Strategic Initiative One Implementation of a modern, customer-friendly project management system and the associated business rules...

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3 Table of Contents Strategic Initiative One Implementation of a modern, customer-friendly project management system and the associated business rules... 5 Strategic Initiative Two Implement strategies to maximize traffic flow on the state highway system... 8 Strategic Initiative Three Develop a sound, effective crash reporting and analysis system for safety Strategic Initiative Four Update Access Ohio Strategic Initiative Five ODOT will enhance its partnership with local governments to improve Ohio s transportation system Strategic Initiative Six ODOT will improve the quality of its construction plans Strategic Initiative Seven Re-Defining county priorities Strategic Initiative Eight Continue to improve snow and ice control Strategic Initiative Nine Build bridges faster, smarter, better Strategic Initiative Ten Improve construction administration Strategic Initiative Eleven Develop a strategy to better communicate and implement ODOT Way to all levels of the organization Strategic Initiative Twelve Customer focus Strategic Initiative Thirteen Improve ODOT s accounting information system for more effective decision making Strategic Initiatives 2003 Ohio Department of Transportation 3

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5 Strategic Initiative One Implementation of a modern, customer-friendly project management system and the associated business rules BACKGROUND: The Project Development Management System (PDMS) is criticized by Senior Management for having inadequate and inaccurate data. In an effort to provide information which sufficiently addresses departmental needs, Executive Management has approved development of Ellis as a replacement system of PDMS. However, the lack of proper data management is not the fault of PDMS, per se, but rather reflects a lack of protocols for how to manage the program data. For instance, ODOT does not have rules for who updates the data, how frequently it should be updated, and what the consequences are for failing to update the data. It is the premise of Senior Leadership that the lack of reliable data results in large part because the department lacks clear and widely accepted rules for how to assure the quality of data in the project management system. Further, it is the premise of Senior Leadership that providing a new system (Ellis) without also adopting a clear set of usage rules will not solve all problems. No matter how technically adequate the new system is, if users do not update the data consistently, the new system will not be any better than the old system. Therefore, a set of rules or protocols must also be adopted which indicate what data is needed, its frequency of updating, and its degree of accuracy. INTENT: This initiative was developed to assure: The department s capital program is fiscally balanced, A reliable project delivery with a 20/30/30/20 sales distribution, and System condition goals are achieved. ACCOMPLISHED TO DATE: Requirements and data collection, Phase 1 - completed Requirements modeling and validation, Phase 1 - completed High level system design, Phase 1 - completed Issue Business Rules and Policy document - May, 2002 Document business process for Phase 2 goals - May, 2002 Ellis/PAS Software Development - May, 2002 Complete Ellis/PAS GQL Model - May, 2002 Strategic Initiatives 2003 Ohio Department of Transportation 5

6 Strategic Initiative One Continued RESPONSIBILITY: Assistant Directors Tom McPherson and Cash Misel, Deputy Director Shobna Varma and Capital Program Management Administrator Tony Goddard are the owners of this initiative and will be responsible for its deployment. Other affected ODOT entities include each district s four functional offices, as well as the Central Office Divisions of Information Technology, Planning, Production Management, Finance and Fiscal Forecasting, Highway Management, and Capital Program Managers. GOALS: Phase 1 Completion: Pilot District Deployment and Training in Districts 1 and 8 - June, 2002 (This will provide improved training capabilities for the remaining districts.) Statewide Training (via Train the Trainer method) - August, 2002 Statewide Deployment of Ellis phase 1 September, 2002 District conversion of existing projects to Ellis (+/- 5,500 Projects) - December, 2002 Phase 2: Documentation of Project Management and Scheduling Software needs and associated business rules - July, 2002 (This will provide districts with a more detail-oriented level of program and proactive project administration, including management of required resources.) Implementation to occur by June, Incorporate the District multi-year pavement/bridge and the county annual work plans into Ellis. (Including incorporation of any other management inventory / condition systems.) June, 2003 Directly connect Ellis to the Federal Highway Administration s Accounting System (FMIS) to reduce duplicate entry and improve data coordination - June, 2003 Incorporate new Generally Accepted Standards Board (GASB) accounting standards directly within Ellis - June, 2003 Establish QAR Procedures for Policy and Business Rules - September, 2002 (This will provide assurance the rules are being followed and identify any shortcomings in the new system and possible future Phase needs in Ellis.) 6 Ohio Department of Transportation Strategic Initiatives 2003

7 Strategic Initiative One Continued Complete Quality Assurance Reviews for all 12 Districts - June, 2003 Establish Exception Reports through GQL - October, 2002 Estimated Budget Balance by Program - showing amounts over and under budget Project Manager assigned to each project Right of Way commitment dates on projects, including parcel counts TRAC tier indicators for Major/New Construction funded projects Missing milestone/commitment dates for Major program projects Strategic Initiatives 2003 Ohio Department of Transportation 7

8 Strategic Initiative Two Implement strategies to maximize traffic flow on the state highway system BACKGROUND: Historically, state departments of transportation have had a mission and incumbent processes that focused on the physical condition of infrastructure, with traffic flow in a subordinate role. For many years ODOT followed this model, devising and improving such measures as pavement and bridge conditions, while capacity decisions were made in an unsystematic fashion, and traffic operations decisions were left largely to local public agencies. Like most areas of the country, traffic congestion is becoming a greater concern to the state of Ohio, ranking high in opinion polls as the number one transportation problem. At the same time, analysis found a close relationship between congested freeway segments and traffic crashes, illuminating the cross-cutting nature of these issues. Against this backdrop, though, capacity improvement projects were being advanced on an ad hoc basis and many critical traffic operations functions were left wanting due to the difficult nature of coordination with local agencies. The congestion initiative has helped to fill a critical gap in ODOT planning processes: There is now a congestion management system capable of measuring statewide level of service, and informing capacity and operations decisions. The department now needs to implement strategies and operational approaches to maximize the value of capacity expansions and optimize throughput in congested locations. INTENT: This strategic initiative speaks directly to ODOT s Vision, which states in part, that we will have a projectselection process that is unbiased, balanced and well-planned; and that we will maintain the system to ensure continued high levels of safety and mobility. Such processes are well-established for pavement and bridge conditions, and are now being addressed for traffic flow. Completion of this initiative will provide the department with an objective strategy for addressing the most congested highway segments in Ohio, cross-cutting through major capital programs, department operations activities, and partnerships with local public agencies. The heart of this initiative is a congestion management system, driven by a cyclical assessment of the highway system s level of service. The system identifies a menu of the worst-congested locations in Ohio, which the department will then use to inform capital program development and operations activities. Much of the work will require partnership with local public agencies. In the largest urban areas, metropolitan planning organizations pursue congestion management on a regional level. The department will coordinate its efforts with these organizations to ensure public resources are spent to the greatest effect. Finally, on the most congested segments of the state highway system, ODOT will implement real-time traffic operations and management strategies in order to maximize the throughput of congested corridors. These 8 Ohio Department of Transportation Strategic Initiatives 2003

9 strategies include freeway service patrols and intelligent transportation systems to respond to and quickly clear incidents. The continuation of this strategic initiative will affirm traffic management as a core business function of the department. ACCOMPLISHED TO DATE: In the past two years, the department has completed the following activities in pursuit of this initiative: Created a congestion management system to cyclically measure and report on congestion on the state highway system; Identified congestion on 529 discrete highway segments, and developed preliminary assessment as to the cause and complexity to remedy; Developed a strategic approach for districts to use in addressing congestion in planning, project development, and traffic operations. Rolled out the approach to districts in various forums; Worked with TRAC to develop a criteria for funding intelligent transportation system projects. Developed policy for funding and staffing ITS operations; Researched and reported on best practices in incident management; Received federal approval of freeway reference marker design and developed plan for rollout in RESPONSIBILITY: Strategic Initiative Two Continued Assistant Director Cash Misel and Mobility Program Manager, Howard Wood, will lead this initiative. Illustrating the cross-cutting nature of this initiative, affected work units are: Congestion measurement and forecasting Capital program coordination Local public agency coordination Incident management Freeway service patrols Office of Technical Services; Office of Systems Planning District Planning/Programs; Office of Urban and Corridor Planning; Office of Traffic Engineering District Planning/Programs; Local Public Agencies; Metropolitan Planning Organizations; Office of Urban and Corridor Planning District Highway Management; Office of Maintenance Administration; Office of Traffic Engineering District Highway Management; Office of Maintenance Administration Strategic Initiatives 2003 Ohio Department of Transportation 9

10 Strategic Initiative Two Continued Intelligent transportation systems Snow and ice Access management Maintenance of Traffic Public transportation Office of ITS Program Management; District Planning/ Programs; District Highway Management District Highway Management; Office of Maintenance Administration District Planning/Programs; Office of Urban and Corridor Planning District Production Administrators; Office of Traffic Engineering District Planning/Programs; Office of Public Transportation GOALS: Using the congestion management system, the department will cyclically measure and report on the traffic performance of the state highway system. The system will form a congestion management/ traffic operations strategy. Districts and Central Office will use the congestion management system to formulate work programs, identifying the worst-congested locations to bring before the TRAC for major new program funding, and coordinate major program activities to address capacity improvements in the worstcongested locations in the state. Use the congestion management system to focus resources on district traffic operations activities, such as optimization of signal timing, low-cost capital improvements, pavement marking, lighting and signing. Thus, data from the congestion management system will interface with county work plans for the execution of some of the congestion management strategy. District Highway Management Administrators in urban areas will establish incident management as a core function and develop mechanisms to partner with/report on cooperation of local emergency response agencies. Create criteria for expanding freeway service patrols to other urban counties; complete criteria for funding and staffing the service. Develop detailed project plans for freeway management systems in the worst-congested urban counties, starting with Cuyahoga, Summit and Stark. Partner with local public agencies congestion management efforts, specifically the upgrade and optimization of arterial system operations, and the application of best access management practices. Advance public transportation programs and projects that provide systemic highway demand management and enhance urban form and mobility. 10 Ohio Department of Transportation Strategic Initiatives 2003

