2008 session in review

More transportation changes affected by budget

Gov. Rell names new DOT commissioner

(May 20, 2008) State legislators began the 2008 session with a focus on the structure and effectiveness of the state Department of Transportation (DOT) and the recommendations of the Governor’s Commission on Reform of the DOT.

That attention didn’t fade during the session, as new revelations of major cost overruns in the department came to light and the governor nominated a new DOT commissioner. Ultimately, the legislature decided that, for the time being, major changes at DOT were to be left to the administration and the agency itself.

Proposals that would have required the DOT to implement some of the recommendations of the governor’s commission were deemed unnecessary, leaving it to the governor’s administration to implement them with available funding.

CBIA anticipates that several such recommendations that failed to pass will be implemented relatively early in the administration of Joseph F. Marie, the new DOT commissioner. These include a proposal requiring the creation of a chief operating officer position within DOT and a proposal requiring a needs assessment of key programs within the agency.

Marie is currently the director of operations and maintenance for METRO, the regional public transit system for Phoenix, Ariz. He brings to his new position more than 22 years of transit industry experience in both the public and private sectors. 

As senior operations officer, Marie currently directs the startup and operations of the $1.4 billion Central Phoenix/East Valley Rail System. This is part of a comprehensive program that involves more than $5 billion in investment in public transit infrastructure.

For more information, contact CBIA’s Eric Brown at 860-244-1926 or eric.brown@cbia.com.