
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Courtesy: Marilee Enus, NH LTAP |
You are invited to a special event webinar celebrating 40 Years and Counting of service from the Local and Tribal Technical Assistance Programs (LTAP/TTAP). The purpose of the LTAP/TTAP is to provide training and technical assistance to local governments in every state and Tribal agencies in every Bureau of Indian Affairs region. The Federal Highway Administration is proud to continue our support of the LTAP/TTAP network, doing our part to help grow the transportation workforce, encourage the use of innovative solutions that improve safety and provide subject-matter support on transportation issues that help build communities.
The special event webinar is Tuesday, June 21 at 2PM EST. Here is the registration link. A list of special guest speakers are planned to reflect on the impact the LTAP/TTAP Centers have made in Transportation through the past 40 years.
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Local Innovation
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Custom-Built Spray Rig Helps Keep a County Clean
Independence, KY |
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Photo credit: Kenton County Public Works/Kenton County Parks, KY |
For years, Kenton County relied on an old, overused fire truck from its Emergency Management department to clean
surfaces and structures in a local park located on a flood plain. The truck leaked badly and was very inefficient. Shaun Lauderman with the Kenton County Public Works said, “We could only spray about two minutes a load, which we had to refill the tanks multiple times.” So, county employees created a high-pressure spray bar that can be mounted for use on multiple types of trucks. They also found a way to rinse areas that are inaccessible by service vehicles.
Using a trash pump, 500-gallon brine tank, and fire hose that were owned, donated, or purchased for less than $700, the team was able to reduce water consumption and improve labor utilization. When full, the tank can now spray continuously for 26 minutes; the old truck's larger 750-gallon tank would be empty after less than five minutes. In addition, the spray bar on the front of the truck—when coupled with the fire hose pumping directly out of the tank—can be used on roadways after construction, for storm cleanup, in preparation for paving projects, and for general cleaning before local events. “We did face some challenges finding the right
spray pattern,” said Shaun, “The advice I would give to other agencies is, if you have an idea, go with it. Sometimes the smallest ideas can save you a lot of work and make your job easier.”
Other agencies have contacted Kenton County about the Spray Rig innovation. Shaun says, “If was to add anything, it would be to use stainless steel pipe and make it where I would be able to move the sprayer. I would probably put it on an old plow bracket, that way I could use the hydraulics in the truck to move it around.”
Contact: Shaun Lauderman, Kenton County Public Works/Kenton County Parks (859) 392-1920 or shaun.lauderman@kentoncounty.org
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Metal Arrow Stencil Helps Mark Pavement and Makes Drainage Easier
Durham, New Hampshire |
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Photo
credit: Concord General Services, NH |
To make snow removal easier and maintain
adequate drainage, Concord General Services in New Hampshire paints arrows
toward roadway drains. The arrows serve as visual cues during winter operations, but must be repainted regularly due to wear.
Previously, the team painted arrows on pavement manually with a standard flat
stencil and nylon cord. Workers would need to crouch, paint, stand, and
repeat the process many times in just a day. “You can paint hundreds of
arrows a day and that can get tiring,” says Josh Brown, a Laborer/Truck
Driver with Concord General Services. The process also could be
hazardous, because workers were unable to pay attention to oncoming
traffic—and heat guns used to remove old roadway paint would sometimes burn
through the nylon.
With a sturdy metal arrow stencil created
from an old “one-way” road sign bolted to a metal pole, one employee devised
a way for technicians to remain standing while painting. The innovation
eliminated the need to bend down, reposition the stencil by hand, and replace
the nylon cord. “Now with the stencil attached to a handle you don't
have to be bent over in moving traffic and it promotes good ergonomics to
complete this task while standing,” says Josh. “I tried to keep it (the
innovation) simple and easy. The stencil was made out of
an old aluminum street sign and the handle was a tool that broke so I figured
the handle part would be better reused on the stencil. I had much support
from my supervisor and my peers.”
For the cost of a few hours' labor, Concord
was able to increase safety for its team members and enhance the efficiency
of its operations. Josh's advice to others on being innovative,
“I would say don't be scared to think outside the box and come up with your
own idea. The idea could turn out to be something that is
way more efficient and create a safer work environment.”