11 Strategic Initiative Three Develop a sound, effective crash reporting and analysis system for safety BACKGROUND: Over the past several years, ODOT in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) have identified various problems with obtaining timely, reliable, and comprehensive crash data. These crash statistics and data are crucial for analysis of safety trends and identifying high crash locations. A Safety Charter was established to outline Ohio s safety coordination and commitment during This Charter established a team of State and Federal agencies in Ohio with the common goal of reducing the number and severity of crashes on Ohio s highways. The Charter was signed by ODOT, ODPS, the Ohio Rail Development Commission, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, Federal Highway Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration. Historically, crash information has not been available to ODOT in a timely manner. With this delay between the actual incident and the availability of the information, safety stakeholders often have an excessive wait prior to receiving enough information to identify problem areas. ODPS has established a goal of March 1 to publish the previous year crash statistics. ODOT will need to work with ODPS, OSHP, and FHWA to develop a process which will provide timely crash information to all safety stakeholders. INTENT: The crash system will support information needed to effectively and efficiently reduce the frequency and severity of crashes across Ohio. Resources from ODOT, ODPS and law enforcement agencies can be used to focus on the highest crash sites in Ohio. The crash information as well as systemwide trend analysis will not only be used for the Highway Safety Program prioritization but for all projects and operations throughout the department. Ultimately, the goal of this initiative is to provide the tools and information to evaluate crash information and provide weekly crash trends/crash analysis to report areas of concern to key individuals in the department. This real time information will enable timely evaluation and countermeasure implementation to insure that safety is at the forefront of all of ODOT transportation decisions. It is important the crash information contain accurate location information and be comprehensive of state rural and urban freeways. Accurate location of the crashes is very critical information for proper identification of potentially hazardous locations and for development of countermeasures. The new system should provide law enforcement officers and safety program managers with tools to accurately identify the crash site during crash investigation by latitude and longitude using GPS. Data validation techniques in the system will be critical to provide consistent and reliable data. The system will also need to provide a methodology for safety analysis and trend information in both urban and rural areas. The trend information will delineate areas of concern and identify the most critical areas and types of crashes in the urban and rural areas. Prioritization of high crash locations which warrant further in depth study will be identified to develop safety improvements. Strategic Initiatives 2003 Ohio Department of Transportation 11

12 Strategic Initiative Three Continued RESPONSIBILITY: Assistant Directors Cash Misel and Mary Ellen Kimberlin, Deputy Directors Matt Selhorst and Bill Lozier, Administrators Dave Holstein and Leonard Evans, and Major Program Manager Jennifer Townley will be responsible for the ownership of this initiative. GOALS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR: Partner with ODPS to improve the quality, timeliness, and availability of crash data. A pilot project utilizing hand held palm pilots which will incorporate GPS for location identification will be implemented to establish timely data with location/information validation. A statewide communication plan will be established to foster interagency coordination. Provide the tools and information to evaluate crash information to insure that safety is considered in all of ODOT s decisions. These tools will include such strategies as GQL and the OSHP system of crash data. Standard queries, reports, and mapping will be established and utilized to capture crash trends which promptly identify potential problems. Provide a recommendation for analyzing high crash locations for state urban and rural freeways. Develop safety goals by establishing baseline conditions, thresholds, and performance measures. Monthly, provide crash trend information to key individuals to identify needs, trends which exceed the threshold conditions, and problem areas. Publish an annual report identifying the safety trends, needs, and goals to facilitate decision making for safety within ODOT. Identify, prioritize and implement safety measures for state urban and rural freeways throughout all operational processes. Develop solutions and resources specifically to address identified safety deficiencies. For example, construction work zones shall be monitored for crash patterns to make necessary reductions in crashes and timely changes as needed. GOALS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED LONG TERM: Implement the statewide plan to incorporate the recommended crash reporting analysis system. The reporting system will capture, filter, and report exceptions which will promptly identify system trends and enable the department to react to the real time issues and develop solutions to identified problems. Continue to partner with ODPS to improve the quality, timeliness, and availability of crash data. Ultimately, real time as well as accurate data is a goal to provide the needed crash information to perform the crash analysis. This will include training/communication with local law enforcement agencies to provide strategies to enhance data validation at the local level. Once real time data is available, weekly reports will be generated to provide crash trend information to key individuals and identify needs, trends which exceed the threshold conditions, and problem areas. 12 Ohio Department of Transportation Strategic Initiatives 2003

