BTS Logo BTS Navigation Bar Contents References Contacts
NTL Logo NTLNTLNTL
U.S. Department of Transportation
NTL Browse Reference Contributors Future Plans


FTA/FHWA Planning and Environmental Training Catalogue




Click HERE for graphic.

Click HERE for graphic.



                 FTA/FHWA PLANNING 
D  ENVIRONMENTAL
                          TRAINING CATALOGUE

                           Table of Contents

                                                                  Page
About the Training Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

About This Catalogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

COURSES CURRENTLY OFFERED:
   Major Investment Studies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
   Financial Planning and Programming for MPOs . . . . . . . . . . . 2
      Ecology and Highway Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
      Project Development and Environmental Documentation. . . . . . 2
   Fundamentals and Abatement of Highway Traffic Noise . . . . . . . 3
   Historic and Archaeological Preservation. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
   Improving the Effectiveness of Public Meetings and Hearings . . . 3
   Fundamentals of Air Quality for Transportation
      Planning and Project Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
   Functional Assessment of Wetlands (WET II). . . . . . . . . . . . 3
   Visual Impact Assessment for Highway Projects . . . . . . . . . . 4
   Environmental Training Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
   Administration of FHWA Planning Grants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
   Statewide Transportation Planning Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . 5
   Application of GIS for Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
   Corridor Preservation for Technical Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
   1990 Census Transportation Planning Package . . . . . . . . . . . 6
   Promoting Planning Partnerships:
      Strategies for Achieving Consensus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
   Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning under ISTEA . . . . . . . . . . . 6
   Capacity and Planning Analysis for Arterial Analysis. . . . . . . 7
   Site Traffic Impact Traffic Analysis and Assessment . . . . . . . 7
   Introduction to Urban Travel Demand Forecasting . . . . . . . . . 7
   Access Management, Location and Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
   Innovative Highway Financing and Elements Of Financial Planning:
      Technical Methodologies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
   Estimating the Impacts of Transportation Alternatives . . . . . . 8
   Congestion Management for Technical Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
   Management Systems for Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
   Intermodal & Public Transportation Management Systems
      for Technical Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
   Landside Access for Intermodal Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . .10
   Workshop on Transportation-Air Quality Analysis . . . . . . . . .10
   Highway Program Financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
   Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and Accommodation . . . . . . . .11





                           Table of Contents

                                                                  Page

Courses Under Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Training in the Planning Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

About NTI and NHI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Course Schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Course Requests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Fee Structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Course Computer Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

NHI Course Sponsors Needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16




ABOUT THE TRAINING PROGRAM

   The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) offer a variety of planning and environmental
training courses, workshops, and seminars  to individuals primarily in
Federal, state, and local government, including  Metropolitan Planning
Organizations (MPO) and Transit Authorities.

The training, which varies in length from one to four days, covers a
wide variety of planning and environmental-related topics including
travel demand forecasting, project traffic forecasting, transportation
planning for air quality analysis, congestion and intermodal
management systems, access management, and promoting improved planning
partnerships.  Some courses concentrate on technical aspects while
others focus on policy related issues.

ABOUT THIS CATALOGUE

This catalogue identifies courses that are currently available as well
as courses that are under development or which are planned for future
development.  An FTA or FHWA contact is provided for each course that
is currently available or under development.  These individuals are
available to answer technical questions about the training subject. 
For information on registering for, attending or sponsoring an
National Highway Institute (NHI) course (those with 5-digit course
numbers), the NHI contact is Al Miller.   The name of the National
Transit Institute (NTI) person that can provide infor- mation on
registration for currently available courses is listed with each NTI
course.

The catalogue also provides details on how agencies and organizations
can arrange to sponsor an NHI course and how individuals wishing to
attend a particular course can determine when and where that course is
being offered.

COURSES CURRENTLY OFFERED

In the following course list, each course is referenced by its NHI (5
digit) or NTI (4 digit) course number and title followed by a brief
description including the course length.  For more detailed technical
information on any of these courses, you may call the listed contact
person.  Unless otherwise indicated, the contact is an FHWA staff
member.  For specific information on the process to host or register
for a course, see the section on the NHI and the NTI.

9401:    Major Investment Studies
Contact: Donald Emerson, FTA (202) 366-0096
         Sheldon Edner, FHWA (202) 366-4066
         Linda Howe, NTI (908) 932-1700

This 3-day course is designed to help states, transit operators, and
metropolitan planning organizations carry out the planning
requirements for major metropolitan transportation investments. 
Designed for the study manager, the course provides an overview of the
procedural and technical aspects of major investment studies.  Topics
covered in lectures, group discussions and workshops include: the
reasons for doing a Major Investment Study (MIS), the relationship of
the MIS to the planning and environmental processes, the
identification and evaluation of alternatives, travel forecasting,
cost estimating, environmental analysis, financial analysis, and study
management.

Target Audience:  Senior planners working for state Departments of
Transportation (DOT), MPOs, transit operators, local governments, and
consultants who are responsible for managing a major investment study.



9402: Financial Planning and Programming for MPOs
Contact: FTA, Nancy Strine (202) 366-4984
         FHWA, Martin Weiss (202) 366-5010
         NTI, Neal Denno (908) 932-1700

This 3-day course addresses the financial planning requirements of the
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) and the
FTA/FHWA  metropolitan and statewide planning regulations.  Pres- 
entations, group exercises, and discussion are used to give
participants a basic under- standing of Federal laws and regulations
on financially constrained plans and Transpor- tation Improvement
Program (TIP), Federal funding programs and their inherent flexibil-
ities and eligibility requirements, funda- mentals of financial
analysis and planning, basic methods for cost estimation and revenue
forecasting, and techniques for checking the reasonableness of
estimates and forecasts developed by others.  This course is a
companion to NHI course #15256, "Innovative Highway Financing and
Elements of Financial Planning:  Technical Methodologies."

