NEW! Personal Protective Equipment Program

The Rhode Island LTAP is excited to announce the return of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Program. The program, first rolled out in 2023, received such an overwhelming response that we’ve decided to do it again!

This brand-new 2025 PPE Program offers a more robust selection than the first round. These PPE kits will help ensure the municipal transportation workforce has access to safe and appropriate equipment, including hard hats with eye and ear protection, safety glasses, gloves, and other necessary items, to provide protection while on the job.

The Rhode Island LTAP has developed and sponsored this free PPE program, and each municipality will receive a fixed quantity of

• Air Horns
• Safety Whistles
• Disposable and Reusable Earplugs
• Gloves
• Hard Hats with Face and Hearing Protection
• Safety Glasses
• Vehicle First Aid Kits

To get more information, please email us at dot.RILTAP@dot.ri.gov.

NEW! Rhode Scholar

Registration is open for the new Rhode Scholar Program! The Rhode Scholar Program, administered by the Rhode Island Local Technical Assistance Program (RI LTAP), allows local transportation agencies access to high-quality training for their employees at no cost.

Local municipal and tribal agencies in Rhode Island, responsible for maintaining streets and roads, are entrusted with ensuring these roads are safe, well-constructed, and properly maintained. Employees must be trained not only on the basics of construction and maintenance, but they must also stay current in the latest practices. As budgets are always tight, cities and towns must provide this training in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

To become a designated Rhode Scholar, each participant must complete 8 courses/workshops. After each course, participants will receive a certificate of completion. Upon completion of the program requirements, participants are presented with a plaque. Many of the classes have multiple dates to choose from, with the first class offered on June 24, 2025, and the culminating class occurring on December 3, 2025. See the schedule below. Note that all classes will be held in the RIDOT Training Room located on New England Institute of Technology’s Access Road campus.

To register, email the Rhode Island LTAP at dot.RILTAP@dot.ri.gov and be sure to include the participant’s name, email, phone, job title, and the preferred dates for each class.

2025 Needs Assessment

Over the past year, RILTAP has offered 112 instructor-led classes, over 311 in-person training hours, and over 450 online training modules. Over 650 municipal employees participated in these training opportunities.

Now, we need your help to shape the training programs for 2025–2026. Your input will guide the RI LTAP in identifying, prioritizing, and scheduling future classes that best support our local transportation workforce.

Please take a moment to complete our short survey by July 11 — just 5 minutes of your time can make a big difference!

Scan or click the QR code to get started.

Upcoming Training

Seats are now available for Rhode Island City, Town, and Tribe partners for the Summer 2025 classes below. These live classes are all in-person.

To enroll in any of these courses or if you have questions, please contact the Rhode Island LTAP at dot.RILTAP@dot.ri.gov. To register a participant, email Rhode Island LTAP and indicate the course name and date as well as the person's full first and last name, email address, job title, and phone number. 

Is there a tailgate talk, training, or technical assistance you're interested in, but haven't seen advertised? RI municipalities and the Narragansett Indian Tribe can submit a request to the Rhode Island LTAP. Just complete this Request Form and email it to us!

Available On-Demand Courses

There are currently over 450 courses available for our Rhode Island LTAP partners in the RI Learning Center, the State's Online Learning Management System. See the list below for a sampling of courses!

If you are interested in viewing these or other available on-demand courses in the RI Learning Center, and you are a Rhode Island municipal employee or elected official, Narragansett Indian Tribe employee, or an FHWA employee, contact us at dot.RILTAP@dot.ri.gov to set up an account.

• Work Zone
• AASHTO Maintenance: Basics of Work Zone Traffic Control
• Pedestrian Work Zone Barricades & MUTCD
• Strategies for Accommodating Pedestrians, Bicyclists, and Motorcyclists in Work Zones
• Temporary Traffic Control and Safety in Short-term Work Zones
• Working with Law Enforcement in Work Zones
• Working Safely in Work Zones
• Work Zone Safety, Set Them Up Right!