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Introduction to State Departments of Transportation (DOTs)

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Kristen Z, Transportation Planner

[<3 Minute Read]

What are State Departments of Transportation (DOTs)?

Each state in the country has a Department of Transportation (DOT) as part of its executive branch.  DOTs were established shortly after the federal-level Department of Transportation was established in 1967. One of the first responsibilities of the state-level DOTs was to partner with the federal DOT in constructing and planning the U.S. Interstate system.  Over time, most state DOTs diversified and added other forms of transportation to their original highway focus.

What Function do State DOTs Serve?

Most state DOTs participate in some level with current forms of transportation planning including roads, bicycle/pedestrian, rail, water and air transportation. They also participate in studying emerging forms of transportation like electric and autonomous vehicles.  State DOTs own and operate the state highway network, including U.S. Interstates, U.S. Highways and State Highways.  They administer state and federal transportation funding programs, and participate in planning, designing, and constructing the state transportation network.  As a cabinet agency in the executive branch of state governments, State DOTs rely on policy and funding direction set by State Legislatures. 

What Issues do State DOTs Tackle?

State DOTs are currently facing several emerging issues, including expanding from an exclusive focus on mobility and highways for gas and diesel-powered vehicles to include additional modes of transportation and additional vehicle fuels and technologies.  In addition, state DOTs are facing aging infrastructure and an aging workforce retiring with institutional knowledge.

What Role Do DOTs Play in Transportation Decision Making at the Metropolitan Level?

State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) play a significant role in transportation decision making at the metropolitan level.  DOTs often initiate and fund some of the largest projects in metropolitan regions – especially projects involving the state highway system.  In order to prioritize projects, DOTs develop long-range and short-range plans covering transportation across the entire state. 

Who Coordinates with DOTs?

Within each metropolitan region, DOTs often coordinate with local governments and/or regional planning organizations called Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to prioritize transportation projects and transportation services within the metropolitan region.  State DOTs often have their own systems for prioritizing projects for design and for construction and weigh engineering, economic development, and other local support factors while prioritizing.  DOTs must consider the needs of the entire state system while evaluating candidate projects in metropolitan areas and balance the needs of the metropolitan areas with the needs of rural areas and interstate traffic.   

Finally, DOTs also often have pass-through programs where they share/award a portion of their State and/or Federal funding to projects serving specific modes of transportation (e.g., rail, air, bike/pedestrian, transit) or to specific areas of the state (e.g, bridges in rural areas or school safety projects).  Each state must comply with federal funding program eligibility rules but also retain discretion on decision making in terms of specific projects and funding sources.

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Introduction to Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs)

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Kristen Z, Transportation Planner

[<3 Minute Read]

What are Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs)?

Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) are organizations that plan the transportation system in individual metropolitan areas in the United States.  They develop strategic priorities for the transportation system, write short-term and long-term transportation plans and make decisions on how to best allocate federal, state and local tax dollars across the metro transportation system. Recognizing the economic importance of metropolitan areas to the nation’s economy, MPOs were first put in place by federal legislation in the late 1970s to address transportation issues and needs that cross jurisdictional boundaries of local governments.

What Function Do MPOs Serve?

MPOs strive to make improvements in safety, modernize the transportation system, make transportation accessible to more people, contribute to larger societal goals and strategically expand the local transportation system.  MPOs plan, program and fund a variety of projects including reconstructing highway interchanges and arterial corridors, replacing public transit buses and building new bike/pedestrian facilities.  Currently, typical issues that MPOs are handling include preparing for a new federal infrastructure bill, developing and carrying out performance-based planning and balancing traditional needs, including balancing highway preservation with building bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.

What Type Of Staff Work At MPOs?

While they are often also staffed by professional transportation planners, administrative staff and managers, MPOs are typically composed of their Boards of Directors, which are composed of elected officials from area local governments, the State Department of Transportation and other owners/operators of public transportation networks or services.

Where Are MPOs Located?

