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What is LTAP?
The Colorado Local Technical Assistance
Program (Colorado LTAP) serves as the local technology transfer
(T2) effort of the Federal Highway Administration's Office of Technology
Applications. The LTAP mission is to bridge the gap between research
and practice by conducting training sessions and demonstrations
and by serving as a clearinghouse for information related to state-of-the-art
technology in the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges.
The LTAP network consists of 57 Centers (one in each State, one
in Puerto Rico, and six that serve Native American Tribal Governments).
The program serves state, county and local highway and transportation
personnel. LTAP is funded by FHWA, with matching funds from state
governments, universities, state highway agencies and other organizations.
Colorado LTAP stimulates active, progressive and cost-effective transfer of highway technology and technical assistance to rural and local governments through a variety of resources including on-site training, workshops, newsletters,and a video tape and reference library, much of which is made available at no charge to local governments.
In the late 1970s, the Federal Highway Adiministration and State Departments of Transportation realized that although technical information had increased at the state level, 80 percent of the roads were under county or city jurisdictions, and technical information was not reaching the local level at the same rate.
In 1981, the original rural technical assistance mission was established with American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and federal appropriation. The pilot program was modeled after the historic agricultural extension system and included the creation of technology transfer centers to provide the link to local agencies. By 1985, the pilot program, known today as LTAP was a success in large part because centers' abilities to adapt national training programs and services meet unique local needs. The program grew, evolved, and created services and products to meet changing needs and technologies.
Background
In the late 1970s, the Federal Highway Administration
and State Departments of Transportation realized that although technical
information had increased at the state level, 80 percent of the
roads were under county or city jurisdictions, and technical information
was not reaching the local level at the same rate.
In 1981, the original rural technical assistance mission was established with American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and federal appropriation. The pilot program was modeled after the historic agricultural extension system and included the creation of technology transfer centers to provide the link to local agencies. By 1985, the pilot program, known today as LTAP was a success in large part because centers' abilities to adapt national training programs and services meet unique local needs. The program grew, evolved, and created services and products to meet changing needs and technologies.
Mission
The Colorado LTAP's mission is to foster a safe,
efficient, environmentally sound transportation system by improving
skills and knowledge of local transportation providers through training,
technical assistance, and technology transfer.
Training
The Colorado LTAP is located at the University
of Colorado at Boulder and is staffed by transportation professionals.
As a result, Colorado LTAP can provide local governments with training
on such topics as:
Technical Information
The Colorado LTAP Center has access to transportation
professionals ready to answer questions. Areas of expertise include:
Technical Material
The Colorado LTAP Center publishes a quarterly
newsletter that contains articles on research training programs
and new transportation technologies. The Colorado LTAP library houses
a variety of transportation materials available for loan:
