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Who We Help
Right now 38,000 agencies, whether they be small towns or large cities, maintain nearly 29,000 bridges. LTAP's mission is to help them "tap" into new technology, information, and training so they can operate more efficiently and safely.
LTAP is a direct, hands-on method for moving innovative transportation technologies out of the lab, off the shelf, and into the hands of the people who maintain our local streets and roads. These people include Public Works Directors and Staff, Cit/County Engineers, Highway Safety Officers, Transportation Planners, Street/Road Maintenance Superintendents and Staff, Certified Technicians, and Skilled Roadway Laborers.
LTAP was created to serve local governments, but we go beyond that. State DOT's, municipal planning organizations (MPO's), regional planning agencies (RPA's), and private consultants to local agencies also rely on LTAP resources.
Why LTAP Is Needed
Today, local agencies cannot solve their problems by paving more miles of road. Today's city, county, and tribal governments juggle a multitude of increasingly complex challenges.
Programs that Solve Problems
LTAP provides local agencies with a variety of tools - training events, technology transfer resources, and personalized assistance - for improving their transportation operations. Many state DOTs also benefit from LTAP services. Each LTAP center adapts its programs to address the unique challenges faced by the customers it serves.
Training That's Personalized
Each LTAP Center customizes training for its particular customers. Many centers have achieved great success with programs like Road Scholar and Safety Circuit Rider.
Road Scholar - LTAP's Road Scholar programs provide a curriculum of training to enable transportation workers to study road fundamentals, safety, drainage, snow and ice removal, and training management. The courses help the participants develop professionalism and advance in their careers. Roads Scholars are recognized for their training and expertise.
Safety Circuit Rider - Many transportation workers cannot attend training events because of the travel time and cost. LTAP's Safety Circuit Riders take safety training to local agencies with on-site workshops at convenient locations.
Assistance is a Phone Call Away
Individualized, personal service is a hallmark of LTAP. LTAP libraries respond to nearly 150,000 requests for manuals, reports, videos, and CD-ROMS annually. That's about 600 requests per day. In Addition, LTAP centers provide direct technical information, problem solving, and referrals over 35,000 times annually. That's about 135 customers helped every day.
LTAP Maximizes Resources
Through innovative partnerships, each LTAP center matches every federal dollar it receives with local funds. LTAP center matching fund courses include: State DOTs, universities, self-generated funds (such as course fees), Section 402 Highway Safety Program, APWA State Chapters, State contractors' associations, county associations, local government agencies, MPOs and RPAs.
Tribal Technical Assistance Program center funds are matched by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
LTAP centers also collaborate with other organizations to share resources and expertise, increase efficiency, and reduce duplication of services.
Reaching Customers With Targeted Services
LTAP faces a major challenge: Due to limited resources, LTAP currently reaches only one-third of its target audience - 38,000 local and tribal agencies with transportation responsabilities.
Why aren't more transportation workers taking advantage of LTAPs services? There are two main reasons:
- Many potential customers are unaware of LTAP.
- Many local transportation workers cannot afford to travel far or to be away for an extended time for training.
With additional resources, LTAP can promote its services to a swider audience and eliver more customized, responsive training such as on-site workshops and distance learning.
Growing Training Needs and Transportation Demands
Another challenge awaits LTAP. It is projected that nearly half of the current transportation workforce may retire by the year 2010. At the same time, our roadways are becoming more and more congested and the traveling public expects smooth, safe, and delay-free travel at all times.
LTAP can be a significant part of the solution by training new and current workers and assisting them in delivering a safe and efficient tranposrtation system. LTAP is a reliable source for transportation information, training, and technical assistance - to local agencies, tribal governments, state DOTs, and many other customers.
Through innovative partnerships, customized delivery mechanisms, and additional support, LTAP can rise to meet the needs and opportunities that await.
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