Target Audience:
   Professional staff of MPOs and member agencies such as transit
   operators and state DOTs engaged in developing the financial
   components of transportation plans and TIPs.

14203:   Ecology and Highway Development
Contact: Paul Garrett (202) 366-2067

This course provides information on ecology and ecological methods for
assessing the effects of proposed highway improvements.  Instruction
highlights the importance of ecological principles when assessing
impacts, selecting project alternatives and developing mitigation
strategies.
                    
Target Audience:
   State DOT, local and FHWA employees who must integrate
   environmental issues into program and project decisionmaking.

14205:   Project Development and Environmental Documentation
Contact: FHWA, Lee Dong (202) 366-2054
         FTA, Sheila Cohen (202) 366-0096

This 3-day course explains in a comprehen- sive fashion the project
development process for Federal-aid highway, transit, and railroad
projects.  This treatment addresses the development of project concept
from planning through construction, merger of environmental and
permitting requirements, interagency coordination, project stream-
lining and flexibility, corridor preservation, enhancement,
mitigation, and cooperating agency policy.

In addition to the broader treatment of the project development
process, the course gives specific training on technical and policy
aspects of environmental document preparation.  This includes detailed
instruc- tion on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Council
on Environmental Quality and FHWA/FTA implementing regulations,
decision making on types of environmental documents as well as the
information needed for those documents.   The latter includes format,
coordination, general content, processing and approval.

The course addresses Section 4(f) of the DOT Act and Federal
implementing  procedures.  This includes documentation, coordination,
and approvals.  The       Section 4(f) instruction gives thorough
treatment of applicability, alternatives selection and content.

Target Audience:
   FHWA/FTA staff, state personnel (including consultants acting for
   the state), MPOs, transit operators, resource and permitting
   agencies,  and local government staff who prepare and review
   environmental documents.



14207:   Fundamentals and Abatement of Highway Traffic Noise
Contact: Bob Armstrong (202) 366-2073

This three and one-half day course is designed to provide training in
the fundamentals of sound and its transmission, traffic noise sources,
measurement methods, traffic noise prediction, and noise barrier
design.

Target Audience:
   Federal, state, and local personnel responsible for identifying and
   analyzing highway noise problems and developing means for
   minimizing potential noise impacts.

14211:   Historic and Archaeological Preservation
Contact: Bruce Eberle (202) 366-2060

This course provides instruction on the when, who, and why to apply
appropriate historic preservation procedures to locate and identity
resources, to determine the effect of proposed transportation projects
on significant historic and archeological resources, and to resolve
the effects.

Target Audience:
   Federal, state, regional and local transportation agency personnel
   who coordinate environmental and preservation actions with respect
   to federally funded highway, transit, and railroad projects which
   affect historic, archeological, and architectural resources.

14213:   Improving the Effectiveness of Public Meetings and Hearings
Contact: Florence Mills (202) 366-2062

This basic workshop emphasizes practical techniques and processes for
organizing and conducting the two most common public involvement
techniques: public meetings and public hearings.  It is designed to
            increase the knowledge of participants in the application
            of methods to enhance the effectiveness of public meetings
            and hearings in both transportation planning and project
            development.

Target Audience:
   State highway agency, transit agency,  and MPO officials
   responsible for planning or conducting public meetings and
   hearings.

14217:   Fundamentals of Air Quality for Transportation Planning and
         Project Development (Available 1995)
Contact: Richard Schoeneberg
         (202) 366-2076

This course covers transportation-air quality considerations at both
the system planning and project development stages of analysis. 
Through a combination of lecture, work- shops, case studies, and
computer exercises the following topics will be addressed: 1) Federal
legal and regulatory requirements, 2) atmospheric and meteorological
conditions of concern, 3) emission trends and characteristics of
transportation activities, 4) analysis techniques at both regional and
project levels of concern, and 5) documentation and reporting.

Target Audience:
   State DOT, MPO, local transit agencies, and state and local air
   quality staff.

14218:   Functional Assessment of Wetlands (WET II)
Contact: Paul Garrett (202) 366-2067

The course offers an overview of wetland regulations and ecology,
impact of highways on wetlands, mitigation projects, and methods of
assessing wetland functional values.  The course is available in three
versions, either totally classroom or classroom/field exercise.  The
classroom only version is two days, and emphasizes only the
hydrogeomorphic (HGM), Wetland Evaluation Technique, and Evaluation of
Planned Wetland functional assessment techniques.  The classroom/field
exercise



option is used to demonstrate the wetlands assessment and analysis
techniques presented in the course, and includes wetlands regulations,
wetlands ecology, and mitigation planning.  The classroom/field option
is available in three and four day versions.  Selection of the 2, 3,
or 4-day course version should be determined after discussion with the
Contact.

Target Audience:
   Primarily for state DOT personnel who have professional/technical
   responsibilities relating to highway design, construction,
   operation, or maintenance activities affecting wetlands.  Other
   Federal, state, local government , and industry personnel with
   related responsibilities may be permitted to attend on a space
   available basis.

14226:   Visual Impact Assessment for Highway Projects
Contact: Gene Johnson (202) 366-2071

This course is designed to provide the highway professional with an
understanding of the process used in the development of a visual
impact analysis.  It provides guidance on the identification,
assessment, and eval- uation of visual resources.  The course also
explains how highway projects are to be assessed and evaluated to
determine their effects upon visual resources.  It illustrates how the
resulting assessment information can be used in making decisions about
managing visual resources in the Planning and Maintenance of Highway
Projects.

