NYS LTAP Center - Cornell Local Roads Program

Road Chatter

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

April 2024

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.

- Albert Einstein

All adventures, especially into new territory, are scary.

- Sally Ride

This spring we are trying a few new things.

First, we are launching the second of our completely rebuilt legal courses, Rights and Responsibilities. This course covers the legal issues that are most vexing and will help you understand your rights to do road and street work as well as your responsibilities. We have two instructors teaching the workshop, former highway official: Marty Roberts (Town of Reading) and current highway official, Michal Nowak (Village of Rye Brook). We hope to see you this spring and fall as we roll out this reconstructed workshop.

We are also working with our partners to sponsor workshops. This should help us ensure the classes will be held and increase attendance. While we wanted to have more sponsorships this spring, the few we do have appear to be successful. If your county association would like to be a part of this campaign, please contact us.

We also are continuing to grow our new publication series developed by Amanda Caughey, Community Corners. These infographics are designed to answer common questions from the public regarding highway issues such as the right-of-way and potholes. We continue to get new requests and new ideas.

https://cals.cornell.edu/nysltap-local-roads/community-corners

Why are we doing these things (and some others I did not mention)? Simple; we are working with you on Improving the Quality and Safety of NYS Highways. You have given us some new ideas and we are seeing if they can fly.

View from the Road

David P. Orr, PE, Director

Secure your spot for one of our Spring workshops!

Check out our full-year workshop lineup!

What we have coming up!

Stay up to date with the NYS LTAP Center - Cornell Local Roads Program.

Click here to be added to our mailing list.

Federal Aid 101 Webinar

April 23 from 9:30 am - 3:00 pm

Webinar: Free of cost

PDH: $20 (3.5 PDHs available)

Unlock the secrets of acing your local project with federal aid in this exciting 4-hour online workshop! Join David Orr, P.E., as he guides you through the entire journey. Discover the keys to success, navigate federal and state requirements with ease, and gain insight into common pitfalls. Learn the ropes, and understand everyone's role for a smooth project experience!

Making Your Rights-of-Way Accessible for Everyone - 7 PDHs

This workshop offers insight into public street pedestrian networks and how to ensure they are accessible to those with disabilities, emphasizing proper design and maintenance. Participants will learn about roadway owner responsibilities and strategies for achieving accessibility in new construction or modifications to pedestrian facilities.

Project Management for Everyone - 7 PDHs

This course aims to equip participants with management and professional skills necessary for project team membership or management roles while prompting reflection on potential career challenges. Additionally, it offers instruction on acquiring new technical skills essential for effective project management.

Join us for Highway School

June 3 - 5

2024 Training Topics!

Legal Panel
Budget, Inflation, & Purchase Lead Time
Highway Materials
CDL Training
Electric Vehicles
Signs and Markings
A Year in the Life of a Highway Superintendent
Reasonable Suspicion

Stay up-to-date on all things Highway School!

Congratulations to Jim Dean and Michal Nowak for the prestigious title of Road Master IV.

The Road Master community continues to be strong with members like these.

- David Orr, P.E., Director, NYS LTAP Center – Cornell Local Roads Program

For those of you who do not know what Road Master is, let me tell you. The Road Masters are New York State local highway officials who strive to build strong foundations in technical and management skills. Level IV is the highest Road Master level and is reserved for professionals who exhibit a superior commitment to management, mentorship, and training.

For more information on the Road Master Program, visit our website.

Upcoming Events and Conferences

Communications Roadblocks

Thursday, April 4, 2024 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm

Presented by the National Center for Rural Road Safety. Many problems in agencies can be solved with better communication. However, some common communication roadblocks hinder teamwork, progress, and relationships with the traveling public. In this webinar, Kevin Elliott will explain these roadblocks and offer simple tips to overcome them. Better communication leads to better projects, internal morale, and fewer problems. Remove the roadblocks and get to what you do best – serve the traveling public.

Resources

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.

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!

FHWA Local Aid Support

Online Training Library

The Center for Local Aid Support has developed a series of online training modules for transportation professionals. The online training courses are for professional development to provide solutions for transportation related issues. Professional credits are available on a State by State basis. Your state's LTAP can assist you with this process.

Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program is Now Accepting Applications!

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) established the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary program with $5 billion in appropriated funds over 5 years, 2022-2026. The SS4A program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. Over $3 billion is still available for future funding rounds.

Healthy Highway Habits

The importance of sleep, the National Institutes of Health recommends that adults sleep between 7 - 9 hours.

With a physically demanding and stressful job, it is important to prioritize sleep. With snow season (hopefully) coming to an end, it may be easier to establish some sort of nighttime routine.

Pick up some tips on sleeping from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

New York State LTAP Center -

Cornell Local Roads Program nysltap.clrp.cornell.edu