The Imperial DOT Deathstar Is Rebel Rell’s Target
This is major, major news. Governor Rell has announced that the DOT will be split into two departments, Highways and Mass Transportation, effective Jan 1, 2010. For “gubermint” this is bold, bold, bold. And much needed.
The reconfiguration will be effective Jan. 1, 2010, said Robert L. Genuario, secretary of the office of policy and management.
Rell made the announcement Wednesday morning, shortly before she was to unveil her midterm budget adjustments.
Genuario said “The old DOT has become too bureaucratic, too inefficient and too single-minded in its approach to problem solving.”
“Bold reforms are necessary if citizens are to obtain a level of transportation services to which they are entitled and if the state is to realize intended results of initiatives adopted over the past three years,” Genuario said.
As recommended by a commission studying DOT reforms, Rell is proposing the creation of a chief operating officer position, that would accountable to the commissioner, to oversee day-to-day DOT operations.
Rell also proposed the creation of a DOT office of strategic planning and evaluation to oversee a long-term, comprehensive and strategic vision. In addition, Rell called for the implementation of a “511″ system that would allow the public to get timely, accurate and reliable travel information by phone.
The governor also called for a DOT citizen representative that would monitor feedback from the public on transportation issues.
Splitting the department helps Connecticut focus on the duality of missions here. One is roads, which is what the DOT has been (mis)managing for years. A singular focus may improve things there, but the the devil will be in the details. A focus on mass transportation, is sorely needed. To start with, every train station in the state needs to focus on improved commutability within urban, commercial or corporate areas. Airlines have long understood the economic benefits of hub and spoke systems to move people efficiently. In Connecticut we like the silly string theory of connecting commuters on the rails to other parts.
Looking out 20- to 30 years or so, we can see the renaissance of Connecticut’s urban cores. Being able to park and ride to work or recreational destinations is the right direction. It’s about time a governmental agency will focus exclusively on how to make that happen. A danger that I see will be the usual upstate versus downstate bias that hampers real economic development. We don’t need to be subsidizing sprawl in say, Shelton, at the expense of economic revitalization of Stamford, Norwalk and Bridgeport.
source: Courant Rell Announces Plan To Disband DOT, By GARY LIBOW, February 6, 2008
