Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond today has directed new project delivery oversight protocols intended to strengthen the Washington State Department of Transportation's commitment to budget transparency and accountability.

Secretary Hammond in testimony before the Legislative Joint Transportation Committee, which met today in Redmond, said, "Since 2003, we have delivered hundreds of projects on time and on budget. Our record of delivery of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects has been outstanding. But we are not perfect. My expectation is that WSDOT is as aggressive in reporting the bad news as we are in reporting our good news."

Since 2001, WSDOT has reported project updates on its web site, www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects, and in its quarterly accountability report, the Gray Notebook. Project teams also participate in quarterly project reviews with senior agency managers. Hammond, however, announced additional statewide communications protocols effective immediately, which include:

• Reinforcing performance expectations for project reporting and problem identification for WSDOT senior managers and agency communications staff.
• Notification of significant project delivery problems by senior managers to the Chief Engineer within 24 hours, followed up with weekly e-mail updates
• The distribution of bi-weekly transportation alerts to notify the legislature and public of project issues both when a problem is identified and again when it is resolved.
• The activation by the end of August of a new project management reporting system that will publish project updates monthly on project web pages that will include project delivery details and issues
• The consolidation of contract controls for highways, ferries and rail programs. Headquarters will now serve as a single point of accountability for contract authority and approvals

"We take our credibility very seriously. The public expects to know that the people entrusted to build, maintain and operate the transportation system are doing so in the most open and transparent environment. It is my expectation as well and we think these additional oversight protocols will help with that," said Secretary Hammond.