Ohio Department of Tr ansportation. Business Plan 2006 & Bob Taft, Ohio Governor. Gordon Proctor, ODOT Director

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1 Ohio Department of Tr ansportation Business Plan 2006 & 2007 Bob Taft, Ohio Governor Gordon Proctor, ODOT Director July

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3 ODOT Business Plan 2006 & 2007 Table of Contents Introduction...2 Mission, Values & s Strategic Initiatives System Conditions System Conditions Introduction Statewide Pavements, Bridges & Maintenance OPIs District 1 Pavements, Bridges & Maintenance OPIs District 2 Pavements, Bridges & Maintenance OPIs District 3 Pavements, Bridges & Maintenance OPIs District 4 Pavements, Bridges & Maintenance OPIs District 5 Pavements, Bridges & Maintenance OPIs District 6 Pavements, Bridges & Maintenance OPIs District 7 Pavements, Bridges & Maintenance OPIs District 8 Pavements, Bridges & Maintenance OPIs District 9 Pavements, Bridges & Maintenance OPIs District 10 Pavements, Bridges & Maintenance OPIs District 11 Pavements, Bridges & Maintenance OPIs District 12 Pavements, Bridges & Maintenance OPIs Other Organizational Performance Index Expectations Other OPIs Introduction Performance Expectations for Chief Legal Counsel Performance Expectations for Construction Performance Expectations for Contracts Performance Expectations for Equipment Performance Expectations for Facilities Performance Expectations for Finance Performance Expectations for Information Technology Performance Expectations for Plan Delivery Performance Expectations for Quality and Human Resources Performance Expectations for Roadway Safety and Mobility Performance Expectations for Traffic Engineering Financial Plans and Expectations Operating Summary Balance Sheet Appendix: Jobs and Progress Plan Milestones ODOT Business Plan 2006 &

4 Introduction It has been 101 years since the General Assembly created Ohio s State Highway Department with four employees and a $10,000 annual budget. From those modest beginnings, the department has grown to construct and maintain the 10 th largest road system in the nation. The ODOT Business Plan is a biennial document which summarizes the mission, values and goals of the department and summarizes recent trends, both internal to the department and external on the transportation system. Then the Business Plan specifies initiatives and performance goals the department must achieve in the upcoming biennium to meet its goals and to respond to recent trends. The Business Plan also serves as an important input into the employee evaluation process for management employees in the Career Professional civil service classification. The Business Plan for reflects notable achievements in significant measures and recognizes key trends and challenges in the coming biennium. The first section reviews the mission, values and goals of the department and details internal and external performance catalysts, relating those factors to the specific goals of the agency. The second section provides strategic initiatives for the biennium. These strategic initiatives represent continuing program activities that are necessary to achieve significant performance gains. Finally, the third section documents the actual system conditions and administrative measures in ODOT s core business practices. ODOT districts and divisions develop work plans based on the goals outlined in the business plan. The performance of every employee is evaluated against those goals annually. 2 ODOT Business Plan 2006 & 2007

5 Mission, Values & s Mission, Values and s The Ohio Department of Transportation s Mission, Values and s are unchanged from the last biennial Business Plan. The mission of providing a world-class transportation system guides nearly every facet of the department s business processes. ODOT continually benchmarks other agencies to improve both internal efficiency and the product provided to ODOT customers. Mission We will provide a world-class transportation system that links Ohio to a global economy while preserving the state s unique character and enhancing its quality of life. Values The Values describe ODOT s expectations for the way it does business. Taken literally, they are ambitious for any organization, but necessary, considering the obligations and public resources under ODOT s stewardship. Customer Focus: We will understand and meet the needs of our customers in our policy, program development and decision-making processes. People: We commit to developing and supporting a flexible, technically skilled work force, with individuals and teams that work toward our shared mission and goals. Continuous Improvement: In the pursuit of excellence, we will continuously improve our core business functions through better products, practices and procedures. Integrity: We will maintain the highest ethical standards in our dealings with each other, our business partners and the environment. Agility: We will have the knowledge and ability to rapidly adapt to the opportunities and challenges offered by changing technology and business practices. Data-Based Decision Making: Our decisions will be based on objective measurement, analysis of our system conditions, customer needs and organizational performance. We will manage by fact. s Since publication of the last Business Plan, the department completed ACCESS Ohio, its long-range transportation plan. ACCESS Ohio provides a long-range forecast of system conditions, and reviews key strategic issues that will drive intermodal transportation planning in the upcoming 30 years. The ACCESS Ohio plan involved a great deal of customer outreach, helping to ensure that the department s understanding of transportation needs was in line with the public s expectations. In the end, the strategic planning process affirmed the goals outlined in the - Business Plan, which are restated here: 1. Transportation Safety: ODOT will continually reduce the number and severity of crashes 2. Economic Development and Quality of Life: ODOT will support transportation improvement opportunities which promote Ohio s economy, foster economic development and enhance the quality of life 3. Efficient, Reliable Traffic Flow: ODOT will reduce congestion and improve travel reliability ODOT Business Plan 2006 &