Target Audience:
   Federal and state personnel who are directly or indirectly
   responsible for identifying and analyzing visual impacts resulting
   from highway improvements.


14228:   Environmental Training Center
Contact: Bob Wheeler (202) 366-2029

This three week program has been designed to provide participants with
the tools needed to manage the environmental process for
transportation agencies.  The Environmental Training Center will focus
on methods to fully integrate environmental considerations into agency
policies, procedures, and the project decision making process. The
course emphasizes early and continuous involvement of Federal, state,
and local governments and the increased decisionmaking role of
environmental agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and
the Army Corps of Engineers.  Technical requirements for environmental
documents under NEPA will be addressed in light of the organizational
and functional relationships that identify the importance and
interrelationship of the various environmental requirements which
apply to transportation programs.  The goal is to manage the
transportation planning and project development processes in such a
way that good project decisions are made through collaboration with
all significant stakeholders and that environmental commitments are
accomplished.

Target Audience:
   Employees of Federal, state and local transportation agencies or
   consultants working for those agencies who have responsibilities in
   the areas of environmental program management, environmental impact
   identification and analysis or who are involved in environmental
   document review and/or preparation.    Participants may have
   responsibility for addressing environmental impacts of
   transportation projects either in the transportation planning or
   project development process.  Participants should have a basic
   knowledge of Federal environmental legislation.



15121:   Administration of FHWA Planning Grants
Contact: Tony Solury (202) 366-5003

This two day course provides a basic understanding of the
responsibilities and relationships that exist between FHWA, the state,
and metropolitan planning organizations in the administration of FHWA
planning grants.  This course is updated as necessary to include the
most recent administrative and legislative changes including revisions
to Office of Management and Budget Circulars A-87 and A-102, 49 CFR
Part 18, and 23 CFR, Part 420.

Target Audience:
   Federal, state, MPO, and local planning agency personnel that are
   involved with the use and administration of FHWA planning grants.

15127:   Statewide Transportation Planning Procedures
Contact: Bob Gorman (202) 366-5001

This multi-day (usually 4 day) course provides a basic understanding
of the ISTEA statewide transportation planning requirements and an
in-depth understanding of the practices and procedures for statewide
transportation planning.  It is oriented to state DOT staff involved
in developing state transportation plans and programs.  Topics
discussed include: the statewide transportation planning process,
systems analysis procedures, management systems, data needs and
collection procedures, needs estimation, Clean Air requirements,
project level analyses, intermodal issues and public involve- ment.

Target Audience:
   State and Federal planning professionals and new managers that
   desire a fast-paced review of the state-of-the-practice.


15129:   Application of GIS for Transportation
Contact: Roger Petzold (202) 366-4074

A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system of hardware,
software, data, people, organizations and institutional arrangements
for collecting, storing, analyzing, and disseminating information
about areas of the earth.  Geographic Information System for
Transportation is the adaptation of the technology to transportation
issues specific to the management and analysis of transportation
networks.

Target Audience:
   Federal and state personnel, MPO,  transit agencies,  and local
   governments that are interested in the implementation of a GIS for
   Transportation

15130:   Corridor Preservation for Technical Staff
Contact: Robert Wheeler (202) 366-2029

This course explains the objectives of corridor preservation and
presents case studies illustrating the application of corridor
preservation efforts.  The course includes discussion in the following
areas: 1) the nature and magnitude of the problem corridor
preservation is intended to address; 2) the impact of the National
Environmental Policy Act on corridor preservation; 3) use of the
products from the transportation planning process; 4) land use
controls; and, 5) public/private partnerships.  The case studies
identify various approaches to corridor preservation including
different levels of corridor analysis (i.e., planning studies,
feasibility analyses, and phased environmental documents) and various
types of land use controls.

Target Audience:
   Technical staff involved in project development, planning, project
   development, and right-of-way functions at the Federal, state, and
   local levels.



15131:   1990 Census Transportation Planning Package (CTPP)
         Applications
Contact: Barry Zimmer  (202) 366-4082

This three day course is no longer offered.  Beginning mid-1995 a free
two-day technical assistance session is being planned with emphasis on
applications of the urban element of the CTPP.  FHWA and  the Bureau
of Transportation Statistics have teamed together to provide this
technical assistance session.  Concentrated time will be spent on the
uses of the TransVu CTPP software, the background of the CTPP and
metropolitan applications of the Census data.  The manual to accompany
this offering will provide a resource document for practitioners. 
These sessions are designed for persons who may have already taken the
NHI Course #15131.  Approximately ten areas will be targeted to host
the sessions nationwide.  Additional information will be available as
the details are worked out.

Target Audience:
   State and local planning staffs.  Individuals directly involved in
   any aspect of transportation system planning, including highway and
   transit planners, land use planners, system modellers and other
   persons involved in developing transportation planning inputs,
   developing or using analytical methods, and evaluating planning
   output.

15133:   Promoting Planning Partnerships: Strategies for Achieving 
         Consensus
Contact: Sheldon Edner (202) 366-4066

This course focuses on the changed roles of traditional transportation
agencies and new planning participants (e.g., ports, airports, rail,
etc.) in the surface transportation planning process.  The concepts
central to understanding shared power decision systems  and techniques
for decision making in such settings will be discussed and evaluated. 
Application of these techniques will be demonstrated using participant
examples.

