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Semi-Annual Reports to WSDOT

Semi-Annual Project Delivery Report
With data from Federal Fiscal Year 2010 Quarters 1 & 2 (October 2009-March 2010)
Issue VII, April 30, 2010


EVERY DAY COUNTS (EDC)

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has recently adopted an initiative called "Every Day Counts" to identify ways to shorten the amount of time it typically takes to deliver highway construction projects from conception to completion. Every Day Counts (EDC) is designed to identify and deploy innovation aimed at shortening project delivery, enhancing the safety of our roadways, and improving environmental sustainability.

FHWA believes that several opportunities exist in the current project delivery process where innovative approaches will improve project delivery times. We have decided to focus on this initial series of technologies and innovations as we look to meet our transportation needs: Accelerating Technology and Innovation Deployment, Shortening Project Delivery Toolkit, and Accelerated Project Delivery Methods.

Building projects more quickly depends on the highway community advancing innovative practices to a level of routine use. EDC focuses FHWA's efforts to make innovative contracting every day standard business practice.

The EDC Initiative was presented to State DOTs at the AASHTO Spring Business Meeting in May 2010. EDC is designed to focus on the deployment of a finite set of initiatives. Performance measures will be developed, and EDC Implementation Teams will work with our State, local, and industry partners to deploy the initiatives.

We here in the Washington Division have been practicing our own version of EDC to accelerate project delivery for several years. This includes measuring and reporting the time it takes for us to take project actions as noted throughout this report. Our goal is to continue to set the standard for excellence in FHWA in project delivery.


American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Activity Emblem American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Activity

The chart shows the timely approval of environmental documents for Recovery Act projects. We approved all environmental documents within the first 5 days of receipt.

The chart shows the timeliness of approval of project authorization/ modifications for the Recovery Act projects.

For FY2010 we approved 115 of the 118 authorizations/modifications within the first 5 days of receipt.

Timeliness of Authorization for Recovery Act Projects
Number of Days 2009 2010
0 to 5 Days 312 115
6 to 10 Days 1 3
11 to 15 Days 0 0
16 to 20 Days 0 0
20 + Days 0 0
Totals 313 18

 


 

This chart shows the timeliness of approval of documented categorical exclusions (DCEs) semi-annually from FY2007 to FY2010. As the chart depicts, we are approving the vast majority of DCEs within the first 10 days of receipt.

This chart shows the timeliness of approval of documented categorical exclusions (DCEs) semi-annually from FY2007 to FY2010.

As the chart depicts, we are approving the vast majority of DCEs within the first 10 days of receipt.

OTHER APPROVALS/ACTIONS

Environmental Document Approvals

Design Approvals

Design Deviations

Access Actions

ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT (ESA) UPDATE

Columbia River Crossing
The replacement of the I-5 bridges across the Columbia River (the Columbia River Crossing Project) is of national significance and involves two State DOTs, two FHWA divisions, the Federal Transit Administration, and multiple regulatory agencies. In the ESA consultation the project staff are grappling with unprecedented challenges, including multiple bridge installations with extensive in-water work and 17 listed species occurring in the project area. FHWA, specifically the Washington Division, is taking an active role by dedicating a biologist to assist with analysis, multi-agency coordination, and impact minimization approaches. A draft Biological Assessment was submitted to National Marine Fisheries (NMFS) on April 7, 2010.

FHWA Requires Standard Template for Biological Assessments
In an effort to improve the quality of biological assessments and streamline the ESA Section 7 consultation process, FHWA sent a letter to WSDOT Environmental Affairs Office and Highway & Local Programs on May 17, 2010, requiring that new projects use the standard template which WSDOT developed in coordination with FHWA, United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and NMFS.

This chart shows the timeliness of approval for right-of-way (R/W) Certifications 3 (Cert. 3s) • A Cert. 3 occurs for parcels where not all rights have been obtained or there may be some displacees remaining. • Our goal is to take action on / approve 90% of certification 3s within 10 days of receipt. • Certifications that took longer than 10 days required negotiations that took additional time to finalize.

This chart shows the timeliness of approval for right-of-way (R/W) Certifications 3 (Cert. 3s)

  • A Cert. 3 occurs for parcels where not all rights have been obtained or there may be some displacees remaining.
  • Our goal is to take action on / approve 90% of certification 3s within 10 days of receipt.
  • Certifications that took longer than 10 days required negotiations that took additional time to finalize.