6 Mission, Values & s Mission, Values and s Continued 4. System Preservation: ODOT will achieve and sustain a steady state of manageable and predictable deficiencies in transportation system conditions within an $825 million annual system preservation budget 5. Resource Management: ODOT will efficiently manage resources to execute core business functions while maintaining the highest-possible levels of quality and productivity Ohio Transportation Policy Catalysts through 2015 This update of the ODOT Business Plan uses the Mission, Values and s as the point of departure for review of the department s performance and as a guide for the pending biennium. Moreover, this section reviews key trends in the department s performance and in our external operating environment. Throughout, reference is made to ODOT s goals, reflecting their alignment with ongoing policy issues and the important strategic issues the agency must face in the next biennium. Internal s and Performance Patterns Since its creation at the beginning of the 20 th century, through the construction of the Inter-County highway system, to the creation of Interstate and urban freeways, the Ohio Department of Transportation has changed in response to changes in its mission, societal goals and technology. Recent catalysts for change within ODOT include: Quality improvement initiatives in the early 1990s, whereby processes undergo a continual cycle of review to identify improvements to service and efficiency; Re-engineering, adopted in 1995 from private sector management practices, where processes are completely re-created in order to achieve gains in efficiency or product improvement. In ODOT, re-engineering included both staff reduction and decentralization of budget and decision making; and The introduction of performance measurements, which have improved in their quality and utilization (e.g., pavement and structures) and expanded to define and focus the output of other work units (e.g., County OPIs). The Department of Transportation today is characterized by internal efficiency and outcome-oriented management, with tightly managed resources. Investments are geared toward system preservation, safety improvement and congestion relief. The foundation for ODOT s current internal structure is reflected by a strong commitment to system preservation and resource management. Positive achievements in these areas have allowed other initiatives to move forward, setting the stage for other customer-oriented goals and the strategic initiatives in this business plan. Resource Management Prior to 1995, ODOT s operating costs were rising at an average rate of 5.7 percent a rate of growth that threatened to obliterate capital budgets within a matter of a few years. Through a re-engineering effort which began in 1995, ODOT became a more lean, productive organization, downsizing from 7,800 to 6,031 employees. In the 10 years ending in, absolute payroll expenditures rose a total of eight percent, or only 0.78 percent annually. Efficiency equates to dollars. ODOT annually spends $132 million less than it would if it were still at 1995 employment levels. It can be said that projects such as the Columbus Interstate 270 outerbelt widening, or the Interstate 71 rehabilitation between Columbus and Cleveland, were totally financed by the operational efficiency achieved by the department. Re-engineering also decentralized budget authority to district offices, allowing them to keep operational savings. This led to district incentive to save money in areas such as equipment budgets because savings were plowed back into district pavements and bridges. At the same time, ODOT was working to improve another core function the development of projects through preliminary engineering, environmental clearance, design, right-of-way acquisition and construction. Historically in ODOT and other state DOTs, project delivery is plagued 4 ODOT Business Plan 2006 & 2007

7 Mission, Values & s Mission, Values and s Continued by inconsistency and delay. When first measured in 1998, the department found that only 72 percent of projects were delivered on time. Today, the department delivers 90 percent of its projects on time, even though milestones are set years in advance. Consistent project delivery is a core business function and is a vital precursor to most other department goals. System Preservation Perhaps above all else, ODOT is entrusted with a road and bridge network that is vital to the state s economy and quality of life, and requires a consistent level of investment and management to keep it from falling into disrepair. Preserving this system in a steady, high-quality condition is a core function, but the department has not always performed well in this area. In the 1980s, there was a significant inventory of deficient bridges, which prompted a special bridge repair and replacement program. As recently as 1997, 20 percent of the state s freeways had a pavement condition rating of less than 65 out of 100. The system preservation goal has focused the department to improve and sustain these basic system conditions. Since 1997, freeway pavement deficiencies have been reduced 79 percent and two-lane pavement deficiencies by 62 percent. Structural deficiencies in ODOT s bridge inventory have been cut by 74 percent. Performance indicators in county maintenance items have shown similar dramatic improvement, even over a shorter time frame. The section on System Conditions shows achievement in pavement, bridge and county maintenance performance indicators. The department exceeds all its statewide goals in the aggregate, and only a few districts have any deficiencies at all. Districts with deficiencies are on a plan to achieve system performance goals within a given time horizon, as documented in this business plan. A related part of system preservation is to ensure the sustainability of those conditions, at a given level of investment, over time. Keeping a steady state of low percentage system deficiencies provides certainty for long-term budgeting and predictability in programming and project development. Summary: Resource Management and System Preservation s ODOT has shown impressive achievement in internal efficiency and system preservation goals, which remain the primary foundation for other goals and initiatives. There is a logical progression of these goals, as follows: Through resource management efforts, ODOT constrained internal operating cost and improved project delivery; Through system preservation goals, ODOT set and attained a steady, predictable state of system conditions; Achieving this steady state allowed for a long-range fiscal forecast and financial plan, demonstrating that existing program/funds management budgets (with rational revenue growth forecast) could sustain good system conditions; Success in these areas bolstered public trust in the department, leading to the Governor s Jobs and Progress Plan and related finance proposal; and The Ohio General Assembly embraced the Jobs and Progress Plan by passing a historic transportation finance package; that package, coupled with pending Congressional action, allows ODOT to advance its other goals of transportation safety, economic development and quality of life, and efficient, reliable traffic flow. With this progression as background, and the goals of resource management and system preservation as foundation, attention turns to the three remaining ODOT goals of transportation safety; efficient and reliable traffic flow; and economic development and quality of life. External Strategic Catalysts ODOT s key external catalysts relate to the popularity of its product and the product s impact on the natural and human environment. Stated simply, traffic demand has outstripped road capacity in almost every year since the inception of state highway building programs. Ohio is no different. With the possible exception of wartime and the Depression, total travel grows one to three percent annually, while highway capacity increases only a fraction of a percent. System preservation and resource management speaks to the public trust in managing a vast and expensive public works system. While success is critical, the goals are mostly inward ODOT Business Plan 2006 &

