Publication Number: FHWA-SA-98-022
Date: May 1998

In Brief

Bobbie Templeton, who has chaired the AASHTO Task Force on SHRP Implementation since 1995, has retired from the Texas Department of Transportation. At the April meeting of the Task Force, Templeton was recognized for his commitment, hard work, and leadership on behalf of the Task Force.

AASHTO Executive Director Frank Francois presented Templeton with a plaque that read:

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." (William James)

To a man who has made a difference: Bobbie F. Templeton, for providing his leadership to the AASHTO Task Force on SHRP Implementation and the Lead States Program.

His work has had a national impact on the use of SHRP technology that has resulted in improved quality, safety, and performance of our nation's highways. His vision and commitment have served to inspire AASHTO and its member departments, and his concepts of cooperation and leadership are bringing about rapid deployment of the SHRP research results.

Denny Judycki, FHWA's associate administrator for safety and system applications, also presented Templeton with a certificate of appreciation, in recognition of his "outstanding leadership and support to the implementation of products from the Strategic Highway Research Program."

Templeton's successor as chairman of the Task Force has not yet been named.

FHWA staff from the Pavement Performance Division at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center and from division offices will hit the road this month, with the goal of meeting with chief engineers at every State department of transportation over the next couple of months. Their objective: to assess the data being collected as part of the long-term pavement performance study and to resolve what to do about missing data.

The AASHTO Board of Directors approved a policy resolution last month, calling for support for a preliminary investigation of the value of a new Strategic Highway Research Program. The resolution encourages Congress to include provisions for "a new strategic highway research program in federal aid surface transportation reauthorization legislation along with allocation of funds sufficient for the purpose."

If Congress fails to do that, the resolution encourages AASHTO to consider creating a working group of highway system managers, engineers, users, and others to study highway needs and issues and to identify "those needs and issues that might be resolved through a program of concentrated research similar to SHRP and, if warranted, propose research plans and budgets for Congressional consideration in surface transportation legislation that next succeeds the impending reauthorization legislation..."

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