Oklahoma Department of Transportation
| Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) | |
|---|---|
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| Seal of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation | |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1976 |
| Preceding Agency | Oklahoma Department of Highways |
| Headquarters | 200 NE 21st Street Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Employees | 2,850 (FY10) |
| Annual budget | $1.7 billion (FY10) |
| Minister responsible | Gary Ridley[1], Secretary of Transportation |
| Agency executive | Gary Ridley, Director |
| Parent Agency | Oklahoma Transportation Commission |
| Website | |
| Oklahoma Department of Transportation | |
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) is an agency of the government of Oklahoma responsible for the construction, maintenance, and regulation the use of the state's transportation infrastructure. Under the leadership of the Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation, the Department maintains public infrastructure that includes rail lines, state highways, state seaports and state airports. Along with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, the Department is the primary infrastructure construction and maintenance agency of the State.[2]
ODOT is led by a State Transportation Commission, composed of nine members appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma with the approval of the Oklahoma Senate. The Commission in turn appoints a Director, who serves as the executive head of the Department. The current Director of ODOT is Gary Ridley who also serves as the Secretary of Transportation, as appointed by Governor Brad Henry in 2009.
The Department was created in 1976 during the term of Governor David L. Boren.[2] It superseded the Department of Highways, which was established in 1911.
The Department of Transportation's mission statement is "The mission of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation is to provide a safe, economical and effective transportation network for the people, commerce and communities of Oklahoma."[1]
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[edit] History
The predecessor agency to ODOT was the Department of Highways, which began operations in 1911, four years after Oklahoma statehood. The Department of Highways, consisting of four employees, was given an initial budget of $3,700.[3] The state's first 29 numbered highways were commissioned on August 29, 1924.[4] As of May 1, 1926, the state highway system consisted of 3,682 miles (5,926 km) of graded dirt roads (72% of the system), 832 miles (1,339 km) of gravel roads (16%), and 634 miles (1,020 km) of paved roads, for a total system length of 5,148 miles (8,285 km).[5] By March 1, 1930, the department name had been modified slightly to simply the Oklahoma Department of Highways.[6]
In 1976, the Oklahoma Legislature restructured the Department of Highways as an overall coordinating agency for the state’s highways, railways and waterways and renamed to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
[edit] Overview
The Department of Transportation is primarily funded by motor vehicle fuel taxes, legislative appropriations, and a return of federal matching dollars from the Federal Highway Trust Fund. ODOT’s annual budget of both federal and state funds is applied to highway construction and maintenance activities, railways, waterways, public rural transit programs and administration statewide. While the primary business is construction and maintenance of the state’s highways, the agency also promotes intermodal transportation such as railroads and waterways.
As of 2011, ODOT is responsible for the maintenance of 6,800 bridges and 31,000 lane-miles (49,890 lane-km) of road throughout the state. Of this, over 12,000 lane-miles (19,312 lane-km) are Interstate highways. In 2010, ODOT assessed approximately 750 of its bridges as being structurally deficient. The Department also owns 850 miles (1,370 km) of railway.[3]
[edit] Leadership
The Transportation Department is under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation. Under Governor of Oklahoma Mary Fallin, Gary Ridley is serving as the Cabinet Secretary.
The Oklahoma Transportation Commission is the governing body of the Department. The Governor of Oklahoma, with the approval of the Oklahoma Senate, appoints the members of the eight-member Commission. It is then the duty of the Commission to establish Departmental policies and to appoint the Director of the Department. The members each represent one of the eight geographic districts corresponding with ODOT’s eight field divisions. The Governor serves as an ex officio member of the Commission, but may only vote to break a tie.
