29-Nov-10
1
Transportation-hearing
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FY 2011-12 JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE HEARING AGENDA
Monday, November 29, 2010 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Note: The Department of Transportation gives an oral presentation at the annual hearing with the Joint Budget Committee. The following questions should be answered in writing and addressed through the Department’s presentation at the hearing. QUESTIONS COMMON TO ALL DEPARTMENTS
- 1. Please identify your department’s three most effective programs and your department’s
three least effective programs, and explain why you identified them as such. How do your most effective programs further the department’s goals? What recommendations would you make to increase the effectiveness of the three least effective programs?
- 1. Safety Initiatives (Effective)
Providing a safe and secure transportation system to the traveling public is among the Department of Transportation (CDOT)’s highest priorities. The mission of CDOT’s Safety programs is to reduce the incidence and severity of motor vehicle crashes and the associated human and economic loss. In 2009, 464 people were killed in traffic crashes in Colorado, a 15 percent decline from 2008. 2009 marked the first time fatalities dropped below 500 since 1988 when 497 people were killed. Colorado has experienced a steady decline in motor vehicle fatalities since a recent peak of 743 deaths in 2002, despite an increase of nearly 4,200 million vehicle miles traveled in 2008 compared to 2002. Colorado’s reduction in motor vehicle fatalities over the past decade has been among the best in the nation and stands as one of the Department’s proudest accomplishments.
- 2. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) (Effective)
Intelligent Transportation Systems describes an array of advanced transportation technologies and information processing techniques used internationally to increase the convenience of transportation systems. These smart systems, both rural and urban, are being adopted throughout the world; in Colorado by CDOT, and by regional and local transportation agencies across the state. Recognizing that Colorado does not have the funding to build its way out of congestion, ITS is an essential tool for monitoring the state transportation system in order to keep motorists well informed on traffic and road surface conditions and in order to deploy Departmental resources in a targeted manner to keep the system safe, convenient, and open.
- 3. Surface Treatment / Pavement Management (Partly Effective, Partly Ineffective)