Local Agency Fund Swap Programs, AASHTO Local Programs Peer Exchange

October 31; 11:00 am: online webinar

Join the AASHTO Local Programs Peer Community for a webinar on Local Agency Fund Swap Programs.

Presenters from Oregon, South Dakota, Kansas, Michigan, and Washington state departments of transportation will explain how their agencies swap out federal funds for state or local funds to streamline the delivery of local agency transportation projects. A question-and-answer period will follow the presentations.

Please forward this information to others within your organization, to other local agencies, and to FHWA contacts who may be interested. We welcome and encourage others to join us for this valuable webinar.

The registration process is quick and easy! The webinar registration page will provide you with the agenda and a list of guest speakers, as well as the registration form.

Questions? Contact ODOTCertification@odot.oregon.gov

Nondiscrimination Programs Training Series, ODOT

November 1; 10:00 - 11:00 am: online webinar

Join ODOT’s Office of Equity & Civil Rights for a training series focused on nondiscrimination programs including Title VI (Civil Rights), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and environmental justice. We invite you to join us for one or more of the sessions listed below.

Register now! Questions? Contact ODOT Title VI Program.

Image courtesy of ODOT.

Writing a Statement of Work, Oregon DAS

November 6; all day: online webinar

Who should attend?  

This class was developed for public entity procurement personnel and/or project management professionals interested in understanding the Statement of Work that sets the agency up for effective contract administration.

Overview: 

We'll use a statement of work writing guide to create a statement of work. This class will help you determine likely weak points, questions to ask, and how to improve your statement of work. The class will also provide valuable writing tips, pointers on the use of terms such as shall-must-may-will, and steps in writing a statement of work.

Register via Workday Learning. Questions? Contact Kevin Doellefeld.

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Crash Responder Safety Week Kickoff Webinar, National Operations Center of Excellence

November 18; 10:00 am: online webinar

The Crash Responder Safety Week (CRSW) affords a unique opportunity for every Traffic Incident Management (TIM) community member to make a difference individually and jointly for roadway safety during traffic incidents. This year’s theme is “Responders Ahead! Reduce Your Speed As You Proceed.” Register for the National Kickoff Webinar for CRSW taking place Monday, November 18. Questions? Visit the webpage for additional information.

Image courtesy of ODOT.

Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) Techniques, FHWA

December 19; 11:00 am: online webinar

FHWA Center for Local Aid Support invites you to participate in an upcoming Innovation Exchange webinar focused on Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) Techniques. For more information and to register, visit the FHWA Innovation Exchange Webinar page. Questions? Contact FHWA Center for Local Aid Support.

Certification User Group Annual Meeting, ODOT

December 3; 8:30 am - 3:30 pm: Chemeketa Eola, West Salem and virtual attendance

Registration now open! The Certification User Group Annual Meeting will be held on December 3 at Chemeketa Eola. Register here. Questions? Contact ODOT Certification.

Image courtesy of ODOT.

Contract Labor and Compliance Training, ODOT Office of Equity and Civil Rights

Multiple Dates; various times; in-person and virtual options

Certified LPA staff involved in construction contract administration are invited to attend the ODOT Office of Equity & Civil Rights’ Contract Labor and Compliance Training. These trainings provide insight into ODOT/FHWA Office of Equity and Civil Rights Programs, DBE, ODOT/BOLI Labor Compliance Programs, TERO, OJT/Apprenticeships, new Oregon Laws and more!

Trainings will be offered both virtually and in-person.

Training Dates

Region 3 (White City) - December 10, 2024

Region 4 (Bend) - November 21, 2024

Register:

ODOT - OECR - 2024 Labor and Compliance Training - IN PERSON

ODOT - OECR - 2024 Labor and Compliance Training - VIRTUAL

Questions? Contact the Office of Equity and Civil Rights via email.

Construction Training and Certification 2024-2025 Schedule, ODOT

Various dates, times and locations

The ODOT Construction Training Program recently released the 2024-2025 training schedule. If you need to obtain an inspection certification or recertification, training dates begin in November! Classes often fill quickly, so reserve your spot soon. Questions? Contact the Construction Training team.

Image courtesy of ODOT.

Contract Administration Core Curriculum, NHI/FHWA

April 8-9 and April 10-11, 2025; all day: location TBD

Save the dates! On April 8-9 and April 10-11, 2025, ODOT will be hosting FHWA’s National Highway Institute Contract Administration Core Curriculum training. This course is required for Certified Local Public Agency staff working on federal-aid projects. Registration will be available soon.

