Revisions to RCW 47.01.012 Create New "Policy Goals"
Overview
As a result of amendments made to RCW 47.01.012 during the 2007 Legislative Session, WSDOT will no longer report on the Transportation Benchmarks in the Gray Notebook as it has annually between 2003 and 2006. The Legislature replaced the requirement of WSDOT reporting annually on the Transportation Benchmarks with a newly created biennial report on the attainment of five policy goals. An electronic version of the legislation ammending the benchmarks is available here as a PDF (77kb).
In 2005, a legislatively-created transportation audit board reviewed transportation statues, benchmarks, and other investment criteria with the goal of simplifying WSDOT’s numerous investment instructions and reporting requirements. These include nine Statewide Transportation Benchmarks, the Governor’s Priorities of Government–based budgeting, Performance Auditing, Government Management Accountability Program (GMAP) reporting and legislatively mandated capital investment criteria.
The 2005 study recommended a model based on the state of Maryland, which requires a 20–year plan based on goals and objectives that are linked to an annual consolidated transportation plan. The annual plan includes six–year listing of programs and projects, and an annual report on the attainment of transportation goals and benchmarks. More information on Maryland's Attainment Report and other performance reports are available at WSDOT's Transportation Performance Measures Library.
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New Policy Goals:
The 2007 Legislature implemented the study’s recommendations, and repealed the existing nine transportation benchmarks and established five policy goals that did not codify specific benchmarks and performance measures. The state’s policy goals for the planning, operation, performance of, and investment in, the state’s transportation system are as follow:
Preservation: to maintain, preserve, and extend the life and utility of prior investments in transportation systems and services;
Safety: to provide for and improve the safety and security of transportation customers and the transportation system;
Mobility: to improve the predictable movement of goods and people throughout Washington State;
Environment: to enhance Washington’s quality of life through transportation investments that promote energy conservation, enhance healthy communities, and protect the environment; and
Stewardship: to continually improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the transportation system.
The legislation directs the Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) to establish objectives and performance measures for state transportation agencies for these goals, and submit an attainment report to the Legislature and the Governor. The initial set of objectives and measures for these five policy goals, and the first baseline report are due in December of 2007. Beginning in October 2008, the report is to be submitted on a biennial basis, and must describe the degree to which state transportation projects and programs attained the policy goals.
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Where to Find Current Performance Information:
This new process has not reduced the number of performance mandates WSDOT has to respond to, but it is an important improvement over the previous statutory benchmarking process. The new law no longer codifies specific benchmarks and performance measures, but instead allows for an iterative process to be refined over time. Subjects that would have been covered under the previous Benchmarks requirements continue to be reported on in the Gray Notebook, and are also available by performance measure in the Gray Notebook Subject Index.
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