NYS LTAP Center - Cornell Local Roads Program

Road Chatter

From the New York State LTAP Center - Cornell Local Roads Program

May 2026

View from the Road

A child educated only at school is an uneducated child.

- George Santayana

We don't stop going to school when we graduate. - Carol Burnett

Plans are in place for the 79th Highway School, June 1-3 on the Ithaca College Campus. We hope to see you there. We get asked what is the most valuable thing about the school?

Is it the school sessions? We have speakers and workshops discussing everything from highway garages to safety to getting and keeping your crew. We have workshops on asphalt, floods, working together, and funding. There will be a vehicle simulator, and hands-on truck inspection. This is just some of the many different topics being covered this year.

Is it your fellow attendees? We know that half of what you learn comes from speaking with others at breaks or during the Pothole Picnic or Tailgate Tuesday lunches, or with the numerous partners and state agencies who are part of our Partner's Village. If you pick up an idea this year from a fellow superintendent, please let us know. We would be glad to share your great ideas with others.

Is it the network? Maybe the hardest to measure, the connections made at the school will pay dividends in the future. When you have an issue next winter, you will have a set of colleagues to help; if you attend and participate. The Road Scholar award highlights the counties with the highest attendance. It also is a measure of the counties which already have that spirit of cooperation that signifies a strong local highway community.

The bottom line is that the most valuable thing at the Highway School is you. What you get out of it and share with others will be unique for you.

Early registration ends May 15th. See you in June.

- David Orr, PE

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Spring Workshops

Pavement Maintenance

5/5 - Niagara County (Lockport)

5/6 - Allegany County (Belmont)

5/14 - *Jefferson County (Watertown)

Local Roads Done Right

5/12 - *Greene County (Windham)

5/13 - Essex County (Jay)

*Thank you to our 2026 Workshop Sponsors!

Rockland County Highway Superintendent Association
Ontario County Towns and Village Highway Superintendent's Association
Dutchess County Highway Superintendents Association
Greene County Highway Superintendents Association
Jefferson County Highway Superintendents Association
Wyoming County Highway Superintendent Association
Town Highway Superintendents Association of Warren County

NYSLTAP-CLRP Summer Webinar Series

These webinar runs from 9:00 am - 10:00 am

*Anticipated to be worth 1 Engineering PDH credit.

June 9 - Road Alignment & Intersections*
June 16 - Purchasing & Financing*
June 23 - Surface & Subsurface Drainage*
June 30 - Gravel & Base Materials*
July 7 - Managing the Fleet
July 14 - Finding, Retaining, & Motivating Employees
July 21 - Emergency Preparedness
July 28 - Communication Tools
August 4 - Flagging*
August 11 - Ethics*
August 18 - Snow & Ice Strategy*

Please note: to participate in Q&A, you must use client version 5.17.0

or newer, or join via web browser.

For more information, please click here.

Upcoming Events and Conferences

Free Ethics Webinar

In partnership with the New York Water Environment Association

May 5 from 9:00 am - 10:00 am

When it comes to ethical dilemmas, the “right” answer isn’t always obvious, and that’s where things get interesting. Join us for a lively, interactive webinar where we’ll dive into real-world scenarios faced by engineers and highway officials. Put yourself in the driver’s seat as you weigh in on each situation and answer the big question: What would you do?

Registration fee increases from $175 to $200 on May 16th!

To receive the early registration fee, please register on or before May 15!

Online Registration

Draft Agenda

PDF Registration form

New York State Association of Transportation Engineers

84^t^h Annual Conference

Rochester, NY

June 2-5, 2026

NHI - Stream Stability and Scour at Highway Bridges (Virtual)

Running June 22 - June 25

from 9:00am - 4:00pm

This comprehensive online training provides preventive techniques for identifying, analyzing, and calculating various hydraulic factors that impact bridge stability. Public and private sector engineers responsible for maintaining the integrity of highway bridges will find it invaluable.

NYS LTAP Center - CLRP Resources

The Nuggets & Nibbles Newsletter

Opt In for a Hard Copy

Do you know that you now have to opt in to get a hard copy of our quarterly newsletter,

Nuggets & Nibbles?

If you would like to receive a hard copy in the mail, please complete the online form.

If you have already filled out the form,

you do not need to fill it out again.

On the road and have a question?

Check out our new question submission section! Send us a picture or drop us a note! Let us know what we can do to help you.

We are one click away!

Quick and Easy Social Media Posts

If you are looking for seasonally relevant topics to post, check out our carefully curated posts related to spring!

Flagger Tutorial

Looking for something to help your crew freshen up for flagging? Check out the revamped NYSLTAP-CLRP flagging tutorial. Broken down into 4 lessons; the MUTCD, Work Zone Safety Responsibility, the Work Zone and Flagging, Equipment and Procedures.

Check out the tutorial.

Community Corner Infographics

These infographics were created to help highway and DPW crews communicate effectively with the community on items of concern.

Click here to view our Community Corner Series.

Instructors needed!

The New York State LTAP Center - Cornell Local Roads Program is looking for seasonal or part-time instructors.

Do you have a passion for public works

or highway management, and want to pass on your knowledge and experience to others? Contact us!

Visit our website for more information!

Basic Math for Roadway Workers 3-Part Series

This is a recorded webinar and not eligible for engineering PDHs in New York State.

With math basics followed by lessons in calculating length, area, volume, and quantities, this interactive course presents how to estimate highway maintenance work in real world situations using the math you already know! Utilizing a step-by-step approach, complex situations encountered by highway and street departments will be broken down into simple pieces.

New York State LTAP Center -

Cornell Local Roads Program nysltap.clrp.cornell.edu