Oklahoma Department of Transportation

Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT)

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 2,322 (FY15) [1]
Annual budget $1.7 billion (FY10)
Minister responsible
Agency executive
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.[3]

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. Gary Ridley serves as the Secretary of Transportation, as appointed by Governor Brad Henry in 2009 and reappointed by Governor Mary Fallin in 2011.

The Department was created in 1976 during the term of Governor David L. Boren.[3] It superseded the Department of Highways, which was established in 1911.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."[2]

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.[4] The state's first 29 numbered highways were commissioned on August 29, 1924.[5] 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).[6] By March 1, 1930, the department name had been modified slightly to simply the Oklahoma Department of Highways.[7]

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.

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 2015, 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 2014, ODOT assessed approximately 372 of its bridges as being structurally deficient.[8] This is compared to 1,168 structurally deficient bridges in 2004.

The Department also maintains 200 miles (320 km) of state-owned railway, which are operated through leases with railroad companies. administers the Federal Highway Administration’s Grade Crossing Safety Program which provides funding to make safety improvements to Oklahoma’s nearly 3800 at-grade public railway/road intersections, manages the Amtrak Heartland Flyer passenger rail service in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation. [9]

Leadership

The agency 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 state transportation department. The Governor of Oklahoma, with the approval of the Oklahoma Senate, appoints the members of the eight-member commission. It is the duty of the commission to establish agency policies and to appoint the agency director. The members each represent one of the eight geographic districts corresponding with the agency'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 Oklahoma Transportation Commission are as follows:[10]

Organization

Map of ODOT field divisions

Management and Finance

Staffing

The Transportation Department, with an annual budget of well over $1 billion, is one of the largest employers of Oklahoma state government. For fiscal year 2009, the Department was authorized 2488 full-time employees.[13]

Program Area Number of Employees
Administration 222
Transit Programs 6
Railroad Programs 9
Waterways Programs 2
Operations 1788
Engineering Programs 461
Total 2488

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
Level 2: $26,000
Level 1: $23,000

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.

For fiscal year 2011, the Department of Transportation had the following budget by division areas:

Division Area Budget (in millions)
Transit $6.2
Railroads $1
Waterways $0.2
Highways $407
Capital Outlay $898
County Projects $249
Transit Projects $16.4
Rail Projects $18.5
Total $1,596

For fiscal year 2010, the Department of Transportation had the following budget by program area:

Program Area Budget (in millions)
Personnel Services $249
Operating Expenses $41
Construction and Maintenance $1,210
Transportation Programs $60
Total $1,561

Supporting agencies

References

  1. ↑ Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "ODOT Fiscal and Organizational Strategy" (PDF).
  2. 1 2 Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "Oklahoma Dept. of Transportation". Retrieved 2010-04-19.
  3. 1 2 Okla. Stat. tit. 47, § 2-106.2A
  4. ↑ Off, Gavin (2011-01-17). "Paving the Way: Tiny office grew into vital part of our lives". Tulsa World.
  5. ↑ Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "Memorial Dedication and Revision History". Retrieved 2007-11-04.
  6. ↑ Oklahoma State Highway System (PDF) (Map) (1926 ed.). Oklahoma State Highway Department. Retrieved 2011-01-20.
  7. ↑ Map Showing Condition of Improvement of the State Highway System (PDF) (Map) (March 1, 1930 ed.). Oklahoma State Highway Department. Retrieved 2011-01-20.
  8. ↑ Update on Highways and Bridges (PDF) (Map). ODOT. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
  9. ↑ About Rail (Map). ODOT. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
  10. ↑ Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "Transportation Commissioners".
  11. ↑ Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "ODOT Org Chart" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-03-10.
  12. ↑ Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "ODOT Field Divisions". Retrieved 2010-04-19.
  13. ↑ FY 2011 State Budget, Oklahoma Office of State Finance
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