LOCAL CONNECTIONS
Your Monthly Bulletin from Louisiana LTAP Center
December 17, 2018 // Volume 1, Issue 4
A compilation of e-news, resources, tools and opportunities that help local public agencies enhance transportation innovation, mobility and safety efforts across Louisiana communities.


HOT OFF THE PRESS
LTAP Director receives Outstanding Public Service Award
Our very own LTAP Director Dr. Marie Walsh recently received the Outstanding Public Service Award from the Women in Transportation Seminar (WTS) Louisiana Chapter.

Dr. Walsh has been a familiar figure in the transportation field both nationally and across Louisiana. As the director of LTAP since 2004, Marie has contributed to the advancement of local transportation workforce development in a wide array of topics. Her efforts have put Louisiana at the forefront of road safety planning, capacity building, training and technology transfer. She is frequently invited by various agencies across the nation to share her expertise and in actively engaging with peers in national committees such as AASHTO and TRB Safety Committees, Toward Zero Deaths Steering Committee and National LTAP Association Innovations Committee.

Above photo shows Marie (second from left) with her fellow awardees (L-R): Gresham Smith’s Transportation Engineer Intern Rebecca Murray (Member of the Year), DOTD Secretary Dr. Shawn Wilson (Man of the Year), DOTD Local Public Agency Program Director Ann Wills (Woman of the Year), and Buchart Horn’s Project Designer Kristen Gahagan (Outstanding Young Engineer). The awardees were recognized during the Annual WTS Banquet held at the Country Club of Louisiana last November 29, 2018 . (Photo courtesy of WTS Louisiana)

TAILGATE TALKS
LTAP shares "Tailgate Talks" on Cold Weather Safety
The cold weather brings many risks and hazards at the workplace, and on roadways.
So, it is important to remind everyone how to avoid cold weather slips, falls and crashes.
Share this with your team on a typical Monday staff meeting or a Friday pep talk. Click here.

INNOVATION
Submit Your Entry to the 2019 Build A Better Mousetrap
Calling all local public agencies and innovators out there! Have you come up with an innovative idea for making your transportation workplace safer or more efficient? Perhaps, a new gadget, equipment or tool to do your job better? If so, then submit an entry to the Build a Better Mousetrap (BABM) National Competition.  

Build a Better Mousetrap is a nationwide competition initiated by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and implemented through the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Centers across the nation. In Louisiana, the LTAP Center facilitates the selection process. Deadline of entries is on March 30, 2019. Click here to fill out an electronic submission form.

You may also complete a PDF version of the form and email it to r udynah.capone@la.gov .
Every Day Counts Innovation :
Project Bundling
This month, we are pleased to highlight an innovation called Project Bundling, one of the 10 innovations included in Round 5 of Every Day Counts (EDC-5) initiative.

Project bundling offers a comprehensive and accelerated delivery solution for addressing strategic program goals. By awarding a single contract for several similar preservation, rehabilitation, or replacement projects, agencies can streamline design and construction, reduce costs, and effectively decrease transportation project backlogs. Read more.
ROAD SAFETY
December 31 is cutoff date for Local Road Safety Program project applications

Although project applications to the Local Road Safety Program (LRSP) are accepted year-round, those submitted by the next cutoff date, December 31, 2018, shall be given priority for project selection. Eligible projects include curve delineations, rumble strips, high friction surface treatments, pavement markings, mini-roundabouts and other proven safety countermeasures.  

Contact LRSP Manager Leo Marretta for more information.
Drive Sober this Holiday Season

Did You Know? In 2017, during Christmas and New Year's weekends, there were 657 fatal and injury crashes in Louisiana.

As you celebrate this holiday season with your loved ones, LTAP reminds you to drive safely and responsibly: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over!

Help us spread the word. Download Louisiana's Drive Sober Holiday social media scheduler here.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
LTAP made training more fun and interactive! Approximately 169 participants attended the Intersection Basics classes held statewide, wherein they engaged in a hands-on activity facilitated by LTAP Program Manager Steve Strength and LRSP Manager Leo Marretta.
A total of approximately 250 participants attended the Emergency Disaster Recovery Process classes conducted statewide by FEMA, in partnership with FHWA, LMA, LTAP and GOHSEP. This was in an effort to provide local agencies with some guidance
on how to process reimbursements for disaster recovery work.
An estimate of 177 participants attended the Work Zone Safety with Basic Flagger mini-workshops held by LTAP this year.
Photo shows LTAP Program Manager
Steve Strength conducting the class in Tangipahoa Parish.
LTAP conducted the Roads Scholar #2: Asphalt Road Maintenance class statewide. Photo shows course instructor Nick Verret conducting the last class in St. Francisville in West Feliciana Parish. Over 200 participants completed this course
WEBINARS & CONFERENCES
ACROSS THE NATION

Webinar: Rural Roadway Departure Countermeasures - Part 3
December 18, 2018 at 12:00-1:30 PM
The National Center for Rural Road Safety (Safety Center), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) EDC-5 Team, National Association of County Engineers (NACE) Safety Committee, and the National Local Technical Assistance Program Association (NLTAPA) Safety Committee are co-hosting this webinar . Attendees will learn about clear zone treatments and crash testing of roadside hardware. Read more.

FHWA Webinar on Load Rating of Concrete Bridges Without Plans
December 19, 2018 at 12:00-2:00 p.m.
This webinar is the twenty-sixth in the FHWA Bridge Load Rating Webinar Series and will highlight two research projects on the subject matter conducted by Auburn and Purdue University for Alabama and Indiana DOT, respectively. Read more. Read more.

Toward Zero Deaths Road Map to Implementation Webinar Series
January 30 to June 5, 2019
To help traffic safety stakeholders understand the "Road Map Suite of Tools" and gain insight on implementing their own strategy, the TZD National Strategy development team is offering a free Road Map to Implementation Webinar Series beginning January 30, 2019. Read more.

International Conference on Low Volume Roads
September 15-18, 2019
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) is sponsoring the 12th TRB International Conference on Low Volume Roads on September 15-18, 2019 in Kalispell, Montana. This conference examines new technologies and new techniques in the planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and administration of low-volume roads. Read more.
How May LTAP Assist You?
At Louisiana LTAP, we strive to provide local public agencies the necessary technical assistance and training opportunities that will enhance transportation project delivery and improve traffic safety in local communities. We value your feedback, so tell us what specific training and/or materials you want us to offer in the future.
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Louisiana Local Technical Assistance Program


LTAP is a division within the Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC), a collaborative effort between the DOTD and LSU.