8 Mission, Values & s Mission, Values and s Continued looking. The remaining three department goals are outward looking, responding to the values and aspirations of our customers in the provision of our products and services. Transportation Safety Public safety is a near universal and inherent goal of public programs. ODOT s programs, too, are infused with a safety focus, from programs that improve high-crash locations to design standards that improve highway safety. But growing traffic volumes have blunted some safety gains. While the overall crash rate has improved consistently in Ohio over the last 10 years, the number of crashes remains constant at about 380,000 annually, and fatal crashes at about 1,300 per year. If Ohio air travel had the same fatality frequency, it would equate to the loss of nine Boeing 737s per year. In surveys, transportation safety rates as the highest customer priority. Starting as its number one goal, the importance of highway safety cascades through the department. As a strategic initiative in, ODOT improved its crash data management and analysis tools, and then in, initiated district safety work plans to identify short-, medium- and long-term countermeasures for high-crash locations. Finally, ODOT doubled funding from $30 to $62 million annually, expanding its ability to address high-crash locations. The Governor s Jobs and Progress Plan program is critical to advancing highway safety. First, it provides the funding necessary to double ODOT s program to address high-crash locations. Secondly, the Jobs and Progress Plan addresses reconstruction of urban interstates, which have some of the highest crash frequencies in the state, and macro corridors, which will advance rural highway safety. Efficient, Reliable Traffic Flow ODOT performance indicators have improved in nearly every measurable area, with one notable exception: traffic congestion. Ohio highway travel has increased in 28 of the last 30 years. As has been the trend for decades, peak-hour travel in Ohio s cities has created chronic, congested travel on a significant portion of the urban freeway system. But the congestion growth is not limited to urban, peak-hour travel; with truck volumes increasing 90 percent over the past 25 years, even rural interstate highways experience lower levels of service in some areas, at some times of the day. The goal of reliable traffic flow seeks to address congestion through system management and capacity expansion projects. ODOT has created systems to objectively measure congestion, track its growth over time and direct investments toward congestion relief projects. The department also conducts special studies, such as for freight, to identify underlying trends and possible strategic countermeasures. Transportation system management is an umbrella term for a number of congestion initiatives, including access management, incident management and maintenance of traffic during construction. ODOT has strengthened its training and administration procedures to ensure consistency in access management. The department has implemented urban freeway service patrols, urban freeway management systems and incident management clearance procedures, all to mitigate incident disruptions to highway capacity. Finally, maintenance of traffic practices have mitigated the congestion impact of the department s own construction projects. Significant advances in congestion management will only come through the development of transit and highway capacity expansion. Here again, the Governor s Jobs and Progress Plan is critical to achieving ODOT s goals for efficient traffic flow. Through the Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC), ODOT has been the single largest financial participant in transit planning and capital projects, such as the Euclid Corridor in Cleveland, the Central Ohio Transit Authority light rail initiative in Columbus and the Eastern Corridor transit improvement projects in the Cincinnati area. The Jobs and Progress Plan also advances highway capacity and geometric improvement projects on the state s most congested freeways, including the Interstates 70/71 split in downtown Columbus; the Cleveland Innerbelt; Dayton Interstate 75; Cincinnati Interstate 75; the central interchange in Akron; and the Interstates 75/475 interchange in Toledo. The Jobs and Progress Plan also advances rural mobility, through completion of the U.S. Route 24 corridor in northwest Ohio, U.S. Route 30 across northern Ohio and Appalachian corridors. Economic Development and Quality of Life The final external strategic catalyst reflects the department s concern for the preservation and enhancement of the state s natural and cultural resources. As with safety goals, the 6 ODOT Business Plan 2006 & 2007

