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Minnesota LTAP launches redesigned Web site

Minnesota LTAP is pleased to announce the redesign of our Web site: www.mnltap.umn.edu

The revamped site offers a number of improvements based on findings from usability testing. It has clearer and consistent navigation options, and the home page is richer in content. The search engine is easily accessible throughout the site, and customized search tools let you search all Minnesota-transportation Web sites, all LTAP centers, and several databases. And we've added some snazzy new photos and graphics, too.

The new home page gives prominent spots to LTAP workshops and events, news headlines, and two of our programs: the Roads Scholar professional development certificate and the Circuit Training and Assistance Program (CTAP).

The home page also has a new section—LTAP Know-how—that gives you quick access to a range of information. Click on the Topics pages to see a listing of selected resources about subjects such as erosion control and low-volume roads. Choose Design Tools to use software like the crash-mapping analysis tool. Or ask a question on the new LTAP Forum, an announcement and discussion forum for Minnesota's local transportation community. The LTAP Forum will be another avenue to learn about upcoming training opportunities and informational resources, share your tips, and get answers to your technical questions.

Other pages allow you to subscribe to newsletters and e-mail announcements, register for workshops, and watch videos.

LTAP information manager Arlene Mathison led the redesign. Other contributing staff were Charlie Grussing-Neitzel, Web coordinator, who applied the latest standards in Web development; Cadie Wright Adhikary, graphic designer; C.J. Loosbrock, information systems specialist; Pamela Snopl, editor; and Nyssa Gesch and Mike Anderson, student interns.

Please let us know what you think. Send comments to mnltap@umn.edu.

Recycled shingle video coming to a screen near you

If you're looking for a good holiday movie, skip the latest from Hollywood and check out the LTAP Web site instead. On the marquee is a two-minute video describing a Town of Hassan paving project that used recycled asphalt-roofing shingles. The video was produced by Northwest Community Television in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) currently allows the use of postindustrial asphalt shingles (scrap directly from manufacturers) in paving asphalt. But postconsumer roofing shingles torn off in residential reroofing projects-known as "tear-off shingle scrap"-haven't been tested as thoroughly. The research project, funded with a grant from the Minnesota Local Road Research Board's OPERA (Operational Research Assistance) Program, is intended to help change that.

To compare the performance of the shingles, the contractor (Omann Brothers) paved a 100-foot test strip in 2006 with 5 percent tear-off shingles, a second 100-foot strip with 5 percent manufacturers' shingles, and a final 100-foot test strip without any shingles.

The research partners-including Mn/DOT, Hennepin County, and the Town of Hassan-expect the tear-off shingle asphalt to perform just as well as manufacturers' shingle asphalt in terms of gradation, density, air voids, and asphalt extraction test. The difference lies in cost. Using recycled asphalt shingles in asphalt reduces the use of virgin asphalt binder, a cost that is rapidly rising.

Watch the video
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Stormwater topic page added to LTAP Web site

Keeping Minnesota's lakes, rivers, and streams healthy means paying attention to stormwater management. A new information source is the stormwater topic page in the "Know-how" section of Minnesota LTAP's Web site.

Resources include links to a University of Minnesota stormwater best management practices site, a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency manual, and street sweeping state-of-the-practice reports by the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District. The page also has preconstructed searches to help you find current resources on this topic.

OPERA 2007 annual report published

The LRRB's Local Operational Research Assistance Program (Local OPERA) helps to develop innovations in the construction and maintenance operations of local government transportation organizations. For a copy of the OPERA 2007 annual report, please visit www.mnltap.umn.edu/opera.

Biological control of a thorny pest

Canada thistle is a common invasive plant species that is classified as a noxious weed by many states where it occurs, including Minnesota. Because it outcompetes many native prairie species for light and nutrients, controlling Canada thistle is a priority for many agencies. The species is common in roadside ditches, where it thwarts the efforts of transportation agencies to establish native prairie vegetation.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota's Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics suggest new possibilities for controlling this thorny pest. They concluded that dense stands of perennial grasses were detrimental to Canada thistle infestations and should be included in roadside vegetation establishment projects or wetland restorations.

The findings from the Mn/DOT-funded project could lead to new management practices that discourage the growth of Canada thistle.