 

* Approval of certifications 1 and 2 have been delegated to WSDOT.
** In order to authorize the advertisement of a project for construction, the State must certify the R/W has been cleared, per 23 CFR 635.309.
*** Certification 3s are to be used only in very unusual circumstances.

Timeliness of Authorizations / Modifications
(All Federal-aid Projects Including ARRA)

Number of Days 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
0 to 5 Days 208 780 858 724 1327 1463 1456 943 1451 1645 2261 971
6 to 10 Days 24 241 307 121 90 101 103 68 175 128 113 44
11 to 15 Days 12 77 109 39 10 22 24 13 37 12 7 3
16 to 20 Days 9 29 34 21 5 3 8 1 18 5 1 2
20 + Days 31 152 68 98 52 15 17 8 16 13 5 1
Totals 284 1279 1376 1003 1484 1604 1608 1033 1697 1803 2387 1021

This table reflects the number of authorizations / modifications approved within certain timeframes since 1999.

  • For FY2009 and so far for FY2010 our approval has increased to 95%, up from FY2007's 86% within the first five (5) days.
  • The 95% exceeded our goal of 90%!

Approval of ER Damage Inspection Reports - This chart shows the timeliness of approval for emergency relief (ER) damage inspection reports. Our goal is to approve 90% of these reports within 10 days of receipt. • For the 1st/2nd quarters of FY 2010 we fell 7% short of our goal due to the increased work load resulting from the Recovery Act. We approved 83% of the damage inspection reports within 10 days of receipt. • For the 3rd/4th quarters of FY2009 we fell 16% short of our goal due to the increased work load resulting from the Recovery Act. We approved 74% of the damage inspection reports within 10 days of receipt. • We met our goal of 90% for the 1st/2nd quarters of FY2009. • [Note: We did not meet our goal in the 3rd/4th quarters of FY2008. This is attributed to the Washington Division revising its long-standing policy on "debris removal."]

This chart shows the timeliness of approval for emergency relief (ER) damage inspection reports. Our goal is to approve 90% of these reports within 10 days of receipt.

  • For the 1st/2nd quarters of FY 2010 we fell 7% short of our goal due to the increased work load resulting from the Recovery Act. We approved 83% of the damage inspection reports within 10 days of receipt.
  • For the 3rd/4th quarters of FY2009 we fell 16% short of our goal due to the increased work load resulting from the Recovery Act. We approved 74% of the damage inspection reports within 10 days of receipt.
  • We met our goal of 90% for the 1st/2nd quarters of FY2009.
  • [Note: We did not meet our goal in the 3rd/4th quarters of FY2008. This is attributed to the Washington Division revising its long-standing policy on "debris removal."]

TRANSPORTATION NOT A HEADLINE FOR 2010 OLYMPICS

The Washington Division, FHWA, in 2004, recognizing the importance of providing for and encouraging planning for major events such as the Olympics as a part of meeting the continuing needs of the traveling public, facilitated the award of a Peer Exchange grant through its Planning Capacity Building Program.

Local elected officials, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, State and Federal agencies traveled to Salt Lake City on the first leg of a Peer Exchange led by Whatcom Council of Governments to initiate and coordinate transportation planning for US regional, state and local interests related to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, BC. Fifteen members of the Washington State delegation met with their counterparts in Utah who successfully hosted the Salt Lake City Olympic Games in 2002. The meetings provided for the collection of information and lessons learned regarding transportation mobility, safety and security impacts and needs that must be addressed in planning for Vancouver's 2010 Winter Olympics. The second part of the peer exchange brought a delegation of Salt Lake City Transportation Specialists to Bellingham, WA to share their experiences with a larger group of affected and interested parties in Northwest Washington.

Continued coordination by Division staff working with WSDOT and Whatcom Council of Government helped to ensure that appropriate and critical transportation issues were addressed and resolved during the six year development and implementation of Olympics-related transportation plans, helping to make transportation a non-story of the Games.

Dan Mathis
Division Administrator
FHWA Washington Division
360-753-9480
Daniel.Mathis@dot.gov
Megan P. Hall
Local Programs/Research & T2 Engineer
FHWA Washington Division
360-753-9480
Megan.Hall@dot.gov
Green Washingtion State with Department of Transportation Emblem
Page last modified on April 1, 2013
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