The current members of the Commission are as follows:[7]
- Governor Mary Fallin, ex officio
- District 1: Mr. John Fidler
- District 2: Mr. J. David Burrage, Vice Chairman
- District 3: Mr. Dan B. Overland
- District 4: Mr. Greg Love, Chairman
- District 5: Mr. Todd Huckabay, Secretary
- District 6: Mr. Bruce Benbrook
- District 7: Mr. Bobby J. Alexander
- District 8: Mr. Peter J. Regan
[edit] Organization
- Cabinet Secretary
- Transportation Commission[8]
- Director
- Deputy Director / Chief Engineer
- Assistant Chief Engineer / Director of Engineering
- Right of Way Division
- Legal Division
- Bridge Division
- Roadway Division
- Traffic Engineering Division
- Environmental Programs Division
- Roadway Division
- Survey Division
- Planning and Research Division
- Rail Programs Division
- Transit Programs Division
- Waterways Division
- Assistant Chief Engineer / Director of Operations
- Maintenance Division
- Construction Division
- Materials Division
- Office Engineer Division
- Field Divisions[9]
- Division 1 - Muskogee
- Division 2 - Antlers
- Division 3 - Ada
- Division 4 - Perry
- Division 5 - Clinton
- Division 6 - Buffalo
- Division 7 - Duncan
- Division 8 - Tulsa
- Assistant Chief Engineer / Director of Engineering
- Deputy Director / Chief Engineer
- Deputy Director / Chief Financial Officer
- Director of Capital Programs
- Technology Services Division
- Local Government Division
- Project Management Division
- Communications Division
- Tribal Cooperation Division
- Media and Public Relations Division
- Comptroller Division
- Special Programs Division
- Training and Recruitment Division
- Human Resources Division
- Purchasing Division
- Director of Capital Programs
- General Counsel
- Internal Auditing Office
- Civil Rights Office
- Director
[edit] Management and Finance
[edit] Staffing
The Transportation Department, with an annual budget of well over $1 billion, is one of the largest employers of the State. For fiscal year 2009, the Department was authorized 2488 full-time employees.[10]
| Program Area | Number of Employees |
|---|---|
| Administration | 222 |
| Transit Programs | 6 |
| Railroad Programs | 9 |
| Waterways Programs | 2 |
| Operations | 1788 |
| Engineering Programs | 461 |
| Total | 2488 |
[edit] Classifications
The Transportation Department's employees are divided within the following major job classifications:
| Title | Duties | Salary/Year |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation Manager | Overseeing multiple Divisions | $80,000 |
| Division Director | Overseeing all activities of a Division | $70,000 |
| Assistant Division Director | Second highest official in a Division | $62,000 |
| Branch Manager | Supervise certain activities of a Division | $55,000 |
| Assistant Manager | Assist branch manager in performance of duties | $50,000 |
| Superintendent II | Oversee two or more maintenance crews | $41,000 |
| Superintendent I | Oversee a maintenance crew | $38,000 |
| Lead Worker | Serve as foreman of maintenance crew | $31,000 |
| Equipment Operator | Perform construction and maintenance duties |
Level 3: $28,000 |
[edit] Budget
The Department of Transportation is a non-appropriated State agency. This means that is annual operating and program budget is not dependent upon yearly appropriations from the Oklahoma Legislature. The Legislature, through the enactment of State law, has provided the Department with a direct stream of revenue, with all such revenue automatically deposited into the State Transportation Fund. One of primary revenue sources for the Department is the State's sales tax on gasoline and diesel motor fuels. Those taxes constitute roughly one-third of the Department's total budget. Grants under the Federal-aid Highway Program of the Federal Highway Administration equal almost sixty percent of the budget. The remaining ten percent from the sale of State bonds for the construction of State roads and bridges.
The Department's annual budget is divided between two major areas: Departmental Administration ($413 million for FY2011) and Capital Improvements ($1.3 billion for FY2011). The first is used for the operation of the Department, such paying employee salaries and utilities, and the second is used for the construction and maintenance of transportation systems across the State.
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For fiscal year 2011, the Department of Transportation had the following bugdget by division areas:
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For fiscal year 2010, the Department of Transportation had the following budget by program area:
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[edit] Supporting agencies
- Highway Construction Materials Technician Certification Board
- Oklahoma Tourism Signage Advisory Task Force
- Tribal Advisory Board
[edit] References
- ^ a b Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "Oklahoma Dept. of Transportation". Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ^ a b Okla. Stat. tit. 47, § 2-106.2A
- ^ a b Off, Gavin (2011-01-17). "Paving the Way: Tiny office grew into vital part of our lives". Tulsa World.
- ^ Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "Memorial Dedication and Revision History". Retrieved 2007-11-04.
- ^ Oklahoma State Highway Department. Oklahoma State Highway System (Map) (1926 ed.). http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/hqdiv/p-r-div/maps/state-maps/pdfs/1926.pdf. Retrieved 2011-01-20.
- ^ Oklahoma State Highway Department. Map Showing Condition of Improvement of the State Highway System (Map) (March 1, 1930 ed.). http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/hqdiv/p-r-div/maps/state-maps/pdfs/1930.pdf. Retrieved 2011-01-20.
- ^ Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "Transportation Commissioners". Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ^ Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "ODOT Central Office Divisions". Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ^ Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "ODOT Field Divisions". Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ^ FY 2011 State Budget, Oklahoma Office of State Finance
[edit] External links
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