Training and Educational Opportunities

SPOT and Roadeo – October 3-5

This APWA Iowa Chapter-sponsored event is back in central Iowa for 2023. Snow Plow Operator Training (SPOT) is being offered October 3-4, and the ever-popular Roadeo event will take place on October 5. The City of West Des Moines is hosting the event this year at their Public Services facility located at 8550 Grand Avenue. Additional details and registration for both options can be found at this link.

Iowa Concrete Lunch and Learn – October 5, 6, 13

The CP Tech Center invites you to join us for the return of our concrete pavement lunch and learn series. This fall, we will discuss how to troubleshoot some of the most common issues we have with concrete pavements in Iowa. Whether it’s a problem that occurs just after construction or down the line on an older pavement, we’ll talk about how to make a proper evaluation and diagnosis, how to match the right treatment to the right issue at the right time, and how to prevent problems from happening again in the future. Click here for more information and to register.

Multidisciplinary Roadway Safety Series – October 10, 11, 12, 17, and 18

The Multidisciplinary Roadway Safety Series (formerly the Local Road Safety Workshops) is an annual series held at convenient locations in Iowa to provide the most current information and advice for improving safety on local agencies’ roads and streets in terms of planning, law enforcement, education, and engineering. This is an opportunity to hear about the latest work and programs aimed at reducing fatal crashes on Iowa roadways from various safety partners in the state, including the Iowa DOT Traffic and Safety, Local Systems and Systems Planning Bureaus, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) – Iowa Division, Governors Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB), and the Iowa Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP). The locations/dates will be in Atlantic (10/10), Cherokee (10/11), Ankeny (10/12), Washington (10/17), and Waterloo (10/18). Click here for more information and to register.

Concrete Pavement Preservation for Local Roads Workshop – October 24 or 25

A Concrete Pavement Preservation for Local Roads Workshop will be held on Tuesday, October 24 in Cedar Falls OR Wednesday, October 25 in Davenport. This class will provide guidance on the design, construction, and selection of various concrete pavement preservation treatments. Click here for more details or to register online.

Risk Management Lessons Learned from Lawsuits Against Local Road Agencies – October 26

A road agency’s legal duties and the implications of tort liability are discussed in this webinar. The speaker examined about 50 fatal and serious injury crashes on low-volume roads from his forensic experience, and the results of this analysis will be presented. Noteworthy findings include the role of driveways as a source of contamination of the roadway surface and the significance of transitions such as from a paved road to gravel road or from one cross-section width to another. Risk management strategies discussed include conducting operational reviews, paying attention to written and spoken words, regularly reviewing policies and manuals, safety training for maintainers, and good documentation. Click here for more information and to register.

Asphalt Design Lunch and Learn – November 1

Please join us for a lunchtime educational opportunity that is being offered both in-person and virtually.  Learn what to look for when reviewing a mix design submitted by a contractor.  Best practices for HMA testing and evaluating the results will be discussed.  The in-person session will be held at Snyder & Associates south building in the Community Conference Room. This is one of several educational opportunities that will be offered by the Asphalt Paving Association of Iowa and hosted by Snyder & Associates.  We look forward to providing additional educational opportunities in the upcoming months. 

You can expect to learn:

• How to review a mix design
• Best practices for HMA testing
• Evaluating testing results

Click here to register.

Iowa Winter Maintenance Workshop Series – November 7-16

Snow and ice control can be the most demanding, challenging and visible tasks performed by local public agencies. This workshop will cover many of the topics needed for operations staff to be prepared for the upcoming winter season. Some of the topics include pre-season preparation, snow removal on county roads and city streets, the use of deicers, calibration, pre-trip inspection and  common snow and ice ordinances and policies. Speakers will include county and city operators and supervisors, DOT Maintenance Supervisors, Iowa LTAP staff. For more information and to register, click here.

2023 Traffic and Safety Forum – November 8

The purpose of the 2023 Traffic and Safety Forum is to enable traffic and safety engineering professionals to learn about new and innovative systems and processes, share individual experiences, and collectively address issues of interest. In recent years, representatives have attended from cities, counties, consultants, universities, and the Iowa Department of Transportation. For more information and to register, click here.

W-Beam Bridge Rails for Low-Volume Rural Roads: Issues and Solutions – November 16

W-beam and thrie-beam rails are commonly used as bridge rails on rural, county roadways. However, due to a lack of understanding these railings, many of these bridge rails are installed improperly. Common safety issues include a lack of guardrail anchorage, inadequate run-out lengths, guardrail blunt ends, and large posts posing as snag risks. This presentation explores these issues and their negative effects on safety performance. Additionally, multiple crashworthy W-beam railings are detailed and discussed as options for either side-mounted or top-mounted W-beam railings. Finally, similar W-beam systems are presented for use to treat concrete box culverts. All of these W-beam systems have been evaluated and satisfy current Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) safety standards for TL-2 and/or TL-3 installations. Click here for more information and to register.

Iowa DOT’s Technical Training & Certification Program (TTCP)

More information on all dates and options is available in the registration book.

CDL Training for Maintenance Equipment Operators

Under a new federal rule, all providers (individual locations) of entry-level commercial driver’s license (CDL) training must be listed on Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Training Provider Registry (TPR). To be listed on the TPR, the lead trainer at each location must certify that the location meets these requirements:

1. Follows a training curriculum that meets specific criteria for theory and behind-the-wheel training.
2. Utilizes facilities, vehicles, and instructors meeting federal requirements.
3. Meets federal record-keeping requirements.
4. Complies with any applicable state laws and regulations.

For a complete overview, please click here.

Additional resources:

• Dane Robinson, Arapahoe County Public Works, CDL Training Log (three tabs, first is the driving log with the lesson plan check on back, and the second tab is driver trainer notes)
• FMCSA Field Offices
• Clear Roads – Entry-Level Driver Training (CDL) for Maintenance Equipment Operators
• Ohio LTAP CDL Theory Training
• Kentucky Transportation Center Link (Summer 2022)
• Minnesota LTAP Commercial Drivers License Mentimeter Survey Pre-presentation
• CT LTAP ELDT Presentation

Iowa’s Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP)

The Iowa Local Technical Assistance Program is dedicated to providing technical and management assistance to Iowa’s local governments. And to accomplish their mission—of improving traffic safety through locally coordinated multidisciplinary efforts built on trusted relationships—the Iowa LTAP offers a variety of programs and resources aimed toward assisting local agencies with the ever-growing demands on the roads, streets, bridges, and public transportation of Iowa. Click here for a current list of LTAP events.

Institute for Transportation (InTrans)

The Institute for Transportation is a hub of local, regional, and national transportation-focused research, education, workforce development, and technology transfer. InTrans administers 15 centers and programs, and several other distinct research specialties, and a variety of technology transfer and professional education initiatives. Click here for a current list of InTrans events.

Research

Check out the latest research publications from the Iowa Highway Research Board. Information related to research activities including project highlights and successes, requests for proposal, unique collaborations, and more are available through the News section of the DOT’s Research Ideas site.