This course can be structured to reflect the specific problems,
issues, opportunities, and constraints of particular metropolitan
areas or states.  Information on such custom tailoring is available
from the contact.

Target Audience:
   State, MPO, local government, and transit agency staffs and
   operators of other modes of transportation.

15135:   Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Under ISTEA
Contact: John Fegan (202) 366-5007

This one day course describes the bicycle and pedestrian planning
process and how it relates to metropolitan and statewide planning
processes.  It covers Federal legislation, implementing regulations,
joint FHWA/FTA technical guidance, managing the planning process,
public involvement, and developing and implementing a bicycle and
pedestrian plan.

The suggested components of the bicycle and pedestrian plan are
presented with information on how these components an be developed for
individual states and metropolitan planning areas.  The course covers
both the initial development and the subsequent modifications of plans
and programs to integrate consideration of the needs of bicyclists and
pedestrian needs in the development of an intermodal transportation
system.

Target Audience:
   Planners and engineers at state, metropolitan, and local levels who
   are responsible for developing and updating the bicycle and
   pedestrian planning required by ISTEA.



15250:   Capacity and Planning Analysis for Arterial Analysis
Contact: Ron Giguere (202) 366-2203

The three day course introduces techniques both for determining the
demand on arterial facilities and for evaluating the performance of
intersections, arterials, and corridors.  The four day course includes
freeway facilities as well.  Discussions focus on the latest material
from the 1985 Highway Capacity Manual much of which has been or is
being revised.  The course is constantly being updated to reflect
these changes.  Methods and tools to evaluate arterial and freeway
components (four day course only) at both the planning and operational
levels are presented.  Specific data requirements along with
procedures for estimating turning movements and determining service
volumes are also discussed.  In addition to lectures, the course
incorporates software demonstrations and microcomputer workshops to
apply analytical techniques.  Hands-on exercises employ widely used
microcomputer programs.  In the software applications, emphasis is
placed on understanding the inputs and interpreting the outputs.

Target Audience:
   Federal, state, and local  transportation planners and engineers
   who are or may be involved in capacity and traffic analysis of
   existing or future facilities.

15253:   Site Traffic Impact Analysis and Assessment
Contact: Brian Gardner (202) 366-4061

This three day course will present the major elements and recommended
practices for site impact analysis and assessment.  It replaces the
current Site Impact Traffic Evaluation course (same course number). 
The technical, administrative, economic and legal issues surrounding
these topics will be addressed, as will relevant travel demand
management and access design issues and techniques.  The lectures and
course materials will be supplemented by workshops, case studies, and
examples.

Available summer 1995.

Target Audience:
   State and local transportation planners and engineers who are
   involved in the development or review of traffic analyses for new
   developments.

15254:   Introduction to Urban Travel Demand Forecasting
Contact: FTA, Nancy Grubb (202) 366-0096
         FHWA, Barry Zimmer (202) 366-4082

This is a four-day introductory course in travel demand forecasting. 
It covers, through lectures and workshops, the traditional four step
planning process: trip generation, trip distribution, mode choice, and
traffic assignment.  It also includes lectures on information needs
and the devel- opment of networks and zone structures.  This course is
offered both in the field and at Headquarters in Washington, D.C.  The
headquarters course, usually presented the first week of March and
October, includes software demonstrations of transportation planning
microcomputer applications to problems previously solved manually in
class.

There are three options to the field course.  It can be presented: (1)
using the microcomputer package used by the host agency to reinforce
the theory taught; (2) as a non-computerized course with hand-solved
workshop problems; or (3) as the Urban Transportation Planning System
(UTPS) course (formerly Course 15206).

Target Audience:
   Federal, state, and local planners relatively new to planning who
   wish to gain a better understanding of the principles and
   techniques of travel demand forecasting.



15255:   Access Management, Location and Design
Contact: Ron Giguere (202) 366-2203

This three day course provides a comprehensive and detailed discussion
of access management for streets and highways.  This course has been
updated to include material from the new National Cooperative Highway
Research Program report, "Access Management Guidelines for Activity
Centers," material from the 1993 National Conference on Access
Management, and additional information on developing, implementing and
administering a comprehensive access management program.  Course
elements include: benefits and issues related to access management;
access design principles, management programs and policies; techniques
for controlling access; retrofit access control techniques in
developed areas; access design and location guidelines; site access
and site plans; and evaluation of access improvement strategies.

Target Audience:
   State and local planning and design technical staffs and land use
   planners.

15256:   Innovative Highway Financing and Elements of Financial
         Planning: Technical Methodologies
Contact: Bill Marley (202) 366-5009

This two day course discusses five types of innovative highway
financing: public/private agreements, impact fees, special assess-
ment districts, innovative toll projects, and local option taxes. 
Case studies are used to present the financing history of several
inno- vative techniques for financing projects with substantial
private sector involvement.  In addition, the course incorporates four
computer workshops which utilize public do- main software related to
special assessment districts, impact fees, toll rates and revenue
expenditure forecasts.  This course is a com- panion to the NTI
course, #9402, "Financial Planning and Programming for MPOs".

Target Audience:
   State DOT, MPO and member agencies including transit authorities,
   and local government employees, and other staff responsible for all
   or any of the following:   1) the design, development, review, and
   operation of innovative financing techniques, 2) incorporation and
   programming of the techniques into financial planning procedures,
   3) financial review of plans, metropolitan TIPs, and Statewide TIPs
   (STIPs).