13 Strategic Initiative Three Continued Evaluate expected benefits of safety improvements against actual benefits realized. This will continuously improve the benefit-cost prioritization process and provide countermeasure evaluation. Strategic Initiatives 2003 Ohio Department of Transportation 13

14 Strategic Initiative Four Update Access Ohio ODOT will define Ohio s long range vision to the year 2030 for its transportation system through the update of ACCESS OHIO, the statewide long-range, multi-modal transportation plan completed in BACKGROUND: ACCESS OHIO, the long range statewide transportation plan was completed in 1995 with the year 2020 as its planning horizon. Since 1995, ODOT has greatly improved its planning and project selection processes which gives the department more insight into its 20-year needs. ODOT has recently improved its forecasting of bridge and pavement needs, it has conducted new corridor analyses, it has forecasted mobility trends and it is addressing traffic operations with intelligent transportation systems and incident management. In addition, the many changes within the state, including increased traffic volumes and changes in population, require an updating of forecasts from INTENT: The update will address changes in traffic volumes, mobility, and population that have occurred since 1995 and that are projected to occur to the year It will incorporate ODOT s recent improved performancemeasure based analysis and forecasting of bridge and pavements conditions, sufficiency analyses, new corridor analyses, freight analysis, congestion analysis, and other system analysis. It will also incorporate the MPO long-range plans and public input. The first five to 10 years of the plan will be clear on the types and locations of the projects ODOT intends to pursue. Many of these projects are currently in the planning stages and will be implemented according to financial resources available. The next 15 to 20 years of the plan will be based on projections in mobility and revenues. However, these projections will be subject to changes in future technology, creating some uncertainty in these projections. Because of these uncertainties that historically occur, the outer years of the plan will be less specific as to project locations and address needs on a corridor or program foundation. The plan will be based on: Findings from a customer survey and other public input which addresses the level of satisfaction and the vision of the public about Ohio s transportation system; 2030 projections on population, traffic volumes, freight movements, pavement and bridge needs, and mobility; Specific quantitative goals for achieving specific performance based conditions by specific dates for pavements, bridges, and related transportation infrastructure; A synopsis of pavement, bridge, mobility, safety, and public needs; A synopsis of urban travel needs; Prioritized needs within and between Macro Corridors; and 14 Ohio Department of Transportation Strategic Initiatives 2003

15 Strategic Initiative Four Continued Financial projections to the year ACCOMPLISHED TO DATE: In FY 2002 technical update advisory teams were established to address all modal areas; developed and agreed to conceptual approach for the Update; identified tasks and time frame for completing the update; hired survey research team and worked with focus groups to conduct customer survey; conducted a customer survey to verify ODOT goals and vision reflect customer goals and vision; based on ODOT s existing bridge and pavements analysis, agreed to performance measures for technical analysis; collected data on existing transportation conditions and developed forecasts; revisited and re-verified the Macro Corridor concept and defined completions; met with the Ohio Rail Development Commission, Ohio Department of Development, Ohio Metropolitan Planning Organizations, the Ohio Ports Council and neighboring states to develop working relationships and identify ways to incorporate their long-range plans into the update; developed financial forecasts for the proposed 30-year life of the plan; began to collect and develop quantitative criteria based on performance measures to use to define methodology to prioritize projects. RESPONSIBILITY: Assistant Director Cash Misel, Deputy Director Matt Selhorst, and Administrator Suzann Gad will be responsible for ownership of this initiative. Affected ODOT Central Office entities include offices of Planning, Production, Local Programs, Finance, and Highway Operations. Other organizations include Ohio Rail Development Commission, Federal Highway Administration, and Metropolitan Planning Organizations. GOALS: This initiative is to develop by the end of FY 2003 a performance based, financially constrained, multimodal transportation plan to the year 2030 to guide and clarify to the public how ODOT prioritizes projects and makes decision about its use of transportation funding and other resources in the future. The update will: Summarize customer s goals and satisfaction and update ACCESS Ohio goals and guiding principles. Result in specific, quantifiable performance goals for achieving a steady state for the system; including incorporating ODOT s system analysis of bridge and pavement needs. Clarify how ODOT selects and prioritizes projects. Define corridor completion and expand macro-corridor concepts and strategies for completion. Identify the critical interstate congested and reconstruction needs. Present financial projections for the coming 20 to 30 years. Strategic Initiatives 2003 Ohio Department of Transportation 15

