Course Descriptions

Road Scholar Classes

  • First Aid
    This can be taken as an outside course.
  • CPR
    This can be taken as an outside course.
  • Basic Math
    This is a required core class for the Road Scholar Program, Level I. This workshop covers math concepts and procedures performed in daily work activities. It is designed as a refresher course and covers addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, percentages, area and volume measurements, application rates, and ratios. This course is designed as a refresher class on basic math fundamentals. Anyone doing slopes and grades, quantities, spread rates, volumes, man-hours, budgets, or any other math functions can benefit from this course.
  • Basic Surveying
    This is a required core class for the Road Scholar Program, Level I. This workshop will cover the basic elements of leveling and setting grades for highway projects. Topics will include establishing grades and elevations for culverts, drainage ditches and road surfaces. Surveying equipment used during this course will include construction levels, laser levels, hand levels, and other equipment used in the field. The workshop includes hands-on instruction. Please bring your calculator and survey equipment.
  • Roadway Materials
    This is a required core class for the Road Scholar Program, Level I. The materials we work with for all phases of road construction and maintenance are the most important and major component in high quality long lasting roads. This class introduces you to soils and aggregates. You will learn how to classify them, their properties, and test methods available to determine their properties for road building.
  • Roads 101
    This workshop covers the basics of road maintenance and design, including: basic materials, soils, aggregates, asphalts, materials tests, compaction, asphalt cements, pavement design and distress, design geometrics, safety issues and clear zones. The participants will have an understanding of the makeup of a roadway and the qualities that increase the service life of the road. This course is set up to create discussion among participants, to include local conditions, concerns and techniques. In addition, Roads 101 is a companion course to the Highway and Street Standards course and the LHTAC manual.
  • Pavement Maintenance I
    This course will cover the basic types of pavement failures, distress identification and severity. It will look at the difference between preventive maintenance and reactive repairs. In addition, the class will look at the various repair methods and use of each under basic pavement management concepts. The FHWA Distress Identification Manual will be furnished as part of the class.
  • Effective Communication Skills
    The Idaho T2 Center will be offering this class soon or it can be taken as an outside course.
  • ATSSA Flagger Certification
    This is an American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) class that prepares the student for directing traffic in a work zone. This workshop will include the basics of work zone traffic control set up and operation, as well as the procedures for proper and safe flagging.

Road Master Classes

  • ATSSA Traffic Control Technician
    Offered as an introduction to the basic principles of temporary work zone traffic control, this one-day training course is designed to instruct the participant in the underlying principles of temporary traffic control as set forth in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

    The instructor will provide the students with the practical knowledge, techniques, and instruction on the installation and maintenance of traffic control devices to enable them to apply practical concepts.

    Students are required to complete a written examination and will receive a certificate of completion. This course is a prerequisite course for the Traffic Control Supervisor course.

  • Roadway Drainage
    This workshop covers the basics of road maintenance and design, including: basic materials, soils, aggregates, asphalts, materials tests, compaction, asphalt cements, pavement design and distress, design geometrics, safety issues and clear zones. The participants will have an understanding of the makeup of a roadway and the qualities that increase the service life of the road. This course is set up to create discussion among participants, to include local conditions, concerns and techniques. In addition, Roads 101 is a companion course to the Highway and Street Standards course and the LHTAC manual.
  • Idaho Paving Materials
    This is a required core class for the Road Master Program, Level II. Quality asphalt paving is a must to ensure a long life and economical pavement in Idaho. This class will discuss asphalt paving, including the aggregates, asphalt binders, mixing requirements, lay down operations, compaction, and testing. This class will give a basic understanding of what makes a “good” asphalt mix, talk about binders and emulsions, and what to look for during construction. This class will also discuss the use of asphalt to stabilize base materials.
  • Pavement Maintenance II
    This course is a continuation of Pavement Maintenance I. After determining the type of distress the pavement has, this course looks at the alternative repair methods that are available. The applications covered include: fog coat, slurry seal, scrub seal, cape seal, and special emphasis on chip seal. The course details how each application is performed, when to use them, and the type of oils used.A discussion will include chip seal methods and how to perform a good chip seal, along with the hazards to watch out for. There will also be coverage of chips, oil, lay down, brooming, and traffic. The class will also cover the basics of emulsions and cutbacks, with a discussion of thin overlays, cold in place recycling, and full depth reclamation.
  • Winter Maintenance
    This course will cover winter maintenance techniques, with the use of various types of equipment, anti-icing chemicals, and application methods designed to reduce winter hazards on the roadways.  A large range of chemicals, their usage, application rates, and benefits will be discussed.  The science behind the products, benefits allowing reduction of traditional maintenance costs, and how to protect the environment while providing a safe travel way for the public, will also be covered.  Topics included will be using weather information, chemical technology and application procedures to enhance safety.
  • Environmental BMP’s
    Description pending.
  • Supervisory Skills
    The Idaho T2 Center will be offering this class soon or it can be taken as an outside course.
  • Speed Limits and Speed Zones
    How are realistic and enforceable speed limits determined? What does the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices say about setting speed limits? What is an engineering study to determine a speed limit? What constitutes a speed zone? What factors are considered when determining a speed zone and setting a speed limit? This class will answer all of the above questions, defining speed zones, speed limits, and providing collection data for a professional engineer to make a recommendation.The second part of the class will discuss in detail the requirements of an engineering study, how to perform a study to obtain the necessary data to present to a registered engineer, and an analysis of the surrounding parameters to be considered as part of the data.