15257:   Estimating the Impacts of Transportation Alternatives
Contact: Patrick DeCorla-Souza
     (202) 366-4076

This three day course provides guidance on estimating costs, benefits
and impacts for evaluation of highway, mass transit, and demand
management alternatives at the system level, as well as for screening
alternatives at the corridor/subarea and project levels.  Topics to be
covered include estimation of public and private costs; air pollutant
emissions; energy consumption; safety/ security, economic development,
equity and other social and environmental impacts; and techniques for
cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis.  Software for estimating
impacts will be introduced through hands-on workshops.  While this
course in its current construction deals only with highway examples,
the innovative financing methodologies are applicable to other modes.

Target Audience:
   Federal, state, MPO, local government, and transit agency planning
   staffs.



15259:   Congestion Management for Technical Staff
Contact: Douglas Laird (202) 366-5972

This three day course provides participants with an in-depth
examination of the elements required to successfully develop,
implement, and operate a congestion management system (CMS).  Subjects
will include: modes and networks to monitor, the development of
performance measures, establishment of a data collection and
performance monitoring plan, identification and evaluation of CMS
strategies, linking performance measures to CMS strategies, 
monitoring strategy effectiveness, relationship to other management
systems, and documentation of the CMS.  The course is designed for
staff responsible for CMS implementation and operation.

Although this course is offered as a stand-alone 3-day course, our
preference is to offer it in joint sequence with course #15263
Intermodal & Public Transportation Management Systems (IMS/PTMS) for
Technical Staff.  Under this arrangement, the CMS course would be
presented over the first three days, followed by 1-1/2 days on
IMS/PTMS.  We encourage this option to be seriously considered before
requesting the CMS course.

Target Audience:
   Planners and engineers at state and local levels as well as
   representatives from MPOs, transit agencies and other organizations
   who will be participating in the development and implementation of
   CMS.

15262:   Management Systems for Managers
Contact: Dane Ismart (202) 366-4071

This one-day course (Listed as: "Management Systems: An Overview for
Transportation Executives" in the NHI Catalog) provides a basic
understanding of the ISTEA management systems, requirements, and
guidance on the implementation, integration and administra- tion of
the management systems, with emphasis on the IMS, CMS , and PTMS.  It
is oriented to state DOT department heads, MPO directors, and others
at an upper management level.  Topics discussed include:
organizational capability, funding options, sanctions and time frame. 
Emphasis is placed on the congestion, intermodal, and public
transportation management systems; however, discussions on
implementation and integration will include all management systems.

Target Audience:
   Federal, state, MPO,  and local government managers that are
   interested in the implementation of ISTEA management systems.

15263:   Intermodal & Public Transportation Management Systems for
         Technical Staff
Contact: Dane Ismart (202) 366-4071

This three-day course  (Listed as: "Management Systems for Technical
Staff" in the NHI Catalog) covers in detail the technical guidelines
and requirements for the state development, establishment, and
implementation of the IMS and the PTMS.  Discussion on the
relationships and inte- gration with the other management systems,
especially the congestion management system, will be included. 
Emphasis will be on understanding the basis for the IMS and PTMS,
performance measures and data needed to assess strategies, and methods
to successfully design, implement, and administer the IMS and PTMS.

Although we offer this course as a stand- alone 3-day course, our
preference is to offer it in joint sequence with NHI course #15259,
Congestion Management Systems for Technical Staff.  Under this
arrangement, the CMS would be presented over the first three days,
followed by 1-1/2 days on IMS/PTMS.  We encourage this option to be



seriously considered before requesting the 3-day IMS/PTMS course.

Target Audience:
   Practitioners responsible for designing and implementing management
   systems.  Individuals directly involved in any aspect of
   transportation system planning will also benefit.

15264:   Landside Access for Intermodal Facilities
Contact: Lee Chimini (202) 366-4068

This three-day course will focus on the methodologies and design
elements for improving access to airports, seaports, truck, rail, and
inter-city transit terminals.  It will cover both freight and
passenger travel and present tools and techniques necessary to assess
the efficiency of intermodal terminal access strategies and
improvements.  A discussion on how the Clean Air Act Amendment affects
the process will be included.

Target Audience:
   State, MPO, and local planners as well as those in the private
   sector involved in the planning of terminal and port facilities.

15265:   Workshop on Transportation-Air Quality Analysis
Contact: Jerry Everett  (202) 366-4079

This two-day course emphasizes state-of-the-art practices for
developing travel related data for mobile source emissions
inventories, analyzing transportation improvement programs and plans
for conformity to state implementation plans (SIP), forecasting and
tracking vehicle miles of travel (VMT), and evaluating transportation
control measures (TCM).  Additional topics include procedures for
analyzing accessibility changes using the four-step travel demand
forecasting (TDF) process, emission factor models, and travel demand
forecasting and emission factor model interactions.  These procedures
will be demonstrated through manual workshops.  This workshop is
designed to be flexible so that the topics of interest to each
locality are emphasized.  An understanding of the travel demand
forecasting process would be helpful for those taking this course.

Target Audience:
   FHWA, state DOT, MPO, air quality agency, and local government
   planning staffs and other practitioners interested in the
   transportation/air quality linkage.  One objective of this workshop
   is to provide a forum for both transportation and air quality
   analysts to come together and discuss issues of mutual interest. 
   [NOTE:  If 25% or more of the attendees represent state or local
   air quality agencies, there is no course fee.]

35005:   Highway Program Financing
Contact: Dick Osborne (202) 366-4062

This two day course is designed to explain the aspects of Federal-aid
highway financing which are unique to the FHWA program.  The
explanation includes, but is not limited to: 1) the content and policy
implications of authorizing and appropriating legislation, 2) how
Federal-aid highway funds are distributed, 3) the effect of
policy/budget considerations on the use of Federal-aid funds, and 4)
the operation of the Highway Trust Fund.