16 Strategic Initiative Four Continued Identify major projects which can be implemented in the next 5 to 10 years based on these financial constraints. Develop 2030 projections on population, traffic volumes, freight movements, pavement and bridge needs, and mobility. Provide an executive summary about the certainty of the near future (five to 10 years) and its implementable projects and recommended improvements and programs given the uncertainty of years beyond the near future. Review and incorporate urban areas long-range modal plans. Provide a synopsis of bridge, mobility, and safety needs. Prioritized needs within and between Macro Corridors. 16 Ohio Department of Transportation Strategic Initiatives 2003

17 ODOT will enhance its partnership with local governments to improve Ohio s transportation system BACKGROUND: ODOT will work with local governments and other partners to improve the condition of the transportation infrastructure so each federal and state dollar invested results in the greatest system improvement. A world-class transportation system is essential to Ohio s economic health. Key elements to Ohio s transportation network are the local road, bridge, airport and transit systems that link communities to the national transportation system. Dependable local transportation systems are vital to intra and inter-state commerce. The traveling public does not differentiate between local or state ownership of road, bridge, airport or transit systems. People want to get to their destination quickly and efficiently, free of congestion and delays. Manufacturers and retailers require goods to be delivered on time. It is imperative ODOT work with local governments to ensure a seamless transition from and through all modes of local transportation to the national transportation network. Ohio is a home rule state, and as a result, there is no systematic approach to improving the condition of the infrastructure at the local level. Many of the state and federally funded programs for the locals do not have a criteria based project selection process often leading to projects being funded on a first come, first served basis rather than a systematic approach to addressing the worst conditions first. In addition, many locals do not have the technical capabilities to undertake federal projects without assistance. Meeting federal environmental, right of way and procurement regulations can be daunting to an entity who does not perform these functions on a regular basis. The assistance provided to locals by ODOT varies greatly among districts and offices and the locals often fail to deliver their projects on time. INTENT: ODOT will work with local partners to develop an overall strategy to improve the condition of the local road, bridge, airport and transit infrastructure concentrating on project selection and project delivery. RESPONSIBILITY: Strategic Initiative Five This initiative will be led by Assistant Director Cash Misel and Deputy Director Carla Cefaratti. Affected ODOT entities include representatives from Local Projects, Aviation, Transit, Pavement Engineering, Structural Engineering, Planning, Real Estate, Environmental Services and the district offices. Other stakeholders include FHWA, Federal Transit Authority, Federal Aviation Authority, cities, counties, MPOs, transit systems and airport authorities. Strategic Initiatives 2003 Ohio Department of Transportation 17

18 Strategic Initiative Five Continued GOALS: Using the Urban Comparative Analysis of Basic Conditions as a base, prepare a profile of the deficient bridges for each city and county identified in the six urban areas. Identify all bridges with a general appraisal rating of less than or equal to five. In cooperation with each local entity, develop a program to eliminate the deficiencies concentrating on the worst first. Develop a financial plan using existing resources available to the locals. Using the inventory contained in the Bridge Management System (BMS), develop a profile of the bridge and city. Identify strengths and weaknesses of the locals in maintaining their bridges to find benchmarking opportunities. In cooperation with the cities, county engineers, the Ohio Municipal League and the County Engineers Association, develop a criteria based project selection process for the County Bridge Program and the City Bridge Program. Focus will be placed on eliminating the worst bridges first. Using the Urban Comparative Analysis of Basic Conditions as a base, prepare a profile of the deficient pavements on state routes for each city. In cooperation with each city, develop a program to eliminate deficiencies and prolong pavement life through preventative maintenance activities. Develop a financial plan using existing resources available to the locals. Implement a reporting system to track project delivery of aviation and transit projects. Identify and communicate to all participants the roles and responsibilities of the local project sponsor, local planning agency and ODOT Central and district offices in the project development process of all locally sponsored transportation projects. Develop a state of the system analysis for local roads, bridges, airport pavements and transit. Link funding of all local projects to defined deficiencies so each dollar invested results in system improvements. Measure annually the success toward meeting this goal. Identify areas where technical assistance is needed and provide the expertise and training through use of ODOT; FHWA, FTA and FAA staff; LTAP and other training programs. Select three rural counties with no public transit service and work with local elected officials to determine the feasibility of instituting public transit or transportation coordination services. Cash Misel will develop a charter for a multi-disciplined team to take the report of the Urban Comparative Analysis of Basic Conditions, analyze the results and determine how it can best be implemented into ODOT s business practices. 18 Ohio Department of Transportation Strategic Initiatives 2003

