Missouri's Build a Better Mousetrap Competition is a celebration of Missouri Local Innovations. It provides a terrific opportunity to share your latest ideas with others! We are looking for submissions from employees of Missouri's local public agencies (e.g., cities and counties) who have created different solutions to problems or found better ways of doing things!
People involved in the transportation industry often find better ways to do their jobs. Whether it's through a new gadget that improves the quality and safety of a project or an innovative process that reduces costs and improves efficiency, it is often the people on the front lines who discover the latest and best practices.
Build a Better Mousetrap highlights innovative solutions to everyday challenges that local and tribal transportation professionals, encounter. These solutions range from the development of tools and equipment modifications to new processes that enhance safety, reduce cost, increase efficiency, and improve the quality of transportation. So, if you or one of your coworkers recently built an innovative gadget or developed an improved way to do a job, this is the time to show off that project!
Innovative Project – Any solution that addresses any or all phase(s) of the "project" life-cycle – Planning, Design/Engineering, Construction, Operations and Maintenance. This project shall introduce new ideas, is locally relevant, original, and creative in thinking.
Bold Steps – Any locally relevant high - risk project or process showing a breakthrough solution with demonstrated high-reward.
SMART Transformation – A locally relevant significant change in any transportation activity or process that is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound) in nature that results in improved efficiencies.
Pioneer – A locally relevant product/tool that is among the first to solve a maintenance problem with a home-grown solution.
We will gather the best ideas from around the state and judge them using a point rating system based on the criteria listed below:
Based on these criteria, a state winner will be selected from all the local public agency entries. First to third place winners will be announced in the MO-LTAP newsletter and their ideas/projects showcased at local events. MO-LTAP will then submit the state winning entry or entries to National Local Technical Assistance Program (NLTAPA) Build a Better Mousetrap Competition for national recognition by FHWA. National winners will be announced at the Annual National LTAP Conference in July 2024. FHWA may ask for additional information during the evaluation process.
Winners will be selected by an independent panel of judges. In each category, we are looking for original, innovative projects that provide long-term value to the transportation community. We will consider:
Overall Impact - Measure of the overall improvement, effectiveness, efficiency, savings, and/or benefit of the innovation as applied to the process or project where it has been implemented.
Community/Agency Benefit — The extent and scope of the potential impact of the innovation on the transportation industry, innovations that have the potential for broad/national impact beyond the local agency will be scored higher.
Originality — Creativity of the innovation across the transportation industry.
Applicability to Others — Extent to which the innovation may be easily adopted and implemented by peer local agencies and tribal communities.
Cost Effectiveness — Cost savings (immediate and/or life cycle cost) of the innovation.
Time Savings — Time, schedule, or efficiency savings of the innovation.
Quality of the Submitted Application — Entries with a Spotlight Video will receive bonus points!
If you have something you think would qualify for this competition, please submit entries online using the form below. All entries must be submitted through the MO-LTAP website to qualify. Submit below via this link:
https://forms.gle/fSyCWQ1zheeLHWVA8
If you have something you think would qualify for this competition, submit your entry by March 31, 2024. The competition is open to employees of any city or county agency in Missouri.
FHWA provides some guidance for any photographs and Spotlight Videos. Click link below for the PDF version:
https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:80b695cc-55d2-37cf-9f88-5826be613b5a
FHWA requests that you obtain a release form for each person you photograph, record, or video. Please include a copy of all release forms along with your entry. See required details below:
Previously submitted entries are not eligible for resubmission unless significant, unique, and innovative enhancements have been made to the entry. At its sole discretion, FHWA reserves the right to disqualify entries that fail to show that significant improvements have been made to a previously submitted product or technology.
A top Honoree will be selected for each category. Honoree benefits include FHWA national recognition and promotion, exposure on the FHWA website, and the opportunity to have the innovation showcased at local and national transportation events. In addition, from the list of top honorees, a Best of Innovation award will be made by casting votes at the annual NLTAPA conference.
All qualifying entries will be compiled into an electronic booklet and posted on the FHWA’s Local Aid Support (LAS) website at www.fhwa.dot.gov/clas/babm so that you and your peers and customers can learn more about the best practices from around the country. The recognition of any submission does not constitute FHWA endorsement or support of the submission. Patented and/or proprietary products are not eligible for inclusion/consideration