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TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
GOES INTERNATIONAL
By WILLIAM T. SUNLEY, Engineer of Local Roads and Streets
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The Department of Transportation's Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) is designed to share highway technology and provide technical assistance to
local governments. This is accomplished through a variety of activities and projects that link local highway
agencies, tribal governments, states, universities and
the federal government.
A network of LTAP (T2) Centers brings technology
transfer services, products and educational resources to
the local level. These centers are located in each state
and Puerto Rico. In addition to the 51 centers, four
other centers were established in 1993 to offer assistance to American Indian Tribal Governments.
These T2 Centers, generally located at universities
or State highway agencies, serve over 38,000 local
agencies responsible for maintaining over 2.9 million
miles of highways and streets and over 290,000 bridges with a budget over $30 billion. Collectively, these centers maintain a mailing list totaling 109,400 entries with
an average growth rate of 37.5% over the past five years.
Usage of center libraries has nearly doubled over the
past five years while distribution of video training tapes
has grown 200%. The largest component of the centers
efforts has been local agency training. T2 Centers collectively have offered 20,187 days of training, attended
by 263,061 individuals.
The growth and continued success of the LTAP
Centers has sparked international interest.
The Local Technical Assistance Program served as a
model for the Pan American Institute of Highways,
which has established a network of national technology
transfer centers that serve South and Central America.
Many countries, including Canada, Finland, Australia
and the newly developed Baltic States, are requesting
information to establish a technology transfer network.
The Federal Highway Administration's Office of
International Programs is fostering development of International Technology Exchange Centers which are
modeled after U.S. LTAP Centers. Like the one recently established in Helsinki, Finland, these centers
facilitate the exchange of highway technology with
other advanced countries. The Federal Highway Administration furnishes U.S. highway technology and
products and receives in exchange new ideas and highway technology for circulation by T2 Centers to the U.S. highway community.
Your T2 Center is located in the Bureau of Local
Roads and Streets at the Illinois Department of Trans-
Page 26 / Illinois Municipal Review / May 1995
portation. The center publishes a quarterly newsletter
"Illinois Interchange" including articles on upcoming
seasonal activities, innovative ideas, management concepts and safety suggestions to help you perform your
duties in a safer, more efficient manner. The newsletter
is distributed to the 3,700 contacts on the Center's mailing list. The Video and Publication Library contains 36
video tapes and 10 publications. Tapes and publications are listed in the "Video and Publication Library"
brochure of the "Illinois Interchange" along with an
order blank and instructions on how to obtain. The T2
Training Program is made up of a variety of tuition free
classes for local agencies. In 1994 a total of 70 classes
involving 26 subjects, were held in 16 locations around
the State.
The class listing and schedule is published in the Fall
(August) issue of the "Illinois Interchange."
The T2 Program is for your benefit. Your input will
help direct and guide the T2 Program in the direction
that will be most beneficial to your needs.
Credits to: Wilbert E. Scheller, Local Technology Transfer Program Coordinator.
May 1995 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 27
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