9 Mission, Values & s Mission, Values and s Continued economic development and quality of life goals infuse all of the department s activities and programs. First and foremost, transportation both reflects and promotes a region s economic activity. Through the era of canals, railroads, and highways, freight transportation has grown hand in hand with overall economic advances. Viewed on a graph, the nation s Gross Domestic Product and Vehicle Miles of Travel parallel one another. Today s transportation system has given rise to true national markets, further driving down the cost of shipping as a percent of the Gross National Product. The TRAC, using the Governor s Jobs and Progress Plan, has funded projects that improve transportation efficiency and thus promote economic development. Projects which are an inducement for job creation or retention are rewarded additional points under the TRAC scoring criteria. Highway advocates often promote the economic benefits of highway expansion, which are real, but societal goals for environmental protection and cultural preservation are not mutually exclusive. ODOT s project development process embraces both the letter and spirit of the National Environmental Policy Act. This includes the cataloguing of significant land and aquatic habitat and locating new facilities to do the least damage to the natural environment. In the past two years, ODOT s projects have taken just 22 acres of wetland, and replaced those doubly. Even with a construction program of more than $1 billion, ODOT projects rarely impact parkland or historic properties. And ODOT s transportation enhancement program has restored 28 historic bridges, funded 81 bicycle/pedestrian facilities, and 14 streetscape projects. In addition to their critical function, ODOT projects can also be aesthetically pleasing and designed in concert with a community s unique character or design aspirations. In Dayton, an ordinary retaining wall retraces the arc of the Wright brother s first flight. In Toledo, local citizens chose the distinctive cable-stay design for their bridge. In Columbus, a citizen s advisory panel provides input to the aesthetic features of the Interstates 70/71 split reconstruction. The goal of economic development and quality of life has moved ODOT toward the appropriate balance between the raw functionality of a transportation facility and its contribution to cultural and aesthetic mores. ODOT s achievements in this arena are noteworthy, but the department does not consider its goals complete, and the number of projects still in development provide once in a lifetime opportunities for communities to advance their civic aspirations as part of urban transportation reconstruction projects. ODOT Business Plan 2006 &

10 Mission, Values & s s Restatement of ODOT s through 2015, with specific objectives for the biennium and beyond. 1 Transportation Safety ODOT will continually reduce the number and severity of crashes Objectives ODOT will: Reduce the crash fatality rate from the current rate of 1.31 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (mvmt) to not to exceed one fatality per 100 mvmt. Reduce the frequency of crashes by 10 percent (reduction of approximately 40,000 crashes statewide per year). Reduce rear-end crashes by 25 percent (reduction of approximately 25,000 rear-end crashes statewide per year). Target and implement all low-cost, short-term safety solutions, all medium-cost improvements and 80 percent of the high-cost improvements at high-crash safety locations in the annual safety and congestion work plan. Continuously reduce the delay between problem identification and countermeasure implementation. Continuously improve safety and design standards. Sustain the highest standards and improve on snow and ice removal through new and improved technologies, materials and operation strategies. Sustain the highest safety standards and improve on safety in work zones through new and improved technologies, materials and operational strategies. 2 Economic Development and Quality of Life ODOT will support transportation improvement opportunities, which promote Ohio s economy, foster economic development and enhance the quality of life Objectives ODOT will: Complete macro-corridor projects identified in the Governor s Jobs and Progress Plan. Reconstruct deficient urban freeway and multi-modal facilities while remaining sensitive to social, cultural and economic aspirations of Ohio s communities. Protect the natural environment, and historic and cultural resources, by avoiding, minimizing or mitigating the environmental impacts of transportation improvements. Design projects that are compatible with the essence of Ohio s communities. Improve inter-modal connectivity to reduce congestion, improve safety and preserve the environment. 8 ODOT Business Plan 2006 & 2007

