Section 4: Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP)
Anchor: #i1012349Overview
Under 23 U.S.C. §504, the National Highway Institute (NHI), a staff office in FHWA Headquarters, is responsible for identifying current and future technical training needs and for developing training to satisfy the identified needs in cooperation with FHWA program and field offices and State highway agencies. The NHI primary mission is to provide education and training to Federal, State, and local employees associated with Federal-aid highway work. The NHI provides this training and education primarily through a program of short courses aimed at States and the Local Transportation Assistance Program (LTAP) which is geared to serve local agencies. The Texas Local Technical Assistance Program (TxLTAP) is financed and sponsored by TxDOT and FHWA. TxDOT has been assigned the responsibility to develop, coordinate, and maintain this program. TxDOT RTI manages and has oversight of this Program by contracting with a Texas state-supported university to facilitate these activities of the Program.
Anchor: #i1012401Purpose
The purpose of this program is to provide education and training, technology assistance, and related support services to assist rural, local transportation agencies and tribal governments, and the consultants and construction personnel working for the agencies and governments, to develop and expand expertise in road and transportation areas (including pavement, bridge, concrete structures, intermodal connections, safety management systems, intelligent transportation systems, incident response, operations, and traffic safety countermeasures) for improving roads and bridges.