Contact: Josh
Brown, Concord General
Services, 603-228-2737 or ttommila@concordnh.gov
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“Sticky Stump” Simplifies the Installation of Temporary Pavement Markers
Fergus Falls, MN |
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Photo credit: Otter Tail County Highway Department |
To correctly position temporary pavement markings following chip seal treatments, Otter Tail County highway crew members had to bend over repeatedly and get on and off of a pickup truck's tailgate continuously. According to Jon Bratvold with the Otter Tail County Highway Department, “We got tired of hopping on and off the truck, bending over to position the pavement markers and then repeating it again every 50 ft.”
With the help of a spring-loaded applicator or “sticky stump,” road crews can install temporary road markers twice as fast with the same amount of manpower. They made the handheld tool with round bar stock and flat iron in approximately one hour using a drill press and welder—all for under $20. The markers can be clipped into the end of the tool, then pressed onto asphalt where required. Jon's advice to encourage innovative solutions, “Think outside the box. If it fails the first time, try to improve and learn from your mistakes.”
For more information: Stephen Goerdt, Otter Tail County Highway Department, (218) 998-8471 or sgoerdt@co.ottertail.mn.us
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Coming Soon!
Geosynthetics Field Installation Pocket Guide Series Mobile Application
Available soon in the Google, Apple, and Windows stores for portable devices
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News & Happenings |
Help People Get Home Safely: Develop a Local Road Safety Plan
By: Derek Troyer, PE, Hillary Isebrands, PE, PhD, Jerry Roche, PE |
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Image: FHWA |
Approximately 40% of the nation's fatalities occur on locally-owned roads — an average of 12,000 deaths each year. Local road safety plans (LRSPs) are an FHWA proven safety countermeasure local agencies can use to identify at-risk locations on their roadways and deploy cost-effective safety solutions.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) unveiled a unique website in 2020 to help local agencies reduce serious and fatal crashes on their roadways. The Local Road Safety Plan Do-It-Yourself Website includes resources local agencies and their partners need to create these lifesaving plans.
The LRSP DIY site begins with an introduction page to orient users and follows with subsequent pages that walk them through the steps of the LRSP process:
- Identify Stakeholders
- Use Safety Data
- Choose Proven Solutions
- Implement Solutions
“Local road safety plans are changing the
ways agencies and communities address roadway safety,” said Hillary
Isebrands, FHWA Senior Safety Engineer. “It is bringing stakeholders —
planners, engineers, law enforcement, public health, elected officials,
advocacy groups, business owners, and employers — together to improve roadway
safety in their communities so everyone can arrive home safely.”
The site contains training videos,
downloadable templates, “local agency insights” videos where practitioners
can learn from their peers, and example plans from other local agencies.
Since the launch of the FHWA LRSP DIY site, there have been hundreds of visits per day where practitioners are gaining knowledge and leaving with insights into LRSPs and resources for the development of their LRSPs. Additionally, FHWA has released the Implementing a Local Road Safety Plan report. This report documents some challenges experienced when moving plans through to implementation and strategies agencies have used to overcome those barriers to achieve reductions in fatalities and serious injuries on local roadways. The report details several steps for successful LRSP implementation.
In January 2022, The National Center for Rural Road Safety published a Handbook with Tips and Tools for Developing a Local Road Safety Plans (LRSPs) for Your Community. This handbook is aimed at local practitioners in the initial stages of developing an LRSP that have questions about the resources and capabilities needed to create a successful plan. It highlights:
- Top 10 lessons learned for your LRSP
- Answers to the commonly asked questions:
- “How do I convince others that we need an LRSP?”
- “I'm from a small agency; how do I get started developing an LRSP?”
- Steps to develop concise yet effective plans
- LRSP success stories
- Tools and resources to streamline development of LRSPs
LRSPs are highly customizable and have resulted in a reduced number of severe crashes on local roadways. What are you waiting for? Start your local road safety plan today.
For more information, contact Hillary Isebrands at hillary.isebrands@dot.gov or Jerry Roche at jerry.roche@dot.gov |
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The City of West Memphis, Arkansas Advances Digital As-Builts for Efficiency
By: Bryan Cawley (FHWA); City of West Memphis |
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Photo: City of West Memphis, GIS Map Utilities and Easements Source: City of West Memphis, AR |
The City of West Memphis, Arkansas, started
advancing Digital As-Builts about 15 years ago. It began with the
purchase of GIS based software. With this GIS software, different
departments were excited about having electronic data tied to GIS. It
made their jobs easier having major city infrastructure element such as city
plats, utilities, and aerial photography linked with GIS.
