May-June 2012 TransportationBuilder 41

For more than 30 years, ARTBA’s Transportation Officials Division

(TOD) hosted an annual conference for state and local transportation officials which attracted over 500 delegates. But as state budgets began to shrink in the early 1990’s, travel to conferences became difficult and less frequent. Today, travel for public officials is even harder. Yet the need for professional develop-ment, information sharing, networking and access to the latest products and services remains as strong as ever.

That’s why ARTBA’s TOD, the National Local Technical Assistance Program Association (NLTAPA) and the National As-sociation of County Engineers are resurrecting the conference concept, but with a 21st century twist.

We’re harnessing the power of digital media to bring a first-class, virtual education and exhibition experience directly to the desktops of tens of thousands of city and county government officials who annually manage $50 billion in transportation in-frastructure capital investments, maintenance, engineering and traffic services, and snow removal.

Scheduled for September 18-20, LōTrans™, the Local Trans-portation Asset Management Virtual Conference & Innovation

Showcase, will also feature “Best Practices in Work Zone Safety.”

“Think of LōTrans™ as webinars on steroids,” says 2012 ARTBA Chairman Paul Yarossi, president of HNTB Holdings.

No registration fees. No travel authorizations by city councils needed. No airfare, train, hotel or meal expenses. All you need is an Internet-equipped computer or laptop to connect from anywhere around the world.

The conference has two main tracks, including on one asset

management, and another on work zone safety, which is being hosted by the ARTBA Foundation-owned National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse (www.workzonesafety.org). More than 30 presentations are planned. Check out the list of confirmed session titles and speakers as of May 22 on page 42.

Leading industry firms will also be displaying their products and services.

A comprehensive prospectus explaining how “virtual booths” work and the various exhibiting opportunities can be found at www.lotransvirtualconference.org. Contact ARTBA’s Peter Embrey or Ed Tarrant at 202.289.4434 with questions.

ARTBA’s partner is 6Connex, which has a cutting-edge plat-form that seamlessly brings together—in real time, over ultra-high speed feeds—state-of-the-art computer animation and framing, live streaming and download video and digital content technologies, and interactive “chat room” networking.

LōTrans™ will be so interactive that participants may forget they are at their desks!

The days of unlimited travel budgets may have gone the way of the dinosaur, but the need for transportation officials to un-derstand how they can better serve their communities has not. This program will provide a meaningful, first-class professional development and networking experience for the largest audi-ence of local transportation officials ever gathered in one place, at one time… virtually!

Register for free now: www.lotransvirtualconference.org.

2012 LōTrans™ Virtual Conference & Innovation Showcase

September 18-20

www.lotransvirtualconference.org

by Beth McGinn

“Think of LōTrans™ as webinars on steroids”

featuring: Best Practices in Work Zone Safety

May-June 201242 TransportationBuilder

*Current sponsors & exhibitors:Federal Highway Administration3M“Better Roads”CaterpillarHCSSHoneywell Safety ProductsNational Steel Bridge AllianceNational Association of County EngineersNational Local Technical Assistance Program AssociationNational Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse“Roads & Bridges” Transpo Industries

*as of 5/22/12

PROGRAM* Transportation Asset Management

Key topics:• Local road traffic safety• Environment• Communicating maintenance and infrastructure needs in the community• Emergency operations• Federal-aid essentials for public agencies• Tort Liability & Risk Management• FHWA “Every Day Counts” for locals• Bridge preservation

Welcome Message & LoTrans Overview • 2012 ARTBA Chairman Paul Yarossi, HNTB Holdings president • 2012 ARTBA Transportation Officials Division President Tim Zahrn, Sangamon County (Ill.) Engineer

What Local Transportation Agency Executives Should Know about Tort Liability & Risk Management • Matt DeVries, partner, Stites and Harbison, PLLC

Tips for Negotiating Successful Contracts with Architects & Engineering Firms • Buck Hinkle, partner, Stites and Harbison, PLLC

Creating Work Plans to Maximize Staff Time & Meet Project Objectives • Victoria Beale, Ohio LTAP center director & assistant administrator, Office of Training

Maximizing Local Public Agency Resources for Successful Federal-Aid Projects • Dan Cady, Nebraska LTAP director

Crisis Communications: How to Prepare for the Unexpected • Matt Jeanneret, ARTBA senior vice president of communications & marketing • Beth McGinn, ARTBA director of public affairs & new media

Grassroots Action 101: How Your Agency Can Build Federal & State Support for Local Transportation Investments • Kenyon Gleason, ARTBA vice president of development & national field operations

Overview of Environmental Legal Issues • Bill Penny, partner, Stites and Harbison, PLLC

What Agency Executives Need to Know about Utility Relocation • David Ratterman, partner, Stites and Harbison, PLLC

42 TransportationBuilder

LōTrans™ Virtual Conference & Innovation Showcase

*Program as of May 22. Additional speakers and topics can be found at www.lotransvirtualconference.org.

May-June 2012 TransportationBuilder 43

Roadway Safety+ Series

Overview of Roadway Safety • Don Elisburg, consultant

Speed Management in Work Zones • Melisa Finley, Texas Transportation Institute, associate research engineer

Preventing Runovers & Backovers • Emmett Russell, former International Union of Operating Engineers, safety and health director

Work Zone Safety: Motorcycles & Bicyclists • Travis Parsons, Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America, senior safety and health specialist

Occupational Hazards (Spanish) • Omar Lopez, ARTBA safety and Spanish training specialist

Key topics:• Speed management in work zones• Avoiding runovers and backovers of workers• The art of making workers and traffic control devices visible• Toward zero deaths—from concept to reality: an overview of safety efforts from around the world• Work zone access and egress strategies• Using technology to make work zones safer• Safety strategies for local and rural roads• Best safety practices from leading U.S. contractors• Communicating with the public—best practices

LōTrans™ Virtual Conference & Innovation Showcase

PROGRAM* Work Zone Safety Best Practices

Regular Sessions

Internal Traffic Control Plans • Dave Fosbroke, National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, statistician

The Art of Conspicuity • Tim Gardner, manager, regulatory affairs, Performance Safety Materials, 3M Occupational Health & Environmental Safety Division

Decade of Action for Roadway Safety • T. Bella Dinh-Zarr, FIA Foundation safety director

Best Contractor Safety Practices • Bob Johnson, Granite Construction Company director of safety

Why Investment in Safety Pays Back • Bud Wright, Barrier Systems transportation policy consultant

Moveable Barrier in Work Zones • Jim Keaton, Barrier Systems vice president of sales and marketing

Sign Management Strategies • Eric Hedman, marketing operations manager, 3M Traffic Safety Systems Division

Towards Zero Deaths • Kelly Hardy, AASHTO highway safety program manager

Work Zone Safety—FHWA’s Perspective • Tracy Scriba, FHWA Office of Operations, work zone program manager • Paul Pisano, FHWA Office of Operations, work zone team leader

“What do you believe is the most important action your organization could take to improve safety in work zones?” • Panel Presentation

May-June 2012

*Program as of May 22. Additional speakers and topics can be found at www.lotransvirtualconference.org.