19 Strategic Initiative Six ODOT will improve the quality of its construction plans BACKGROUND: With the volume of projects necessary to maintain Ohio s vast highway network it is critical the project development process be as efficient as possible. Modifications to project plans during development, i.e. construction, design, environmental or planning, can be costly and can cause delays as well as disruptions to the traveling public and local communities. The establishment of constructibility reviews will ensure the department s plans provide contractors with clear, concise information that can be used to prepare a competitive, cost effective bid. The constructibility review will be conducted by an ODOT team on all major new, multi-lane and complex projects early in the design stages to ensure the projects are biddable, buildable, and cost effective. The current project development process does not include the concepts of preliminary engineering and value engineering as part of the planning process and to the degree necessary during the environmental clearance process. Routinely, highway project impacts to utilities, right of way acquisitions, traffic impacts and environmental assessment circumstances are poorly defined until the project reaches the later stages of detailed design development. This has resulted in project delays due to late coordination, poor costumer service and insufficient studies of impact areas. Often the project development process is inadequate from a lack of participation by all affected ODOT units. Planning, design, construction, right of way, utilities and operations units all proceed linearly and do not work in a collaborative manner in all stages of plan development. Input from all groups early can avoid problems later in the process. Full circle project development teams are needed to maximize communication and coordination activities, provide a means for inter-discipline learning, take full opportunity of departmental strengths and improve the quality of project scopes, schedules and estimates. RESPONSIBILITY: Assistant Directors Mary Ellen Kimberlin and Cash Misel and Deputy Directors Walid Gemayel and Rand Howard will be responsible for ownership of this initiative. Affected ODOT Central Office entities include: divisions of Construction Management, Contract Administration, Highway Operations, Production Management, Roadway Engineering Services and offices of Construction Administration, Estimating, Structural Engineering, Traffic Engineering, Environmental Services, Real Estate. Also all district Planning, Production, Construction and Maintenance offices. COMPLETED TASKS: The committee reviewed and incorporated the best practices information from the six-state Audit Study as well as use of FHWA findings. Strategic Initiatives 2003 Ohio Department of Transportation 19

20 Strategic Initiative Six Continued The committee developed a tentative 16-step plan delivery process and matrix of activities, products and coordination events for each step of the minor and major process as well as merges the nine-step NEPA process, the five-step planning process, the design process and construction activities into a single and unified process. The committee developed a full circle project development process which implements Constructability Review, Preliminary Engineering and Value Engineering practices as well as an internal communication plan involving all key stakeholders. The committee has began to define and refine the incremental process elements associated with Constructability Review, Preliminary Engineering and Value Engineering. Components of the project development process completed thus far are accepted by FHWA and Regulatory Agencies. 20 Ohio Department of Transportation Strategic Initiatives 2003

21 Strategic Initiative Six Continued GOALS: 2003 Goals: How it will improve ODOT: Date to be Accomplished: Develop Gantt charts for major projects, minor projects (bridge, resurfacing and etc.) and Design Build projects. Determine the effect on staffing and funding for the process. Develop criteria and format to follow when preparing a project Owners Manual. This document would be prepared for individual projects. The information contained within would be added by the process owner as the manual passes from one project development process owner to the next (planning to environmental to engineering to construction to maintenance). Develop a project development process manual. Incorporate Innovative Contracting and Innovative Bridge Construction into the early project decision making. The development of Gantt charts will give a project manager a very good understanding of project length. This is a very valuable management tool that will help communicate agreements made during the development of the project. It will be passed from department to department and in the end reside with the County Manager. Items like the projects scope of work, project development schedules, budget for proposed work, environmental constraints, interchange justification studies, intersection safety studies, local agreements, project intent, underground utility engineering, geotechnical and similar items will assist project development and improve understanding by subsequent process owners. Additionally, preventive maintenance schedules would be included to assist the county manager in developing work plans and budgets. This manual will be used as a training document as well as give definition to the project development process. Incorporating these methods will reduce constructions impact to construction. July 1, 2002 July 26, 2002 July 26, 2002 July 26, 2002 Strategic Initiatives 2003 Ohio Department of Transportation 21

22 Strategic Initiative Six Continued Develop policy for the project development process to be approved by senior leadership. The policy approval will allow this process to become ODOT s way of business. July 26, 2002 Coordinate with speciality offices to begin identifying and revising manuals effected by the Project Development Process All Design Manuals and other documents must be revised to the new way of doing business. September 27, 2002 Develop a training and implementation program. Train and communicate the project development process to internal and external customers. Develop an OPI and QAR to evaluate the process for quality and cost savings benefits. Develop organizational structure suggestions to ensure process success. The training and implementation program is needed to educate the workforce. Training will ensure the uniform usage of the process. OPI and QAR process will modify the process based on best practices as well as ensure statewide uniformity. If the organizational structure hinders the process, the suggested changes may assist the project development. August 30, 2002 December 20, 2002 December 20, 2002 December 20, Ohio Department of Transportation Strategic Initiatives 2003