11 s Continued Mission, Values & s 3 Efficient, Reliable Traffic Flow ODOT will reduce traffic congestion and improve travel reliability Objectives ODOT will: Target and improve traffic flow on congested road segments identified by the department s congestion management system. Using the congestion management system, quantify the congestion relief of the department s projects to 2015, using per-capita and aggregate measures. In congested urban corridors, invest in public transportation projects which add alternative modal capacity to relieve road congestion, and provide travel options. By 2007, implement district-level freeway operations strategy, with attendant training and quality assurance from central office. The strategy will include: - Freeway management systems delivered according to the current TRAC schedule, with advanced elements for maintenance of traffic where possible; - Freeway service patrols as per warrants; - Incident response procedures; and - Local incident management committees, including quick clear practices. 4 System Preservation ODOT will achieve and sustain a steady state of manageable and predictable deficiencies in transportation system conditions within an $825 million annual system preservation budget Objectives ODOT will: Sustain Ohio s pavements so at least 93 percent of all state-maintained lane miles meet the pavement condition rating standards. Sustain Ohio s bridges so at least 97 percent of all statemaintained bridges meet the general appraisal standards. Sustain an overall level of performance on Ohio s roadways to meet or exceed the standard as defined by a county s composite Organizational Performance Index (OPI). Complete the reconstruction of 60 percent of interstate lane miles and sustain a preventive pavement maintenance program on 5 percent of all appropriate lane miles per year. Continually research and improve maintenance practices and technology, construction techniques and the use of better materials. ODOT Business Plan 2006 &

12 Mission, Values & s s Continued 5 Resource Management ODOT will efficiently manage resources to execute core business functions while maintaining the highest-possible levels of quality and productivity Objectives ODOT will: Continually review the results of the cost accounting system to improve the quality and efficiency of the department. Manage the construction program to get high quality, competitive prices and efficient project administration. Maintain a financial plan to meet long-term operational and capital goals. Continuously focus on creating a quality culture as measured by the Baldrige Criteria. Train and equip an increasingly productive work force that does not exceed 6,031 full-time employees. 10 ODOT Business Plan 2006 & 2007

13 Strategic Initiatives Strategic Initiatives Specific issues or programs require special institutional attention in response to changing strategic conditions. The department designates these as strategic initiatives, in order to advance processes or programs to meet new challenges. Strategic initiatives bridge the gap between mature processes and programs, which have existing performance measures, and new programs that require the development of policy, processes, resource allocation or other action. The preceding discussion of department goals demonstrates how the department has established and attained impressive gains in most of its measurable conditions. Delivery of the Governor s Jobs and Progress Plan is a keystone to the department s success in safety, congestion and economic development. Funding the program provides an unprecedented opportunity and responsibility for the department to deliver large and complex projects. The first initiative positions the department to deliver this recordlevel program. The second strategic initiative is to continue advancement of the department s safety goals. The business plan set auspicious safety goals, and witnessed positive gains in fatal crash frequency. Measurable safety indicators vary by district, however, and long-term crash reductions will require better performance. The safety strategic initiative maintains the department s focus on this effort. Strategic initiative three stems from ODOT s value of a flexible, well-trained work force. By continuing the Highway Technician training to its conclusion in this biennium, this strategic initiative advances the department s goal of effective resource management. The fourth strategic initiative advances the use of business tools to continuously improve ODOT s county operations. This initiative focuses on affordably ensuring operational sufficiency. Lastly, strategic initiative five continues development of ODOT s pavement management system, which helps to advance the department s system preservation goal. ODOT Business Plan 2006 &

14 Strategic Initiatives Strategic Initiative One Deliver the Jobs and Progress Plan In the and biennium, ODOT progressed aggressively on Governor Taft s Jobs and Progress Plan. ODOT delivered $349 million in right of way, preliminary development and construction plans in and another $571 million in. That effort represented the largest two-year Major New Construction program in ODOT history. It also represented an accomplishment of more than 98 percent of the Jobs and Progress Program for that biennium. The Jobs and Progress Plan is vital to preserving mobility in Ohio s large cities. In Toledo, for example, almost 15 percent of total freeway traffic occurs in congested conditions; the Jobs and Progress Plan will reduce this to just under 8 percent. The plan will reduce or curb the growth of congestion in Ohio s other seven urbanized counties and address some of the worst accident locations as well. For the 2006 and 2007 biennium, ODOT s record pace of Major New Construction delivery needs to continue. For SFY 2006, ODOT must deliver $647 million in construction, right of way, preliminary development and related actions. In SFY 2007, that grows again to $840 million for Major New Construction alone. The size of the Major New Construction program for will be 62 percent greater than the record program in the previous biennium. While delivering that huge program, ODOT will be preparing for a record program in 2008, which represents another 20 percent growth in the annual Major New Construction program. This schedule represents five consecutive years of ever-growing record project delivery. Such an ambitious schedule will tax ODOT s ability to plan, design, bid, construct, inspect and finance projects. The magnitude of effort will be the largest at the department since the 1960s. Strategic Initiative One for SFY will continue to deliver Governor Taft s Jobs and Progress Program as represented by the current program approved by the Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC). In this initiative, every district and division will be responsible for bringing the TRAC approved projects in on time and on budget. The steps that must be achieved in SFY 2006 and 2007 include: Every district and the divisions of Planning and Production must deliver the 2006 and 2007 Major New Construction program in accordance with the costs and schedule of the January 12, TRAC list. Project names, PIDs, and milestone dates, as of April 14,, are included as an appendix to this business plan starting on page 77. The Deputy Director of Information Technology and the Assistant Director of Planning and Production must ensure that by December 31,, personnel in every district and the Central Office Planning and Production Division is trained and using the new Jobs and Progress Plan tracking system. This system mirrors the new Project Development Process and is devised to allow ODOT to keep the massive Jobs and Progress Planprojects on schedule, within scope and within budget. The new system will provide the structure for constant oversight of the program. By December, the Assistant Director of Planning and Production and the Assistant Director of Highway Management must have coordinated in-depth workshops and reviews of the cost, scope, schedule, maintenance of traffic and constructability of the major Jobs and Progress Plan projects. The divisions of Legislative Services, Finance and Planning must collaborate to promote the best federal funding formulas possible in the federal transportation re-authorization bill expected to be enacted in calendar year. Then, the divisions will provide an updated fiscal forecast for the Jobs and Progress Plan/TRAC program. The TRAC list will be amended, if necessary, to reflect the final federal revenue projections. By December, the Division of Construction will prepare, with the districts, a work plan for how the Major New Construction workload will be administered in SFYs 2006, 2007 and ODOT Business Plan 2006 & 2007