    The third part of the class will include a field exercise to perform speed data collection on a street or highway in the area.

    The course will have an exam, required for qualification to perform the field data collection for a speed study.

    The course is to conform to the agreement between LHTAC and the Board of Professional Engineers to allow Local Jurisdictions to train and become proficient in obtaining engineering data to be presented to LHTAC (Professional Engineer) for determining speed limits.

Electives

  • Advanced/Maintenance Math
    The Idaho T2 Center will be offering this course soon.
  • ATSSA Flagger Instructor Course
    Description pending.
  • ATSSA Traffic Control Supervisor Course
    Participants will receive two days of advanced training, geared to the specific job related duties of the supervisor. This training course has been updated and improved to meet the needs of today’s work zone Traffic Control Supervisor. Critical life saving knowledge will be passed on by an experienced instructor, who will combine multimedia and group activities to solve real problems.Idaho requires that if you are working on a state or federally aided government project, you must have a Traffic Control Supervisor (TCS), certified by an Idaho Transportation Dept. (ITD) approved course, on the job.

    As a prerequisite for this course you must have successfully completed an ATSSA Traffic Control Technician (TCT) Course (80% or greater.)

    Upon completion of the two day course and passing a written examination (80% or greater), participants will receive an Idaho T2 Center certificate of completion.

  • Basic Computer Skills
    The Idaho T2 Center will be offering this class soon or it can be taken as an outside course.
  • Basics of a Good Gravel Road
    The course will cover the basic elements of designing and maintaining a good gravel road or street. Good engineering, recent technology and centuries of road building knowledge often have not been passed on to the maintenance personnel and, in many cases, their supervisors. This course will discuss the important principles and techniques for maintaining a safe and long-lasting gravel road. The techniques presented during this course can reduce the cost of maintaining gravel roads and can make the road last seven or more times longer than typical maintenance.
  • Heavy Equipment Courses (1 or more days)
    Classes offered:  Backhoe, Dozer 1 & 2, Excavator, Forklift,  Loader 1 & 2,  Skid Steer, Track Loader, and Motor Grader.
  • Highway and Street Standards
    Description pending.
  • Highway Maintenance Welding Basic
    The Idaho T2 Center will be offering this class soon or it can be taken as an outside course.
  • Highway Maintenance Welding Advanced
    The Idaho T2 Center will be offering this class soon or it can be taken as an outside course.
  • MSHA & Personal Safety (combined full day class)
    Description pending.
  • Retroreflectivity for Signs
    What is sign retroreflectivity and what does it mean to me?In the last ten years, the construction of vehicle headlights and the drivers of those vehicles are changing. This course will look at the ageing population of the drivers, the changes to their cars and what effect these changes have on the signs that we use. With these changes and the needs to insure a safe traveling environment for drivers, FHWA is completing the development of requirements on retroreflectivity. This course will review those requirements on sign inspection and the effect upon our local jurisdictions. This course will also provide some aids and tools that the local jurisdiction can use to assist them in the inspection of their signs to insure that those signs are maintained in compliance with the new regulations.

    It will also look at the reasons that the signs need to be set at a minimum height and distance from the roadway and what are the effects of setting a sign too low or too high.

    This course is for the supervisor and the employees that are responsible for set up, maintenance and purchasing of the signs for the Local Highway Jurisdiction.

  • Road Safety Fundamentals
    Local governments (cities, towns, highway districts and/or counties) are responsible for constructing and maintaining the majority of road mileage in the United States. Many of these roads are in rural areas where traffic volumes can be low, but speeds may be high. The combination of rural environment, unforgiving roadsides (rocks, trees, utility poles, etc.), distance from emergency medical services, and speeding has made these roads the most deadly in the nation. Statistics show that 30 percent of the nation’s fatal crashes occur on local rural highways. This reality challenges smaller road agencies to reconcile cost-effective road improvements with the need to increase safety. The publication that class attendees will receive, Low Cost Safety Fundamentals, is designed to help local and tribal road agency professionals understand the critical relationships between roads, roadside, road user behavior, and safety. Because many of these agencies have no licensed professional engineers on staff, this publication reviews the proper use of common traffic control devices such as signs, lane markings, and lighting. Road Safety Fundamentals identifies the core concepts local and tribal road agency professionals can use to evaluate and improve their safety operations. Throughout the process, agencies are encouraged to document decisions and actions for future agency reference and as safeguards against potential litigation. Information in the manual will help road agency professionals use a systematic approach to improve safety and roadways in a manner that makes best use of resources and manpower.
  • Winter Survival Workshop
    Workshop Description: This course will show how to prepare mentally for being stranded in lifethreatening weather; equipment and clothing needed to survive the cold. Symptoms of hypothermia and carbon monoxide poisoning and their treatment will also be taught. Who Should Attend Anyone exposed to extreme elements, especially snowplow operators other public workers who are at risk for becoming trapped in bad weather or who may chance upon stranded motorists and require emergency skills.