Target Audience:
   State, DOT, MPO, and local government employees.



38061:   Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and Accommodation
Contact: John Fegan (202) 366-5007

This three day course is designed to provide training on safely
integrating pedestrian and bicyclist consideration into normal highway
planning, design, operations, enforcement and education programs. 
Topics include: Needs identification; program development and funding
opportunities; engineering pedestrian and bicyclist accommodations;
education programs; law enforcement programs; marketing a pedestrian
and bicyclist program to the community; resource assessment;
evaluating pedestrian and bicyclist accommodations; and post course
action plan.

Target  Audience: FHWA and the National Highway Traffic Safety
                  Administration  field office personnel, state and
                  local government personnel, traffic engineers,
                  educators, and law enforcement personnel.

COURSES UNDER DEVELOPMENT

9403: ISTEA Management Systems for Transit Operators (tentative title)
Contact: Sean Libberton, FTA (202) 366-0055
         Neal Denno, NTI (908) 932-1700

FTA and NTI are planning a series of regional conferences/workshops
focusing on the role that transit operators have in the development
and utilization of ISTEA management systems.  Topics to be covered
include how transit can benefit from the systems; development of
transit-sensitive performance measures for use in the CMS; sources of
data for PTMS, CMS, and IMS; and system integration issues.  Summer,
1995.

9404: Public Involvement in Transportation Decisionmaking: Effective
      Techniques and Processes
Contact: Paul Verchinski, FTA (202) 366-6385
         Florence Mills, FHWA (202) 366-2062
         Linda Howe, NTI (908) 932-1700

The course will provide an overview of the FTA/FHWA public involvement
requirement and will then concentrate on methods of planning a public
involvement process tailored to the unique characteristics of a given
metropolitan or statewide planning  or project development process. 
Through a participatory process, participants will be taken through a
variety of techniques for proactively involving citizens and special
citizen populations in transportation decisionmaking.

15134:   Travel Surveys and Data Collection (Available late CY 1995)
Contact: Jerry Everett (202) 366-4079

This course will focus on the variety of data needed to respond to
current and new travel models, including survey design, and methods of
sampling, collecting, and analyzing the data.  Coordination of data
needs within the metropolitan transportation planning process,
including system performance and air quality, will be stressed.  Using
supplemental data sources will be included.

15260:   Advanced Travel Demand Forecasting
Contact: Patrick DeCorla-Souza (202) 366-4076

This three-day course will emphasize advanced practices for system
level modeling and analysis of travel demand management (TDM).  It
will include state-of-the-art procedures for land use forecasting,
travel demand modeling using the four-step process and estimation of
TDM impacts.   An understanding of the travel demand forecasting
process is a prerequisite for this course.



Statewide Transportation Planning
Contact: Dee Spann (202) 366-4086

This multi-day (usually 4 day) course is under development.  It will
provide an understanding of the ISTEA statewide transportation
planning requirements and an opportunity for more in-depth
understanding of practices and procedures for intermodal statewide
transportation planning.  It will be oriented to staff involved in
statewide transportation planning including State DOTs, modal partners
(railroads, bus companies, trucking companies, ports, shippers, etc.). 
Topics discussed will include: the process and organization for
statewide transportation planning, the principal products of the
process (plan and state TIP), relationship of management systems to
the planning process, relationship of statewide planning to
metropolitan planning, the 23 factors, public involvement, the
technical aspects of transportation planning (data and data
collection, system forecasting, needs studies, project development,
etc.).

Highway Runoff Water Quality
Contact: Fred Bank (202) 366-5004

FHWA's existing course material on highway runoff water quality will
be re-organized, with stand-alone training modules.  The modules will
cover specific subjects, such as planning for water quality
protection, constituent monitoring, assessing the potential for
impacts, mitigation planning, design of drainage features, etc. 
Individual training sessions will consist of one or more of the
modules, as requested by the sponsoring agency, based on the needs of
the personnel in a particular locality.

Target Audience:
   State DOT, local transportation and FHWA personnel responsible for
   water quality issues when planning, designing and implementing
   transportation improvements.

Advanced Historic Preservation Course
Contact: Bruce Eberle (202) 366-2060

This training will be developed as an upgrade and extension of the
existing course, #14211.  It will incorporate National Historic
Preservation Act amendments and Advisory Council regulations and
policy changes resulting from the passage of ISTEA and other issues,
such as historic landscapes and Native American concerns.  The
training will be presented by a team of principle participants in the
historic preservation process.

Target Audience:
   State, regional, local, and federal staff.

TRAINING IN THE PLANNING STAGE

The following topics have been identified for development into new
courses, seminars or modules for inclusion in current courses.

-  Market Segmentation in Transit Operations and Available Service
   Options
This course will cover methods to identify segments of the transit
market and match those segments with available service options.  The
course will address market segments addressing transit access (such as
bicycle on transit and telecommuting) as well as the nature of service
including big bus/little bus, express service, bus trolleys, and light
rail.  Tools for determining resource and demand requirements of
service options as well as ridership estimates and other requirements
will be presented.  Examples of alternative service options
implemented in areas having completed market segmentation studies will
be incorporated into the course.  The course will address
transportation demand management as a segmentation strategy.  It will
also address the uniform fleet issue in the provision of alternative
service options.