Typically, MPOs are housed in larger Councils of Governments (COGs) or Regional Council (RC) organizations. MPOs are located in all major metropolitan areas in the United States. They are required to exist in metropolitan regions larger than 50,000 people in population and have existed for over 40 years. Since their existence, the focus of MPOs has varied depending on the needs and interests of the region.

Who Works Within MPOs?

Since MPOs plan for transportation systems that are composed of individual networks owned and operated by individual cities, counties, states and other governmental entities, there is a significant amount of coordination with local governments and engagement with stakeholders and the general public.

What Role Do MPOs Play in Transportation Decision Making at the Metropolitan Level?

MPOs play a significant role in transportation planning and decision making at the metropolitan area level.  Their long-range plans, called Metropolitan Transportation Plans (MTP), serve as the official source for transportation investment in metropolitan areas.  Federal legislation allocates a portion of the larger federal transportation funding programs to large MPOs (MPOs that serve regions populated by over 200,000 people), providing these MPOs with the responsibility to decide which projects will receive the federal funding.  Since MPOs receive federal funding for operations, MPOs often conduct studies and data collection efforts that address priority focus areas such as technology, safety, congestion or walkability.

As part of their plans, MPOs often include projects planned for the regional transportation system that are funded by local governments. Additionally, State DOTs are required to include their capital projects in MPOs’ plans, which are subject to approval by the MPO Board.  MPOs serve as the exclusive hub for coordinating transportation decision-making, prioritizing and planning the metropolitan transportation system and producing productive working relationships among local governments, the State DOT, and any other public owner/operator of a transportation system or service, such as a public transit provider.

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Federal Transportation Industry – Series Introduction

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Kristen Z, Transportation Planner

[<1 Minute Read]

We are excited to introduce a new blog series focused on Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and how EcoInteractive’s Project Tracking Software supports these important organizations.  Since our software supports the planning functions of MPOs and DOTs, we have become experts in the inner workings of MPOs and DOTs and we would like to share our knowledge with our readers!  It is our hope that increased knowledge about the 5Ws (Who, What, When, Where and Why) about MPOs and DOTs will help connect the dots regarding how they shape transportation networks and services in cities across the country.

Loved this post and want to learn more? Check out what we’ve done for some of our customers and see how transformative a modern database can be when it comes to managing transportation data!

How Will Buttigieg Impact Transportation Policy?

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[10 minute read]

Former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg was nominated to be Secretary of Transportation on December 15, 2020. From recent public statements and prior policy vision expressed during his presidential campaign – there is much we can learn about Buttigieg’s expected policy directions should his confirmation be successful. 

As head of the USDOT, and Biden’s leading advocate for infrastructure spending bills on Capitol Hill – Buttigieg’s policy agenda can have a significant impact on future investment priorities for transportation improvement programs (TIP).

We conclude key takeaways for transportation planners at DOTs, MPOs and other transportation agencies on what policy changes may come under Buttigieg. 

Four Pillars of Transportation Infrastructure Policy

Since his nomination on December 15, Buttigieg has repeatedly stated four key pillars of transportation policy: jobs, climate change, equity and safety: 

  • Expand Transportation Infrastructure Spending to Support Job Creation

Buttigieg sees infrastructure spending as an economic enabler for immediate employment relief to millions of people facing distress from the pandemic. 

He has recently discussed with Senator Schumer an extensive $1 trillion transportation infrastructure proposal that includes aid for state and local governments, and federal relief to hard-hit aviation and public transit agencies. Just last year, he called for fortification of the underfunded Highway Trust Fund, which provides significant federal funding to transportation improvement programs across every state in the country. 

We expect the transportation secretary nominee to be a strong proponent of expanding federal infrastructure spending as an investment in job growth. 

  • Demonstrate Projects’ Role in Expanding Access to Jobs 

In his presidential campaign, Buttigieg advocated for requiring states, MPOs and other federal grant recipients to demonstrate how their transportation projects improve access to jobs and services. The former South Bend mayor previously led a Complete Streets project in downtown South Bend that combined infrastructure changes with economic development by introducing new anchor office tenants who’d bring new jobs to downtown South Bend. 