23 Re-Defining county priorities BACKGROUND: Strategic Initiative Seven Until 2002, ODOT had not defined the core business of its county maintenance operations. With more than half of ODOT s work force in the counties, it was important to define and measure what the counties need to achieve. There were 11 core functions identified and goals were established for minimum performance in each function. Work plans were prepared to guide the counties. At the close of the calendar year 2002, a full year s 100 percent inventory of deficiencies will be logged. The cost of in-house work and contract work to reduce deficiencies and meet the goals will be measured. Each county garage employee will understand that what they do impacts their performance and will be contrasted to the other counties and districts. Best practices can be learned from and shared, and poor performance helped. INTENT: The initiative started as a way to bring focus and direction to the department s county maintenance efforts. The next level of effort moves to management of resources. Each county has a budget for manpower and contract work, and a set of needs. The task now is to build a history of cost information to enable the county managers and highway management administrators to make informed decisions about operations. The decision of what to perform in house versus contracting out should become evident. The activities that are the best use of ODOT s capabilities can be expanded and those things the department does not do very well can be improved. Decisions about equipment purchases, staffing, down to how to staff each daily activity will be impacted. The county work plan establishes core business functions for the counties and provides a tool for allocating capital and maintenance resources. Goals and standards are set for minimum conditions of selected roadway maintenance items. ACCOMPLISHED TO DATE: The Maintenance Quality Survey (MQS) now measures 100 percent system deficiency categories that correspond to the county work plan activities and OPI goals. A rolling four-quarter update and tabulation gives annual reporting capability to measure trends. Each county prepared a county annual work plan that was reviewed by the Division of Highway Operations in Central Office. District visits were conducted to share information about goals and expectations. County deficiency maps were generated to give a visual representation of where the deficiencies are. Collaboration was established between the areas of planning and highway management for contract work. Strategic Initiatives 2003 Ohio Department of Transportation 23

24 Strategic Initiative Seven Continued Improved understanding was instilled to the county work force of importance of maintenance activities and how they relate to the success of the county. RESPONSIBILITY: Assistant Director Mary Ellen Kimberlin and Deputy Director Bill Lozier are responsible for this initiative. Others affected are Highway Management, Planning and Production in the districts. GOALS: The Foreman s TMS Manual updated for codes and data entry requirements. Evaluate accomplishment of goals from Evaluate the cost of achieving those goals. Benchmark best practices. Improve poor performance. Deploy Quarterly Work Plan Report and TMS report. Evaluate goals at end of FY2003 to revise if necessary. Evaluate methods of providing more timely data collection of deficiencies and improvements. 24 Ohio Department of Transportation Strategic Initiatives 2003

25 Strategic Initiative Eight Continue to improve snow and ice control BACKGROUND: Snow and Ice Control is a core business function for ODOT. Enhancing operations was an initiative in 2001 also. Each year the department gets closer to achieving the goal of anticipating the winter weather events and getting ahead of them with new materials and technology to keep the roads safe and clear. In 2002, ODOT moved toward a pre-treatment philosophy in response to the largely positive results of pilot efforts using brine. Storm tracking with the aid of pavement sensors and mini weather stations placed strategically around the state can give vital information to the counties to maximize their resources of time and materials. Advances in equipment monitors will enable the snow plow truck drivers to be more effective in treating the roads. A large cost of snow and ice control is dead-head time where a truck must return empty to a yard to refill. Optimizing truck routing can save time and money for districts. The past initiatives have identified best practices and pilot projects. The new initiative will be execution and validation of the previous work. INTENT: Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of ODOT s snow and ice control operations must continue each year. By taking advantage of new technologies, the department will be a national leader in the practice. ACCOMPLISHMENT TO DATE: Implemented a material matrix expressing the relationship between pavement temperature and precipita tion. Implemented a pre-treatment plan to apply salt brine twice weekly on priority system. Determined critical information for operational decision including: surface condition, material freeze point, precipitation type/amount, wind direction/speed and air temperature. Developed a plan to deploy pavement sensors along the interstate system and weather systems at county garages not along interstate system. Drafted a plan to display information from weather and pavement sensor on statewide maps. Performed research to determine most appropriate pavement sensors to measure freeze point. Evaluated computer truck routing software for route optimization. Software modification needed to handle multiple salt locations. Established base line parameters for application rates, travel speed, and cycle time for evaluation. Developed draft process for long-range planning from the computer truck routing parameters. Strategic Initiatives 2003 Ohio Department of Transportation 25

