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University of Hawai'i |
(808) 956-8856 Telephone |
For Immediate Release: |
October 15, 1999 |
Contact: Constantinos S. Papacostas, HLTAP director, Civil Engineering,
phone 956-6538; fax 956-5014; Email csp@hawaii.edu
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| $1 million UHM-based program enters second year |
October marks the completion of the first year of the Hawai'i Local Technical Assistance Program (HLTAP) at the UH Department of Civil Engineering. This five-year program is supported by a $1 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration and the Hawai'i Department of Transportation (DOT). HLTAP is one of 57 national programs designed to improve access to highway, road and street technology for government and transportation professionals.
"You can think of it as a transportation technology transfer and dissemination program," says civil engineering professor and HLTAP director Constantinos S. Papacostas. "Although there will always be a place for pure research at universities, the need for implementable research has received considerable attention in recent years."
The heart of HLTAP is providing highway agencies with greater access to the latest technology through training sessions and publications. HLTAP has held 14 workshops with an attendance of over 700 participants. In addition, university engineers assisted the DOT in implementing a highway noise computer model and developing a manual for transportation work zone safety practice. Eight workshops are scheduled for the remainder of the year including a traffic safety forum co-sponsored by the DOT.
"Without HLTAP, we would not be able to keep abreast of the latest design, construction and maintenance of technological advancement in transportation," says Lloyd Lee, Maui county's engineering division chief.
College of Engineering Dean W. F. Chen says, "We hope that our partnership with DOT will result in savings in both dollars and lives to our state."
Former program administrator of the national LTAP Washington office,
also notes, "HLTAP has formed a team that is dedicated to the training
and technology transfer efforts of the transportation community in Hawaii.
I encourage all of the Hawaii LTAP customers to support this valuable program."
