TRAINING NEEDS IN HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE (IN SUPPORT OF MORE EFFECTIVE SUB STATE MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS)

This paper address the potential of further cost savings and increased quality in maintenance management through greater intergovernmental responsibilities. There are opportunities to combine forces to maintain city streets, county roads and state highways which will result in a reduction of personnel costs, elimination of duplicate maintenance facilities, reduction in needed amounts of equipment, and increased levels of service to the community. The state highway department is identified as being the prime sponsor of any reorganization discussion. Drawing from a case study the author presents a method of operation that was successful in implementing an efficient and economical state maintenance operation. It was recommended that counties be made responsible for operational control of state highway maintenance, the state's area supervisors should no longer share responsibility for estimating and budgeting with the counties, planning and control of field operations for county-contracted work, field supervision, and submission of progress reports on county maintenance projects; the state should enter into contracts with the counties for state highway maintenance. The major potential risk identified was a projected rise in costs if unqualified county managers and maintenance administrators tried to assume operational control of state highway maintenance without a well conceived program of assistance from the state. In addition, a management and technical improvement training program was recommended. Also, the concept of a state representative or a state term was recommended to help counties solve specific problems that might arise from time to time. It is concluded that each state aggressively pursue whatever level of funding is necessary to underwrite effective training programs designed to enhance county and municipal capabilities in maintenance management and maintenance operations.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Delivered to 63rd Annual Meeting of AASHTO, Atlantic City, New Jersey, October 31, 1977-November 2, 1977.
• Corporate Authors:

  Harbridge House, Incorporated

  11 Arlington Street
  Boston, MA  United States  02116
• Authors:
  • Selesnick, H L
• Publication Date: 1977

Media Info

• Pagination: 9 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Contracts; Costs; County government; Highway maintenance; Intergovernmental relations; Level of service; Maintenance management; Personnel; Regulations; State highway departments; Training; Training devices
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Education and Training; Finance; Highways; Law; Maintenance and Preservation; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00167811
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 18 1978 12:00AM