Staying informed: training without travel.

According to a 2003 study by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Americans make more than 405 million long-distance business trips per year. A recent study by the Texas Transportation Institute found that in addition to all that travel, U.S. drivers sit

in traffic for an average of 46 hours per year. This is 30 hours more per year than just a few decades ago. With so much time spent on business trips and commuting to and from work, busy professionals are looking for ways to reduce their travel requirements so they can lead more balanced lives. In addition, many agencies and organizations face limited travel budgets that require managers to reduce spending.

To help transportation professionals spend less time on the road and help agencies reduce their expenses for business travel, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and many other organizations are turning to Web broadcasts to conduct meetings, conferences, and training sessions. These Web-based events enable personnel located across the country to access video and audio broadcasts, share documents, e-mail comments, and interact with other participants online by logging onto specialized Web sites.

Web meetings and conferences offer numerous benefits. In situations where face-to-face communication is not vital to the outcome of an event, a Web meeting can save participants and agencies time and money, in addition to increasing participation of people who otherwise might not have attended because of the longer time commitment due to travel. Such events also can potentially boost productivity by giving employees more time to attend to pressing matters in the office. And Web events may be a step in the right direction toward helping to reduce congestion. These benefits help explain why Web events are becoming increasingly popular alternatives to conventional meetings.