For several years the different departments
were advancing Digital As-Builts within their own systems, with
success. When coordination needed to occur among the different
departments, they would print the paper map and take it with them to the
other department to discuss. In February 2020, the West Memphis Utility
Commission recognized this inefficiency across departments and advanced the purchasing
of an enterprise GPS solution for the city. The enterprise solution
allowed for all the GIS data to be in one location and accessibility for the
entire city government. This was exciting.
Some immediate benefits realized were when
citizens call with questions about ongoing work, City Managers were able to
quickly look up the work and respective plat or easement to address the
citizens' concerns. In addition, during routine maintenance and
emergencies, City employees were able to locate shutoff valves quickly and
accurately.
The City of West Memphis is expanding their
GPS enterprise system to include stormwater system, traffic counts, traffic
crash locations, and Police Department crime mapping. Future goals of
the system are to develop a public facing interactive GPS web map, provide
interactive field mapping capabilities, and build in a public surveying
tool.
Learn More
If you would like to learn more about The
City of West Memphis, Arkansas', journey with DABs, please contact Mr. Guy
Sawyer, MPO Engineer. If you would like to learn more
about FHWA's efforts in accelerating the deployment of the proven technology
of DABSs, please contact Mr. David Unkefer,
Construction and Project Management Engineer, FHWA. |
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FHWA Exhibit during the NACE Conference |
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Photos: FHWA |
FHWA set up an exhibit booth during the National Association of Counties Engineers (NACE) Annual Meeting. |
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Visit our website for more information. |
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LTAP Spotlight |
Up-Cycling is giving a Second Life to Bridges in Ohio |
Writer: Victoria Beale, Ohio LTAP Director |
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Photo: Up-cycled Bridge in Muskingum County, Ohio
Photo credit: Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) - August 2021
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Raise your hand if you like to save
money. Ok — both of my hands just went into the air, did yours?
Many people, and local public agencies (LPAs), are looking for ways to save
money and Bridge Up-Cycling can be a tool in the toolbox for your LPAs!
What is up-cycling? According to
Habitat for Humanity, upcycling is the act of taking something no longer in
use and giving it a second life and new function. In doing so, the finished
product often becomes more practical, valuable, and beautiful than what it
previously was. So how can you possibly up-cycle a bridge? By
looking at its components and re-using those which still are still
structurally sound in building another bridge.
Here are the basics:
- A steel beams are being removed from a bridge that is
being demolished and reconstructed
- The beams are still in good condition, especially
when used on a shorter bridge with lower average daily traffic (ADT)
than the original bridge where they were previously in service
- Instead of the beams going to a scrap metal yard for
the price of scrap, an LPA works to identify beams which can be used by
their agency in constructing future bridges
- Beams are then purchased for the scrap metal price
from the original bridge owner, construction contractor or the actual
scrap metal yard, or the State DOT may agree to provide the beams at no
cost to the LPA for use on the local bridge
Here is the result:
- The LPA builds a bridge using beams with much higher
ratings (load carrying capacity) than those originally specked for the
bridge
- The LPA has paid substantially less, or maybe nothing
at all, for the stronger beams
- The public has gained a sturdier bridge than
originally planned for less money because pieces of a bridge they
already paid for were upcycled into a new bridge
- Valuable resources are repurposed, and fewer precious
metals are mined
What to learn more from the Engineers who
have already put up-cycling into practice? Please watch the video from
Ohio LTAP on how this process works in two of their counties: https://youtu.be/r5AyX5uDH8U. The video was created through T2 grant funding as a tech transfer project to
assist other LPAs learn about this great cost saving program.
Contact the Ohio LTAP Center for information.
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Grants Opportunities |
Safe
Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary grant program
that will provide $5.6 billion in grants over the next five years. Funding supports regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to
prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. The USDOT website on SS4A is https://www.transportation.gov/SS4A.
Reconnecting Communities Pilot discretionary grant program that will provide over $1 billion over the next
five years to support planning, capital construction, and technical
assistance to equitably and safely restore community connectivity through the
removal, retrofit, mitigation, or replacement of eligible transportation
infrastructure facilities that create barriers to mobility, access, or
economic development. The USDOT website on this grant is https://www.transportation.gov/grants/reconnecting-communities.