-  Transportation and Land  Use Course This course should cover a
   variety of topics related to the linkages between land use and
   transportation including:  population and employment forecasting at
   the regional, subarea, and activity center levels; trip generation
   characteristics of different land use types and densities,
   including mixed use development; land use strategies to reduce
   travel demand (what strategies have been tried, and what do we know
   about their effectiveness); techniques for estimating the land use
   impacts of transportation alternatives; joint development; corridor
   preservation; and current topics (livable communities, Enterprise
   Communities/ Empowerment Zones etc.).

-  Land Use Planning and Air Quality Considerations for Comprehensive
   Planners and Developers
The course will describe the relationships among air quality
considerations, economic development, land development, and
transportation,  It  will provide an understanding of the impacts
which traditional land use development has on economic development in
terms of the carrying capacity of transportation systems, air quality,
etc.  At the development, project, and activity center level, the
course will show the different transportation impacts of different
design concepts.  At the regional level, it will show the gross
impacts of suburban, low-density, auto-oriented development on
economic development, transportation efficiency, transportation costs,
and taxation.  The course will present the economic and development
benefits of alternative types of land development and air quality
considerations.  The focus of the course will be on land development
rate of return ,not social benefits.

-  GIS Application for MPOs
This topic will most likely be a new module for #15129, Application of
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Transpor- tation.  This
module will cover applications of GIS for such activities as
congestion and intermodal management systems, project development
activities and major investment studies, and environmental impact
analysis.

-  Intermodal Terminals Seminar
The objective of this seminar is to identify, review, and synthesize
the results of these discussions and identify gaps in theory or
information for the planning and design of intermodal terminals. This
seminar will explore with the sponsors of a representative number of
terminals a number of issues and factors that would define what has
worked and what has not within the overall original planning context
for their intermodal facility.  The issues and factors which could be
focused on include, but are not limited to; ridership, passenger
usage, design criteria, operating efficiencies, safety and security,
passenger flow modelling/simulation, capital cost, maintenance costs,
siting/design, joint development potential, etc.  The seminar
participants, by invitation only determined by a steering committee,
will include those with intermodal terminals already operating and /or
with terminals planned.

-  Introduction to Transportation System Planning

This course will review the procedural and technical aspects of system
planning.  The procedural elements of the FTA/FHWA planning
regulations to be reviewed include:  MPO designation; role of system
planning in the development of planning products; roles and
responsibilities of agencies involved; clean air conformity; and
citizen participation.  Technical elements of the course include an
introduction to:  travel demand forecasting; land use forecasts and
plans; financial planning; identification of transportation needs;
identification, development and evaluation of alternatives; definition
of management systems and their role in system planning; major
investment studies; regional and subarea analyses, emissions
forecasts, and inclusion of other environmental impacts.



-  Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment for Transit Projects

This 2-3 day course will cover procedures and analytical methodology
for performing noise/vibration impact assessments for common types of
transit projects.  Methods will be presented for both bus and rail
modes and different levels of analysis will be described depending on
the stage of planning /project development  (i.e., general assessment
appropriate for a major investment study versus detailed assessment
conducted during preliminary engineering). The course assumes a basic
understanding of transportation noise and vibration fundamentals and
it is intended for practitioners such as acoustics consultants and
noise analysts in state and local transportation agencies.  This
course will be offered as an outreach effort to familiarize transit
planners and technicians with the procedures and methods contained in
a guidance manual and companion computer spreadsheet program soon to
be released by FTA.  A large part of the course will be devoted to
presenting case studies using the techniques in the manual.  It is
expected the course will be offered 2-3 times each year for at least
the first two years after the guidance manual's release.

-  Role of the MPO
This training for MPO policy board members will cover the basics of
what an MPO is, what its responsibilities are, and what authority it
has.  It will describe the 3c process, the decisions required by that
process, and the information necessary to make those decisions.  It
will cover the relationship between the MPO and its member agencies
and clarify the roles and responsibilities of each.  The training will
provide examples of productive MPO activities and will cover the
history of MPOs including the passage and content of ISTEA as well as
the environment which engendered ISTEA.


-  TIP Development
This course will cover the development of transportation improvement
programs and    Federal funding processes including a complete
description of the process of taking a project from conception to
implementation.  It will include instruction on project phasing,
public participation, cross modal trade-offs, project selection, and
other program administration topics.

-  Travel Demand Forecasting for Transit and HOV
The course will cover transit/high occupancy vehicle (HOV) issues
throughout the 4-step travel demand forecast  process, as well as
discuss transit network building.  Topics to be covered include the
following:   direct generation of trips, transit captives, compos- ite
impedance in trip distribution, modal demand structures, calibration
of transit units in assignment, HOV assignment, costing issues,
transit equilibration, valida- tion and reasonableness checks of
results, and how transit/HOV issues relate to ISTEA.  The course will
last four days with lectures and manual workshops the first three days
and computer workshops the fourth day.


-  Travel Forecasting Improvements
To respond better to requirements of ISTEA and Clean Air Act
Amendments of 1990, travel demand forecasting is undergoing change,
both near-term improvements to existing models and complete redesign
of the analytical process for the longer-term.  As new methods become
available, training in their use and application will be provided
through a new course or set of modules to be included in existing
courses.



-  Design and Application of Travel Demand Management (TDM) Techniques
   Including Telecommuting
This four-day course is designed to show participants how to plan,
develop, design, operate and evaluate TDM programs for the public and
private sectors.  Specific information will be presented on the
effectiveness of a broad range of TDM actions that cover improved
services, incentives, disincentives, and alternative work arrangements
including telecommuting.  Guidance will be presented on developing and
evaluating TDM programs at work sites.  A computer model to evaluate
the impact of TDM programs will also be demonstrated.  The
lecture/discussion format provides an opportunity to understand tools
developed jointly by FHWA and FTA.

