Over three million miles for road and 29,000 bridges in the United States are maintained by counties, cities and towns. These roads and bridges often encounter excess wear due to traffic, weather and mistreatment. Keeping them safe and navigable requires design, maintenance and rehabilitation.
Limited funding for this work has created a significant need for technical assistance to the 38,000 local communities across the United States. In 1982, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recognized this need by creating the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP).
LTAP is composed of a national network of 59 centers - one in every state, Puerto Rico and regional centers serving tribal governments. (The NC center was one of the first organized in 1986.) The LTAP centers enable local counties, parishes, townships, cities and towns to improve their roads and bridge by supplying them with a variety of training programs,
an information clearinghouse,
new and existing technology updates, personalized technical assistance, and quarterly
newsletters.
Through these core services, LTAP centers provide access to training and information that may not have otherwise been accessible. Centers are able to provide local road departments with work force development services,
resources to enhance safety and security,
solutions to environmental, congestion, capacity and other issues,
technical publications, and
training videos and materials.
LTAP’s mission is to help these agencies 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.
The North Carolina Local Technical Assistance Program (NC LTAP) offers four primary types of assistance - training workshops, technical materials, technical information services, and quarterly newsletters. LTAP also conducts the Roads Scholar and Advanced Roads Scholar Programs. These popular training sessions are for local government agencies seeking low cost, high quality training for their employees in order to keep their roadways safe and properly maintained.
LTAP Achievements
- Established in 1982 by the Federal Highway Administration
(one of 59 centers nationwide)
- Development and instruction of workshops for local governments (1982-present)
- Provide technical assistance to local governments (1982-present)
- Produce and distribute a quarterly newsletter for local governments (1982-present)
- Created the NC Roads Scholar Program in 1993
(282 have completed the Program to date)
- Created the NC Advanced Roads Scholar Program in 1995
(37 have completed the Advanced Program to date)
View ITRE's History Pages including annual reports, photos, and funding. |