15 Strategic Initiatives Strategic Initiative One Deliver the Jobs and Progress Plan Continued Because ODOT may not receive the full amount of federal funds it was anticipating, the department will adjust its Major New Construction program. Approximately six of the largest TRAC projects will be analyzed in greater detail to determine how they could be reduced in cost but still achieve the greatest congestion relief and accident reductions. The six projects or collections of projects will be: The U.S. Route 24 project from the Indiana border to Maumee; Phase II of Interstate 75 in downtown Dayton; The Columbus Interstates 70/71 Split; The Columbus North Outerbelt interchanges; The Cleveland Innerbelt; and The collection of Interstate 75 projects in Hamilton County. By the end of calendar year 2006, the divisions of Planning and Production, with the appropriate districts, will analyze these projects in greater detail. They will determine which components of these projects contribute disproportionately to accident reduction and congestion relief. Then, they will determine if the projects can be separated into phases, which could be built for lower cost but still with independent utility. The intent will be to build these projects in phases. ODOT has taken this approach in the past. The Interstate 670 Spring/Sandusky Project and the Collector Distributor/Morse Stelzer Interstate 270 projects in Columbus were broken into independent sections and constructed over the course of a decade. Each section of the projects provided benefit and complemented the later sections when eventually constructed. ODOT will not slow down or lose focus on the Jobs and Progress Plan merely because the total amount of planned revenue may not be available. Instead of the TRAC program averaging $600 million over four years, the reduced list will still exceed an average of $500 million annually. The program will remain the largest in ODOT history and one of the largest in the country. ODOT Business Plan 2006 &

16 Strategic Initiatives Strategic Initiative Two Refine, Re-focus and Respond To Ohio s High-Crash Locations As with the Major New Construction program, ODOT had record success in the past biennium with its Safety Work Plan Efforts. Ohio s fatality rate fell from 1.31 to 1.16 fatalities per 100 million miles of travel. Ohio s national fatality rate went from 21 st best to 9 th best during the biennium. The department delivered more than 700 low-cost safety projects, it doubled its high-crash program and its county forces achieved all their roadway improvement goals. While progress was made in important areas, progress was not made in all areas. The total number of crashes has fallen but not dramatically. Rear-end crashes continue to grow. Injury crashes remain nearly as high as before the initiative began. ODOT cannot declare victory and must continue to find strategies to further reduce crashes if it is to meet its goals. ODOT s long-term strategic safety goals are to: Reduce crash frequency by 10 percent by 2015; Reduce rear-end crashes by 25 percent by 2015; and Reduce the state fatality rate to 1.0 per 100 million vehicle miles travel by To continue progress toward those long-term goals and to build upon successes from the - biennium ODOT will pursue the following objectives in the biennium: Because nearly 45 percent of all fatalities occur on local roads not part of ODOT s state highway system, the department will prioritize the counties with the highest local roadway fatalities and highest fatality rate. It will launch outreach efforts to those counties. It will give priority in pass-through federal funds to the counties with these disproportionately high crash areas. ODOT will seek to engage local officials to improve their high-crash locations, much as ODOT has reached out to local governments which have excessively poor bridge and pavement conditions. Because the number of rear-end crashes has not decreased as hoped, ODOT will analyze in great detail where rearend crashes are occurring. It then will review the top locations to determine what additional strategies could be effective. These crashes appear to be growing disproportionately in some districts and on some routes. ODOT will prioritize these routes and locations to develop a systematic effort to achieve its long-term goal of a 25 percent reduction by Some districts have experienced overall accident reduction trends, while others have not. In the next biennium, each district which is not experiencing decreases will be analyzed in greater detail. ODOT will drill down into the district-by-district data to seek trends and insight into what strategies may be effective in those areas that are not experiencing crash decreases. ODOT assumes that the massive Major New Construction program under way through 2012 should significantly reduce crashes at Ohio s most congested locations. In SFY 2006, ODOT will analyze past Major New Construction projects to determine what level of crash reduction occurred when the projects were completed. Then ODOT will extrapolate estimated crash reductions from future projects to determine district-by-district how much progress in crash-reduction ODOT may achieve by these projects through With those estimates, ODOT will attempt to project how much progress toward its 2015 goals can be expected through current efforts. The Deputy Director of Information Technology will ensure that necessary information system enhancements are provided so that ODOT can analyze locations and display all necessary data for this initiative. Each district will again develop a biennial safety plan to address its high-crash locations and deliver its portion of the statewide safety program. 14 ODOT Business Plan 2006 & 2007