Prerequisite:  Participants should have employment in or
               responsibility for TDM programs.

-  Environmental Leadership Seminar
This seminar is intended to clarify the leadership role required to
promote the new policy initiatives, tools, and methods necessitated by
the emphasis on environmental preservation expressed in the US
Department of Transportation Strategic Plan and the FHWA Environmental
Policy Statement.  The seminar will identify the roles of stakeholders
in the transportation planning and project development process.  It
will emphasize communication and collaboration skills needed by
managers to bring stakeholders into the process, seek new
partnerships, and reach those historically underserved by the
transportation system.  The seminar will also discuss methods o
project planning that better integrate transportation, environmental,
and land use issues.


-  Introduction to Transit
The course will be designed to provide basic information on a wide
range of transit matters.  Topics will include:  history of transit;
history of Federal transit programs; structure of transit agencies;
route scheduling; transit finance; transit/land use linkages; interest
groups in transit; labor issues; transit travel and demographic
characteris- tics; paratransit; and social, environmental, and energy
issues.  The course will include discussions relating to the joint
planning regulations, livable communities, and Americans with
Disabilities Act.


ABOUT NTI AND NHI

The NTI was created by ISTEA to "...develop and administer...training
programs..."
   [49 USC 5315(a)].  Located at Rutgers University,NTl provides
training at locations around the country to help states and localities
meet the statutory requirements of the planning program.  It also
provides training geared to other agency needs.

The NHI is the technical training arm of FHWA and is part of the FHWA
Office of Research and Development.  NHI's role is to facilitate
technology transfer by serving as a bridge between research and the
practical application of new technology for state, local and private
sector organizations involved in transportation.  NHI makes training
courses available to transportation agencies.


COURSE SCHEDULE

For NHI course schedules, call the contact person for the course or
Mr. Al Miller of NHI at  (703) 285-2787.

The most current schedule for any particular  NTI course can be
obtained from the NTI contact listed following that course's
description.



COURSE  REQUESTS

Questions regarding the procedures for requesting an NHI course should
be directed to the Training Officer in your state's trans- portation
or highway agency, the NHI contact in the FHWA Division office in your
state or the NHI course coordinator in Washington (for all courses
listed in this brochure, the coordinator is  Mr. Al Miller at  (703)
285-2787).

A formal course request requires the submittal of an FHWA form #1530
which can be obtained from any of the course contacts previously
noted.

At present, NTI courses cannot be requested individually as NHI
courses are but instead are offered on a schedule and at locations
predetermined by NTI.  Anyone interested in a particular NTI course,
however,  should call the appropriate NTI contact so that interest can
be reflected in the scheduling of future offerings.


FEE STRUCTURE

The same legislation that created the NTI  requires training in areas
that "...are a Federal program responsibility" to be  provided at no
cost to "...Federal, State, and local transportation employees..."
   [49 USC 5315(c)]  There will be fees assessed for training that is
not related to a Federal program responsibility.  However,  all
courses listed as Currently Available in this edition of the catalogue
have no fee.

For NHI courses, a subsidized fee structure, tied directly to the
course length, is available to government organizations.  This fee
covers any number of participants up to the maximum for each course. 
Fees cover the costs of instructor travel, course materials, etc.  The
fees are as follows:

-  1 day course          - $1000
-  1-1/2 to 2 day course - $2000
-  2-1/2 to 3 day course - $3000
-  3-1/2 or 4 day course - $4000

The fee structure listed above must be doubled (as directed by 1991
legislation) if a course is sponsored by a private-sector
organization.


COURSE COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS

Several courses include hands-on microcomputer training.  For these
courses, there should be a maximum of three students per computer.  In
such cases, course sponsors are asked to provide computers at the
course site.  This can be accomplished in several ways:  (1) sponsors
can arrange to have course participants bring microcomputers with
them; (2) an existing microcomputer laboratory can be utilized (often,
community colleges, colleges, and universities have laboratories which
can be accessed at minimal cost); or (3) microcomputers can be rented
from vendors who specialize in short term leasing.  Call the course
contact person for more information on specific computer requirements.


NHI COURSE SPONSORS NEEDED

FHWA typically does not host courses.  The agency relies on State and
local agencies to serve as sponsors.  Consequently, the opportunities
to attend a particular course are dependent on the willingness of the
sponsor to host the course.  States, MPOs, and local agencies can
sponsor a course in one of several ways:



-  State agencies can use their own training funds or specially
   designated federal funds to pay fees.
-  Federal, state, MPO, and local agencies can charge a registration
   fee to registrants.  Such fees generally run $25-$50 per day.
-  Combinations of agency funds and registration fees can be applied.

The host agency may open attendance to all individuals regardless of
affiliation or be selective as to who can attend.

Course sponsors are responsible for providing the training facility,
inviting the participants, providing audio-visual equipment necessary,
and other miscellaneous housekeeping duties necessary for a successful
training course.

Agencies and organizations are encouraged to sponsor courses which
meet their needs and which, in turn, give other agencies and
individuals a chance to obtain desired training.  Many of the planning
and environmental courses in this catalogue are multimodal in nature
and work best when the participants represent diverse agencies. 
Sponsors are strongly encouraged to invite state, MPO, and transit
agency staff to participate in relevant courses.  Course sponsors can
feel rewarded in that they are facilitating technology transfer as
well as giving their agency 

(423.html)
Jump To Top