Biological Control of Canada Thistle in Wetland Prairie Restoration (Mn/DOT 2007-38) is available from the CTS Web site.

(Reprinted and condensed from the November 2007 CTS Research E-News.)

Snow and ice control guidelines

Snow and ice control materials help us keep our roads safe and passable, but they also have effects on the environment. A new report from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)—Report 577: Guidelines for the Selection of Snow and Ice Control Materials to Mitigate Environmental Impacts—provides guidance. It examines a decision tool for the selection of snow and ice control materials to suit the specific needs of any given highway agency, a purchase specification, and a quality assurance monitoring program that includes procedures and standard test methods to characterize snow and ice control products before their purchase or use. The report, along with links to download the decision tool software, is at http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_577.pdf (6.0 MB PDF).

Final rural intersection safety reports: technology to prevent crashes

A new research summary and final research reports detail the efforts and accomplishments of groundbreaking research by the Rural Intersection Decision Support team at the University of Minnesota.

The National Safety Council estimates that 32 percent of all rural crashes occur at intersections; 16 percent of all fatalities on rural highways are intersection related. To address this problem, the team set out to develop innovative technologies to prevent crashes at rural intersections.

The interdisciplinary research team carried out extensive analyses of rural crash statistics and designed a system to help drivers negotiate dangerous intersections without the need for traffic signals, which can disrupt traffic and often lead to increased rates of rear-end collisions.

Download Intersection Decision Support: An Overview (Mn/DOT 2007-33) from the CTS Web site. Previous reports in the series, providing detailed information on various aspects of the research, are also available.

(Reprinted and condensed from the September 2007 CTS Research E-News.)

Roadway Safety Foundation publishes best practices

The Roadway Safety Foundation (RSF) has published a 20-page best-practices document (4.8 MB PDF) showcasing the winning entries of the 2007 National Roadway Safety Awards program. Entries were rated on their innovation, effectiveness, and efficient use of resources. One honored entry was the speed management project conducted by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Safety.

The RSF is dedicated to reducing highway deaths and injuries by improving the physical characteristics of America's roadways-design and engineering, operating conditions, removal of roadside hazards, and the effective use of safety features. It is a private nonprofit organization chartered by the American Highway Users Alliance. Members include the Federal Highway Administration, state DOTs, the National Association of County Engineers (NACE), and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Both NACE and AASHTO are partners of the National LTAP Association.

The RSF site also includes the 2001 Roadway Safety Guide, which presents roadway safety information and key resources in a format designed for local elected officials, safety groups, and community leaders. The guide shows how to identify roadway hazards, choose countermeasures, build coalitions, and find help to implement roadway safety initiatives. It also provides a roadway safety checklist for assessing community hazards and examples of successful roadway safety efforts.

Learn more at www.roadwaysafety.org.

Click, Listen, and Learn schedule set through August 2008

Click, Listen, and Learn is the American Public Works Association (APWA) series of interactive Internet educational programs. (APWA is a partner of the National LTAP Association.) The schedule through August 2008 is online.

Each program is led by top experts in the field who convey new ideas, new methods, and new technologies in a fast-paced two-hour time frame. To participate, all you need is a speaker phone for the audio portion and an Internet connection for the visual portion.

For information, see www.apwa.net/Education/CLL.

Upcoming events

12th Annual Minnesota Pavement Conference, February 14, Continuing Education and Conference Center, St. Paul. Contact Shirley Mueffelman, 612-624-4754, cceconf2@umn.edu.

Transportation Career Expo, March 13, Coffman Memorial Union, Minneapolis east bank campus. Contact Mindy Carlson, 612-625-1813, carlson@cts.umn.edu.

Northland Chapter of the American Traffic Safety Services Association "How to" Safety Training Conference, March 18-19, Fargo, North Dakota. Participants may enroll in the work-zone training and receive half a credit toward Minnesota LTAP's Roads Scholar Program. Register at www.atssa.com, or contact Rick Shomion, 651-366-3575, rick.shomion@dot.state.mn.us.

Spring Maintenance Training Expo, April 15-16, St. Cloud. Contact Shirley Mueffelman, 612-624-4754, cceconf2@umn.edu.

Minnesota LTAP Workshops

• Work-Zone Traffic Control Seminar
• Traffic Engineering Fundamentals
• Gravel Road Maintenance and Design