- 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, OklahomaEmployees 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The Department was created in 1976 during the term of Governor David L. Boren.[2] It superseded the Department of Highways, which was established in 1911.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]
Contents
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.
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]
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. Carlisle Mabrey III
- District 2: Mr. James H. Dunegan, Vice-Chair of the Commission
- District 3: Mr. Dan B. Overland, Chair of the Commission
- District 4: Mr. Jackie R. Cooper
- District 5: Mr. Loyd Benson
- District 6: Mr. Bruce Benbrook
- District 7: Mr. Bradley W. Burgess
- District 8: Mr. Peter J. Regan
Organization
Map of ODOT field divisions
- Cabinet Secretary
- Transportation Commission[8]
- Director
- Deputy Director
- Assistant Director for Operations
- 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
- Construction Division
- Maintenance Division
- Traffic Engineering Division
- Field Divisions[9]
- Assistant Director for Engineering / Chief Engineer
- Bridge Division
- Environmental Programs Division
- Materials Division
- Office Engineer Division
- Right of Way Division
- Survey Division (Preconstruction)
- Roadway Design Division
- Rail Programs and Safety Division
- Waterways Division
- Assistant Director for Administration
- Civil Rights Division
- Comptroller Division
- Human Resources Division
- Media and Public Relations Division
- Operations Review and Evaluation
- Planning and Research Division
- Project Management Division
- Technology Services Division
- Training and Recruitment Division
- Local Government Division
- Regulatory Services Division
- Transit Programs Division
- Assistant Director for Capital Programs
- General Counsel
- Assistant Director for Operations
- Deputy Director
- Director
Management and Finance
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 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: $23,000Budget
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 bugdget 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
- Highway Construction Materials Technician Certification Board
- Oklahoma Tourism Signage Advisory Task Force
- Tribal Advisory Board
References
- ^ a b Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "Oklahoma Dept. of Transportation". http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/. 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". http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/memorial/legal/sh9.htm. 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". http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/tcomm/index.htm. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ^ Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "ODOT Central Office Divisions". http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/hqdiv/indexg.htm. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ^ Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "ODOT Field Divisions". http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/flddiv.htm. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ^ FY 2011 State Budget, Oklahoma Office of State Finance
External links
State transportation agencies of OklahomaGovernor of Oklahoma
Secretary of Transportation
Aeronautics Commission • Department of Transportation • Space Industry Development Authority • Turnpike Authority
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- Transportation in Oklahoma
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