NEWS RELEASE

McNinch Moderates Session at National Transportation Conference

Terry McNinch, Director of the Michigan’s Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) and the Technology Development Group (TDG), organized and moderated a session on "Asset Management Partnerships Among Multiple Agencies and Owners" at the 7th National Conference on Transportation Asset Management sponsored by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) in New Orleans, LA, Nov. 6-8, 2008.  The conference theme "New Directions in Asset Management and Economic Analysis" provided a national forum for practitioners, researchers, and others to share information on a wide range of issues related to transportation asset management.

TDG and LTAP are on the forefront of national initiatives to apply the principles and practices of asset management to the transportation network. Under contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation since 1992, TDG has developed RoadSoft GIS. This roadway infrastructure software is used in Michigan by more than 200 county road commissions, cities, villages, and transportation planning organizations. Countries in sub Saharan Africa and South America are currently expressing interest in the system because it is understandable, sustainable over time using in-house personnel, and provides sophisticated analytical tools. LTAP organizes and conducts dozens of training sessions throughout Michigan on all aspects of transportation asset management—from road surface condition rating, to asset management for elected officials, to introduction and advanced levels of RoadSoft.

McNinch serves as the Chair of the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) Technology Transfer working group and the Chair of the University Transportation Center for Materials in Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure (UTC-MiSTI) Technology Transfer Task Group.

November 9, 2007