This paper provides an overview of a study that investigated the impact of traffic safety training for two specific audiences in local agencies in Michigan: technical staff and elected and appointed officials. The impact of the training was assessed by measuring changes in attitudes and behavior with regard to traffic safety after both groups attended specialized training. The study was limited to local agencies in Michigan as a way to reduce the number of variables that could influence the outcome. Learning assessments, workshop evaluations, follow-up surveys, and innovative ethnographic interview techniques were used to verify learning and to detect changes in attitude and behavior. The study revealed significant positive attitudinal and behavior changes in both technical staff and elected and appointed officials that were attributed to what they learned in the training. The study indicates that there are significant benefits to traffic safety on local roads when local agency staff and elected and appointed officials are appropriately trained.

Two groups of university students, approximately half with work experience, read one of two versions of the same case study narrative—a traditional, printed version or a computer version. Afterwards, both groups selected from a list of paragraphs to compose a memorandum needed to resolve the conflict in the case, and, two days later, completed a questionnaire to determine retention of the narrative. The researchers hypothesized that the subjects using the computer version would perform better and rate their version as more realistic because of this version's visuals and decision paths. The subjects using the computer version did perform somewhat better at selecting the correct final memo paragraph, but overall, the results did not show either method to be superior. The subject's previous off-campus work experience, however, did produce an impact on both the results and acceptability of the case method.

Although the concepts of transportation asset management are generic in nature, the adoption of asset management by local agencies (counties, county road commissions, cities, villages, towns, and townships) takes shape in as many ways as there are types of agencies. Asset management adoption brings about a melding of engineering, finance, and agency culture, with politics and accountability to the taxpaying public. Michigan is using an innovative approach to help local agencies incorporate the principles of asset management in their transportation management process–-focusing first on pavements and later moving on to other assets. While most activities are not unique, innovation lies in bringing all activities together in a coordinated effort. This includes training opportunities for every level of stakeholder and providing the tools necessary for roadway data collection and asset management analysis. Early adopters are seeing direct results; others are at varying stages within the process of change. The benefits of adoption are noted by Tim O'Rourke, manager of the Rosscommon County, Michigan, Road Commission: “What you are really doing is telling a story. A story about levels of investment, a mix of maintenance fixes, and the condition of the road network in 10 years. It's a story people can understand.” This paper details the components that have led to making local agency asset management work in Michigan and provides agency case examples.