Public transportation improvement projects that can connect communities to new/existing centers of employment clusters may find greater priority or opportunities for federal funding. 

Planners may see an additional category of Performance Measures on promoting job access through infrastructure improvement projects if they seek federal funding. 

  • Green Infrastructure and Social Justice

If Buttigieg’s past comments are indications of what’s to come, social and environmental justice will feature highly as priorities of federally-sponsored projects under his leadership:

Buttigieg has been critical of transportation infrastructure examples that disproportionately disempowered minority communities. He championed greater investments in alternative transportation modal options such as public transit, bike and pedestrian paths to promote more equitable access to transportation and job opportunities, as well as tools for reducing carbon emissions. During his presidential campaign, Buttigieg proposed significantly increasing funding for the Federal Transit Administration to fund public transit projects. 

He also proposed switching to vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax vs. the current gas use tax as a means to fund the perennially troubled Highway Trust Fund account. Experts believe a VMT tax would be successful in disincentivizing driving if properly priced, and steer transportation choices towards greener options such as public transit vs. driving. 

In addition to the greater importance of meeting Title VI requirements, transportation improvement plans with projects seeking federal funding may be expected to demonstrate greater social justice commitments, greater public engagement with potentially impacted communities, and greater reductions in carbon emissions. 

  • Prioritize Maintenance Over New Roads

The former South Bend mayor publicly endorsed prioritizing infrastructure maintenance in transportation improvement program funding. In his presidential campaign, Buttigieg outlined a proposed requirement for states to demonstrate planning on preventative maintenance projects – before they’re allowed to build new or wider highways with federal funding. 

Expect greater federal emphasis and scrutiny on adequate planning for preventative maintenance projects in transportation improvement plans seeking federal funding.

  • Safety and Vision Zero 

Buttigieg has repeatedly stated a need to eliminate traffic deaths and pedestrian fatalities in the country. During the pandemic, rates of car crashes have unfortunately increased due to higher driving speeds on emptier roads. 

Buttigieg proposed a policy goal of Vision Zero during his presidential campaign – setting a goal of zero traffic fatalities. Currently, states are able to set fatality goals at a target that demonstrates progress – but not necessarily at zero. 

Through his ability to control allocations of discretionary grant funding as head of USDOT – Buttigieg may seek to implement more strict requirements on demonstrating progress on safety records or safer project designs in order to receive federal funding for certain federal programs. 

Safety is one of the federal Performance Measures that transportation planners are required to incorporate in transportation improvement plans. It is possible for FHWA to accelerate the timeline states have to achieve zero traffic deaths under Buttigieg. It is also possible that additional discretionary federal funding will be made available to specifically support projects prioritizing aggressive safety targets. 

Looking Ahead

While Buttigieg’s policy agenda will be shaped by viewpoints from the Biden-Harris administration – it is clear from his nomination illustrates that he shares similar beliefs with Biden in the role and direction of federal policy in advancing our critical infrastructure. 

Transportation planners would benefit from taking early notes on potential changes to future federal policies when evaluating how best to maximize federal funding for transportation improvement programs.

The Evolution of Running an Errand – and Its Impact on the Future of Transportation

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[5 Minute Read]

We have all participated in some form of buying groceries, grabbing lunch, picking up a birthday gift and/or making a Costco run. In recent years, we have witnessed the disruption of these traditional everyday activities. Our ability to purchase items online and receive them within hours rather than days has redefined our definition of running an errand. 

The resulting shift in consumer behavior has continued to impact the demand on express delivery options. The coronavirus pandemic has only increased this demand according to research from Edison Trends, which studies anonymized and aggregated e-receipts from millions of U.S. consumers.

This increased consumer demand for speed and convenience has required various industries including e-commerce, retail, pharma, food and grocery to be more agile and evolve their supply chain operations. The adoption of the Hub and Spoke Distribution Model, and the use of independent contractors as last mile carriers, who use personal vehicles to transport goods are examples of this evolution.