26 Strategic Initiative Eight Continued Snow and ice procedures will be included in the new Maintenance Manual being developed. Developed equipment evaluation forms and process. Developed an equipment matrix listing basic units and auxiliary equipment. Testing friction device to monitor surface conditions. Purchasing a salinity device to mount on truck to determine surface freeze conditions. Evaluating Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) device to track vehicle location, monitor material application, and record operational information. RESPONSIBILITY: Assistant Director Mary Ellen Kimberlin and Deputy Director Bill Lozier will have the responsibility for this initiative. Affected entities include District Highway Management, and Equipment and Facilities areas. GOALS: Validate material matrix and pre-treatment plan including research for pre-treatment effectiveness. Deploy pavement sensors and weather devices statewide. Develop enhanced OTIS application to display pavement and weather information. Coordinate snow and ice operations through Central Radio Center for weather bulletins and condition alerts. Implement computer truck routing process and resource planning procedure for equipment and facility location, as well as staffing. 26 Ohio Department of Transportation Strategic Initiatives 2003

27 Strategic Initiative Nine Build bridges faster, smarter, better BACKGROUND: ODOT is committed to improving maintenance of traffic during construction projects. Ohio has the 10 th largest highway network, the fifth largest volume of traffic, the fourth largest interstate network, the fourth largest amount of freight shipments, and the second largest bridge inventory in the nation. When Ohio s transportation system is under construction, customer impacts are great. In the interest of continually improving the department s customer service, length of duration of construction projects is being closely examined. As ODOT reconstructs the states aging interstate system, the one activity that hinders speedy execution of a project is the bridge construction element. Considering Ohio has the second largest bridge inventory in the nation, the department should be one of the best and most innovative in bridge design and construction. Many advances have been made in the bridge design and construction field, and this initiative is intended to canvass the country for best practices working with the design and construction industries and FHWA to bring back ideas to incorporate into ODOT s standards. There are several techniques that will be analyzed including prefabricated bridges, precast deck panels, stay in place forms, high performance materials, and contractual time constraints. INTENT: This initiative will result in a tool box of techniques that can be applied to projects early in the design process to reduce the length of time it takes to construct a bridge, thereby shortening the overall time of construction. ACCOMPLISHED TO DATE: Literature Search: Complete Cost and feasibility information: Will be complete for pilot projects June Identify pilot projects: Will be complete by June Develop best practice guidelines: Modifications to standard drawings and design standards to start development by June Preliminary Development stage completed by June RESPONSIBILITY: Assistant Director Mary Ellen Kimberlin, and Deputy Director Bill Lozier will be responsible for ownership of this initiative. Divisions impacted include Highway Operations, Production Management, Construction Management, and District Production. Strategic Initiatives 2003 Ohio Department of Transportation 27

28 Strategic Initiative Nine Continued 2003 GOALS: Manage pilot projects and research quality, time savings, and cost for each. Incorporate strategy into Plan Quality Strategic Initiative and train districts and consultants. Develop quality assurance reviews to ensure compliance and refine strategy. Report on successes and failures and recommend policy. No new initiative proposed. 28 Ohio Department of Transportation Strategic Initiatives 2003

29 Strategic Initiative Ten Improve construction administration BACKGROUND: ODOT has been downsized, re-engineered, and reorganized over the past decade. At the same time, the traveling public has demanded improvements that minimize impacts to the highway users during construction. In order to meet the challenges, ODOT teamed with FHWA and selected six states to seek out innovative practices. Various filters were used in screening out the best practices including: Impact the practice has on quality. Effectiveness of the practice. Cost of the practice compared to its benefit How readily the practice could be implemented. Was the practice common in the other state Was the practice truly different, or just a variation of another practice already in use. There were 37 best practices were identified, and 2002 Strategic Initiatives 7 through 10 were developed from these. The first initiative developed from the six-state study and identified in the 2002 Strategic Initiatives, was Initiative 7 Improving ODOT s Construction Administration Practices. It was determined in the study ODOT had a very good Construction Management System (CMS). Costs for construction engineering were among the lowest in the group, which indicates efficiency. The use of 1,000-hour transfers was considered innovative and a best practice because of the flexibility it offers seasonally. An area that needed improvement was the amount of training and professional development offered for construction personnel. The project inspector series does not have qualification and experience levels required for certification. There is no clear career ladder for the construction technician. There is not consistent effective administration of construction contracts statewide. The second initiative identified in the 2002 Strategic Initiatives was Initiative 8 the Way ODOT Tests and Accepts Materials. The study confirmed ODOT had out of date processes. By performing all the process monitoring, sampling, and verification of materials, ODOT is responsible for all phases of the approval process. Other states and private organizations have relied upon a Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QC/ QA) process. The supplier s process and source are approved, then monitored randomly for compliance. The third initiative from 2002, Initiative 9 Innovative Contracting related to bridges many areas of plan development and execution. The other states that were reviewed had a toolbox of contractual devices to Strategic Initiatives 2003 Ohio Department of Transportation 29