Economics in Asset Management
The Hillsborough County, Florida, Experience

Agency Facts

Hillsborough County (see map) has an area of approximately 1,100 square miles and a population of 1 million. It is characterized by high rates of growth and development. The county's annual budget exceeds $2.5 billion, and the county employs some 8,000 workers.

The Public Works Department is charged with the responsibility for maintaining and upgrading the transportation and stormwater infrastructure throughout unincorporated Hillsborough County. In addition, the department is responsible for maintenance and upgrading of roadway assets on a number of roads within the county's three municipalities: Tampa, Temple Terrace, and Plant City. The department is located on the 22nd and 23rd floors of the County Center building in Tampa, as well as at 10 remote operational sites strategically situated throughout the county. The department is organized into three principal divisions: Engineering, Transportation Maintenance, and Traffic Services. It employs approximately 650 full-time workers countywide (the majority in Transportation Maintenance), plus a number of temporary personnel. The department controls an annual operating budget of $70 million, and is responsible for $247 million of the county's 6-year Capital Improvement Program.

The Public Works Department has three key objectives:

• Preserve the transportation system;
• Provide user safety and mobility; and
• Expand system capacity.

The department provides a variety of services:

• Maintaining and repairing roadway and stormwater infrastructure;
• Managing traffic signals, signs, striping, street lighting, and related infrastructure;
• Managing traffic calming programs;
• Developing and ranking projects for transportation and stormwater systems maintenance, rehabilitation, and improvement;
• Controlling the mosquito population and invasive vegetation using a variety of aerial and surface spraying techniques; and
• Providing Community Stormwater and Environmental Education programs.

The department is responsible for many types of assets:

• 3,000 centerline miles of paved roadway, including 288 miles of principal arterials;
• 3,656 miles of pavement markings;
• 1,880 miles of sidewalks;
• 246 bridges;
• 14,155 intersections, 450 signalized;
• 86,574 signs;
• 14,914 pedestrian ramps; and
• 63,123 storm mains and culverts.

In total, the department manages more than 20,000 miles of linear assets and more than 500,000 point assets.