Our transportation system can be directly impacted by these changing trends. A number of challenges come to the forefront for policy makers, responsible agencies and transportation planning in general For example, Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) will need to consider the increased daily truck traffic generated from these distribution centers being located in urban locations and the corresponding employee commuter impact on congestion. In addition, the increased consumer adoption of express delivery options coupled with strategically located package delivery lockers could result in the reduction of consumer shopping trips. Noncommercial vehicles being used for commercial delivery will impact trip generation, distribution and assignment. As a result, travel demand models will need to account for these shifts in behavior.

Transportation planners designing a vision that supports the future of life for the next 20, 30 years will need to create a system supporting the changing distribution of vehicle types and density from the proliferation of e-commerce delivery. 

Have a question or comment? We’d love to hear from you. You can reach us at [email protected].

CARES ACT – Direct Federal Aid for New Digital Solutions Promoting Telework

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[10 Minute Read]

Through the 2020 CARES Act, the federal government has set aside $150 billion in the Coronavirus Relief Fund for much-needed direct federal assistance to state and local governments to address challenges from COVID-19. Agencies looking to transition to digital solutions to support safe, effective telework and remote collaboration have been able to access the emergency relief funds for federal support to fund new technology solutions.

In this blog post, we’ll cover 1) a high-level overview of the Coronavirus Relief Fund, 2) examples of state governments successfully accessing funds for software expenditures that promote remote collaboration, and 3) individual states’ guidelines for directing relief fund allocations.

Coronavirus Relief Fund: High-Level Spending Guidelines

Each state receives a minimum allocation of $1.25 billion, with actual allocations varying by state and outlined in this Treasury document.

Three main principles qualify expenditures, which must be:

  • Directly related to COVID-19
  • Not accounted for in budget approved prior to March 27, 2020, and
  • Incurred between March 1, 2020 and December 30, 2020

At the time of this blog post, less than 3 months remain until expenditures can be incurred for emergency relief fund. As of August 24, 2020, the level of expenditure activity varied greatly across each state – ranging anywhere from only 0.2% of total allocations spent in Alabama to 74.5% spent by California. Click here to see how much your state has spent its share of allocated relief fund as of August 24, 2020.

Many states have not spent the majority of their relief fund allocations – providing both opportunity and urgency for state and local governments to quickly move forward identified expenditure needs before December 30, 2020.

We maintain the view that Congress will extend the last expenditure date beyond December 30, 2020. Many state governments have yet to spend most of their allocated funds, and states will continue to grapple with public health and fiscal fallout from COVID-19 well into 2021. However, it would be prudent for agencies to plan without expectations of an extension, and expedite requests for expenditure needs in the remaining months of 2020 to advance much needed projects.

Utilizing Relief Funds to Transition to Digital Solutions That Accelerate Telework and Remote Collaboration

One of the eligible expenses stated under the Coronavirus Relief Fund is “Expenses to improve telework capabilities for public employees to enable compliance with COVID-19 public health precautions”:

Many government agencies have accelerated plans to adopt new digital technology solutions that enable effective remote work for public employees to facilitate safe, social-distancing during the pandemic.

Software solutions that help agencies conduct workflows digitally, collaborate remotely with internal and external stakeholders on the cloud, and provide more information to the public digitally are helping agencies transform their workforce and workflows to better adapt to COVID-19 and evolving future needs.

With the Coronavirus Relief Funds, state and local agencies are able to access direct federal aid to help fund important digital transitions. Successful examples are:

Details on State-Level Implementation of Relief Funds

Every state is making relief funds accessible to any state and local agencies that meet federal guidelines for eligible expenditures, as well as its own state agenda if one exists.  

Each state has devised guidelines for how its relief funds will be disbursed, what authority will be approving, disbursing and overseeing payment of funds in which manner. A complete list of each state’s guidelines for relief funds allocation can be found here. Examples of these are:

For transportation planners looking to transition to new digital solutions that support remote collaboration and telework, we strongly urge you to act now to explore options within your state for accessing remaining federal relief funds to support these important transitions.  

Have a question or comment? We’d love to hear from you. You can reach us at [email protected].

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