17 Strategic Initiatives Strategic Initiative Two Refine, Re-focus and Respond To Ohio s High-Crash Locations Continued The Office of Roadway Safety and Mobility and the Division of Highway Operations will jointly develop a force-account safety program for ODOT s county forces. This program will identify a series of improvements that ODOT county forces can make to address roadway deficiencies that can contribute to crashes. ODOT will implement a safety corridor program. This program will determine whether high numbers of crashes are occurring over long corridors but are escaping detection because current crash reporting practices emphasize spot locations. On long corridors that have elevated crash rates, ODOT will partner with the Ohio Department of Public Safety, local law enforcement and local citizens to identify strategies to reduce crashes. By December, ODOT will develop a comprehensive highway safety plan, which is inter-disciplinary and inclusive of all levels of government. The plan will identify safety emphasis areas, with specific strategies to address crashes and fatalities. Safety emphasis areas are not limited to crash type, but rather can include population sectors, driving behavior or a number of other factors. ODOT Business Plan 2006 &

18 Strategic Initiatives Strategic Initiative Three Complete the Highway Technician Comprehensive Training Program This initiative for will conclude the first major phase of the Highway Technician (HT) Series launched in late. The HT Series includes a broad classification of employees and a comprehensive training academy. The focus of both is to provide training and certification of employees involved in construction and highway management. The premise of the HT Academy is to incorporate a flexible blend of maintenance and construction duties into one classification series. When paired with the delivery of the Jobs and Progress Plan and keeping pace with the ambitious schedule of planning, design and ultimately construction, the full implementation of the HT Series is imperative. Construction experience, completion of HT Academy course work and certifications will provide a sufficient number of trained inspectors to support the delivery of the Jobs and Progress Plan. In this initiative, every district will be responsible for assuring construction experience. HT Academy training is made available to all employees affected by the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The steps that must be achieved in The steps that must be achieved in SFY include: Course Development, Deployment And Training Opportunities: By January 1, 2006, finalize development and deployment of Level 2 and Level 3 courses and certifications to fully establish the viability of the HT Series and its related Academy. By January 1, 2006, provide a sufficient number of training sessions in each district for Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 courses and related certifications to meet the requirements of the MOU. Pre and post testing for each course will be offered online. By January 31, 2006, deploy online internal certification tests for General Knowledge, Earthwork, Drainage, Pavements, Traffic Control Devices, Structures and Contract Administration for eligible employees to successfully complete the HT Academy for full utilization in the construction and maintenance areas. By November 26, 2006, to enter the HT Series as an HT Level 2, 1,316 eligible employees will need training to complete HT Level 1 courses and certifications. By district, the classifications of Highway Technician 1, Highway Maintenance Worker 3, and Bridge Worker 1 are impacted as follows: District 1 95 District District 2 65 District 8 96 District 3 99 District District District District 5 95 District District District By November 26, 2006, to enter the HT Series as an Highway Technician Level 3, 365 eligible employees will need to be provided training opportunities to complete HT Level 1 and 2 courses and certifications. By district and Central Office, the classifications of Material Controller 1, Material Controller 2, Highway Maintenance Worker 4, Route Marker 2 and Bridge Worker 2 are impacted as follows: District 1 34 District 7 38 District 2 21 District 8 43 District 3 32 District 9 29 District 4 24 District District 5 31 District District 6 28 District Central Office 11 By November 26, 2006, to enter the HT Series as an Highway Technician Level 4, 263 eligible employees will need to be provided training opportunities to complete HT Level 1, 2 and 3 courses and certifications. By district 16 ODOT Business Plan 2006 & 2007

