The Local Roads
Training Program

BUREAU OF LOCAL ROADS & STREETS
Illinois Department of Transportation

Another Local Roads Training Program season is fast approaching. Our brochure outlining all the tuition-free courses available for the 1989-1990 season will be mailed in late August. All municipal engineers, directors of public works, county superintendents of highways and all municipal clerks where no engineering department exists will receive this brochure.

The curriculum remains basically the same as last year, except that Bridge and Culvert Hydraulics will replace Storm Water Management, Detention Basin Design. We alternate these two classes each season because of the limited availability of the two instructors who teach both courses. A primary goal of our program has always been to obtain individuals with the expertise in their field to instruct in each of the courses. Thus we have resumed the presentation of the Pavement Maintenance course and will offer again the Highway Signing course begun last season.

Some of the courses naturally are more popular or more beneficial to your personnel than others. We sometimes have an enrollment greater than the classroom will accommodate. We have asked you in those cases to restrict the attendance of your personnel so that each local agency enrolled can participate. We anticipate the same restriction this season. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.

We hope you will again note the prerequisites for many of the courses, especially those relating to math. Even with the advent of the pocket calculator, we sometimes have to take more than the alloted time when a math review is necessary. A 17-unit self-study math refresher course is available upon request. Students should also be familiar with their calculators before attending class. Instruction is geared toward those students who have the necessary prerequisite skills to make a class interesting and beneficial to them.

We are looking forward to still another successful season. Last year a total of 980 people attended our classes. We will continue to provide the instruction to the extent possible as long as it is desired and needed. We are always receptive to suggestions for additional courses or comments on improving the program. Any input should be directed to the Engineer of Local Roads and Streets, Illinois Department of Transportation, 2300 South Dirksen Parkway, Room 205, Springfield, Illinois 62764. Attention: Training Unit.

When you receive your brochure with its attached enrollment form, we request that you return the form at your earliest convenience. We must reserve classrooms and engage instructors long before we have a count on the actual enrollment, but a minimum of 20 enrollees is required in order to do so. This will also allows us to seek larger facilities if the enrollment warrants. We hope you will find a course or two that will help fulfill your training needs. •

July 1989 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 25