Fundamentals of Community Impact Assessment Course, NHI

Self-paced virtual training

FHWA is offering a new Fundamentals of Community Impact Assessment (CIA) course that explores the iterative process of evaluating the effects of a transportation action on a community and its quality of life. The CIA process offers a flexible approach that is scalable throughout the transportation decision-making process, from envisioning to planning through project development and implementation. The CIA process focuses on meaningful public involvement, dynamic community characterization, quantitative and qualitative data collection, and analysis to shape transportation decisions and monitor benefits and burdens. 

This course will inform transportation practitioners from state DOTs, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), regional and local agencies, and partners about resources and techniques to prepare for and conduct Community Impact Assessments on their findings and monitor results.

Free four-hour, online, self-paced course

Visit the NHI Blackboard course catalog and search for the course description.

For further information visit the FHWA Community Impact Assessment page or contact Faith Hall, Office of Human Environment.

Image courtesy of ODOT.

Transportation Planning Video Learning Series, FHWA

Self-paced virtual training

Two videos now available on FHWA’s Transportation Planning Capacity Building Website under Connect & Learn.  This video learning series is designed to exchange information on planning tools, share common experiences and noteworthy practices across the planning discipline, and establish a common knowledge base for all planners.

• Federal Transportation Planning Process: This video explains the typical transportation planning process (based on the US DOT Transportation Planning Process Briefing Book), and provides an introduction to the transportation planning process conducted by public agencies.
• Federal Transportation Planning Funds: This video explains the process to ensure that federal funding is being used to plan a safe and efficient transportation system according to laws and regulations and help state DOTs and sub-recipients manage the funding efficiently and effectively and in compliance with federal requirements.

Questions? Contact Cheng Yan or Jim Thorne from the FHWA Office of Planning.

Traffic Control Plans Design and TPAR Design, ODOT

Self-paced virtual training

These courses provide designers, engineers or technical staff, members of City or County Public Works offices, inspectors, and private consultant engineering firms an introduction to the policy standards and deliverables that serve as the foundation for developing temporary traffic control plans and Temporary Pedestrian Access Route (TPAR) Plans for construction work along Oregon's Highway System. The lessons are not intended to be fully comprehensive, but rather are designed to guide individuals who are working with ODOT to commonly referenced resources, materials, and standard practices to be utilized in the development of temporary traffic control plans for use on Oregon's Highway System. The Traffic Control Plans Design and TPARSe Design courses are available via Workday Learning. Questions? Contact ODOT Work Zone Standards.

Contract Administration Training Certificate, DAS Procurement

Self-paced virtual training

Did you know project staff working on consultant selection procurements for federal-aid projects are required to complete the DAS Contract Administration Training Certificate? If you haven’t taken this course, or haven’t taken it recently, we recommend taking this course in Workday Learning. The DAS Contract Administration Training Certificate consists of 11 self-paced modules and provides basic procurement training necessary for administering public contracts. Questions? Contact DAS Training.

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ODOT Mobility Program Customer Survey

The ODOT Mobility Program is inviting people who participate in mobility coordination and Mobility Advisory Committee meetings, including MAC members, ODOT staff, and external consultant partners to complete its annual Customer Satisfaction Survey.

The survey will be open through Friday, November 8, 2024. The survey should take about 5-10 minutes to complete and will be used to help the Mobility Services team identify areas of improvement for the program.

Please email the Mobility Services Team if you have any questions about the survey.

New Rules for Disadvantage Business Enterprise Program

The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced several revisions to the rules for administering the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program, effective May 9, 2024. The rule changes are an effort to significantly modernize DBE Programs across the country. Notable changes include: updates to personal net worth and thresholds for inflation; new rules for counting of material suppliers; updated certification provisions that allow flexibility when determining eligibility. 

As we learn about how these rules will impact federal-aid projects, we will provide guidance as necessary to Certified LPAs. USDOT is maintaining a webpage with the current guidance on these rule changes here. 

FHWA Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Discretionary Grants Guidance

FHWA and ODOT recently partnered to provide information to local agencies about steps to take before applying for discretionary grants under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

If your agency is considering applying for or has been awarded a discretionary grant, please inform your regional ODOT contact. Questions? Contact Ashley Bryers, FHWA.

AASHTOWARE and OregonBuys

When ODOT Office of Equity & Civil Rights implements the new AASHTOWare system for collecting civil rights data, all prime contractors and subcontractors will be required to have an account in OregonBuys. Registering in OregonBuys assigns a unique identifier to each contractor to ensure data can be tracked across all ODOT and local agency projects. We encourage you to talk to your contractors about signing up for OregonBuys in advance of AASHTOWare implementation. Questions? Contact ODOT Certification.

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