19 Strategic Initiatives Strategic Initiative Three Complete the Highway Technician Comprehensive Training Program Continued and Central Office, the classifications of Project Inspector 1, Project Inspector 2, Material Controller 3 are impacted as follows: District 1 13 District 7 28 District 2 18 District 8 23 District 3 15 District 9 25 District 4 26 District District 5 16 District District 6 35 District Central Office 2 By January 1, 2007, complete development and deployment of Level 4 courses and related certifications. Construction Experience Requirements: By November 26, 2006, 237 Highway Maintenance Worker 4, Bridge Worker 2 and Route Marker 2 need 12 months of construction experience. District projections include: District 1 22 District 7 29 District 2 8 District 8 24 District 3 26 District 9 19 District 4 17 District District 5 15 District District 6 22 District By 2010, a total of 1,473 Highway Technician 2s will need 12 months of construction experience. District projections include: District District District District District District District District District District District District ODOT Business Plan 2006 &

20 Strategic Initiatives Strategic Initiative Four Continuously Improve County Operations By Using Business Tools This initiative for will further the evolution and use of private sector tools to operate county maintenance facilities, and their related annual work plans, more in line with acceptable business practices. This initiative will place an increased focus on measuring the cost and quality of ODOT s basic maintenance activities, building logically upon the steady and fundamental improvements made in county operations through prior initiatives. In, ODOT adopted a strategic initiative to redefine the products of the county workforce. In that initiative, eight primary county roadway maintenance Organizational Performance Index (OPIs) indicators were developed to define the standard of maintenance to be achieved on its roads. In addition, ODOT measured 100 percent of the state highway system and set goals for each county to achieve in these eight measures as part of the initiative. Through that initiative, ODOT defined the primary business products of the county operations and clearly set objectives for the counties to meet. Also in, ODOT launched a strategic initiative to create a Cost Accounting System. This system allowed ODOT to more accurately measure its cost of doing business by capturing the total cost of labor, equipment, materials, buildings and administrative overhead. With this cost information, ODOT has been able to measure the cost of its activities and compare those costs to the private sector and/or like ODOT operations. The cost accounting system has steadily improved since it was adopted. In, using the OPI standards already in place, ODOT moved toward attaining and sustaining a Steady State of system conditions. The intent of this strategic initiative was to meet the county OPI goals and to determine the level of effort needed to sustain those high level of conditions indefinitely. All the standards were met by March, and as a result, ODOT dramatically reduced its roadway deficiencies. In the year since the goals were reached, the counties have routinely sustained those goals and achieved the steady state as defined by a continued, high level of performance for a predictable and affordable level of effort. Also in, a strategic initiative was established to implement a comprehensive training and certification program for approximately 2,500 construction and highway management employees. This led to the creation of the Highway Technician Series, which provided for a broad classification of employees who are well trained and flexible in both construction and highway maintenance. As part of that initiative, ODOT began an historic level of training in how to perform maintenance and construction activities in accordance with the ODOT Materials and Construction Specifications manual (Spec Book). Once fully trained and certified, ODOT workers will be qualified to either inspect basic construction projects or to perform ODOT maintenance projects to the same level as private-sector contractors. These initiatives have created a strong foundation for a better-trained, better-informed workforce and have led directly to substantially improved maintenance conditions on Ohio s roads. Strategic Initiative Four will build upon these earlier efforts and use them to evolve the county operations to the next level of professionalism. This Initiative Will Include The Following Actions In 2006 And 2007: The Division of Finance will complete a cost-accounting analysis, which captures the total cost of ODOT s maintenance activities. It will capture not only the cost of labor but also the cost of the equipment, facilities, materials, supplies and administrative support necessary to perform ODOT maintenance work. With this information, ODOT can analyze its maintenance costs the same way a construction contractor can analyze construction costs to prepare a bid. With this information, ODOT county managers can determine which activities they are 18 ODOT Business Plan 2006 & 2007

21 Strategic Initiatives Strategic Initiative Four Continuously Improve County Operations By Using Business Tools Continued competitive at performing and determine inefficient activities. The divisions of Finance and Highway Operations will develop a standard process for each county manager to conduct this analysis. The County Work Plans will then be augmented in SFY 2007 to put more emphasis on cost-effective activities and to shift non-cost effective, in-house activities to contractors. ODOT has published a fiscal plan through the year 2015, which is based on retaining the current workforce size at 6,031 employees. All ODOT financial planning is based on retaining the size of the current workforce. ODOT has staffed its county workforces to conduct snow and ice operations in the winter, maintenance operations year-round and construction inspections throughout the construction season. ODOT is determined to continuously improve. ODOT can use its cost-accounting data and its better trained workforce to determine which in-house work it can perform as efficiently and as effectively as the private sector. Maintenance work can be performed to the level of the Spec Book where applicable. The cost of equipment, materials, facilities, labor and administrative support can be fully captured to ensure that ODOT is using its resources most efficiently. If certain types of work require specialty equipment that is expensive but infrequently used, it may not be economical for ODOT to do such work. State Force Accounts, by law, place limitations on ODOT that prohibit certain types of projects by size and/or dollar amount. Currently, ODOT conducts only limited analysis as to the cost-effectiveness of its activities. ODOT Business Plan 2006 &