University Transportation
Centers (UTC) program provides $450 million of funds to 35 University
Transportation Centers over a five year period to support the advancement of
research that will help to transform our transportation system with safer,
cleaner, more accessible ways for people and goods to move in this
country. A Notice of Funding Opportunity is open through 8/25/22
at www.grants.gov, search by Funding Opportunity with: UTCOPENCOMP2022. Letters of intent are requested by 7/1/22. For more information contact Nancy Wilochka
at 202-366-5128.
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About the Local Aid Support Team |
Family First! |
Danielle Mathis-Lee, FHWA LTAP Program Manager |
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Danielle Mathis-Lee, the Local Technical Assistance Program Manager has been with the Federal Highway Administration for 21 years, and is a veteran member of the Local Aid Support team. Danielle began her FHWA career working with the National Highway Institute where she served in various roles and provided
leadership, training, and technical assistance to FHWA, stakeholders and
partners. Danielle is a proud graduate of the University of Maryland
Eastern Shore, and holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration,
Hospitality and Human Resources.
Outside of the Agency, Danielle is active
in the Parent Teacher Student Organization and coaches her daughter's
varsity softball team. In her spare time, she enjoys participating in
activities with family and friends such as visiting vineyards, live
concerts, traveling, and soaking up the sun on the Chesapeake Bay. Danielle
gives back to the community by annually organizing a uniform and coat drive
for students in Prince George's County, Maryland. Danielle enjoys the
smiles on the students faces and the pride they feel knowing they will
begin the school year in new uniforms. Danielle along with her church
family quarterly prepare care packages for the homeless veterans in
Washington D.C. Many members of Danielle's family are active duty and
retired military, so this volunteer effort is dear to her heart.
Danielle's daughter is a rising senior,
so she plans to spend this summer visiting colleges and universities with
the hope that she doesn't go too far from home. One reason that Danielle
enjoys working with the LTAP community is “I now have at least 1 friend in
every state and Puerto Rico”. |
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Bulletin Board |
The Road to Success |
The FHWA Local Aid Support sponsors 24/7 access to hundreds of “need to know” transportation topics for local and Tribal agencies. Please use your government email to register for courses. If you have questions, please contact us at CLAS@dot.gov. |
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Source: FHWA |
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National Highway Institute Over 180 web-based courses available https://bit.ly/nhitrainings |
AASHTO TC3 Over 190 web-based courses https://bit.ly/tc3trainings |
Institute of Transportation Engineers 15 online modules for smaller jurisdictions
http://bit.ly/itetraining |
Federal Aid Essentials Online library of 112 informational videos https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/federal-aidessentials/indexofvideos.cfm |
Innovation Exchange FHWA’s bi-monthly webinars on innovative market-ready technology
https://bit.ly/IEWebinars |
LTAP Check with your local LTAP Center for available online training https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/clas/ltap/ |
Local Aid Support A series of training modules available through FHWA LAS Learning Management System https://bit.ly/LASOnlineTraining |
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The FHWA Local Aid Support Innovation Exchange Webinar series encourages peer to peer sharing of knowledge and information to improve transportation programs. No pre-registration is required. Subscribe to the Local Aid Support newsletter for updates on log-in information. You can also visit our webpage: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/clas/training_tools/webinars.aspx. |
Here are the planned topics: |
Aquatic Organism Passages
(AOIP)
July 21, 2022
2:00pm - 3:30pm ET
Cold-in-Place Recycled Asphalt
August 18, 2022
2:00pm - 3:30pm ET
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Upcoming Events |
National Local Technical
Assistance Program (NLTAPA) Annual Conference
Seattle, WA
July 18 - 21
https://nltapa.org/
National Rural ITS Conference
New Orleans, LA
July 31 - August 3
http://www.nationalruralitsconference.org/
Institute of Transportation
Engineers (ITE) Annual Meeting and Exhibition
New Orleans, LA
July 31 - August 3
https://www.ite.org/events-meetings/ite-annual-meeting-and-exhibition/
American Traffic Safety
Services Association (ATSSA) Mid-year Meeting
Providence, RI
August 23 - 26
https://www.atssa.com/Events/Midyear-Meeting
American Public Works
Association (APWA) Annual Meeting
Charlotte, NC
August 28 - 31
https://www.apwa.net/PWX/Home.aspx
American Road and
Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA)
Nashville, TN
September 25 - 28
https://connect.artba.org/events/2022-artba-national-convention
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Stay connected with FHWA on YouTube |
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NEW VIDEO |
Five steps to innovation |
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