Current and Proposed Organizational Activities

In Washington State the majority of highway funding is provided by gas taxes. In 2003 an additional nickel gas tax was approved with a phased additional 9.5 cent gas tax increase in 2005. Along with existing funding these increases has allowed us to create a 16 year, 16.5 billion dollar capital program to start aggressively addressing our highway needs. The challenge in delivering that program is changing how WSDOT does business.

Department Organization Change – The department has traditionally been a design-bid-build agency, with the department and/or some consultant work providing the design and then contractors bidding and building the facility with WSDOT construction administration. To deliver the capital program we are moving to new procedures and organizational groups including design build projects, blended WSDOT and Consultant offices for major high dollar projects, consultant only projects (including construction administration) as well as traditional WSDOT only design-bid-build projects.

New Systems (Just Completed, In Progress, or Preparing to Start)

A. Project Management – Project Delivery Information System (PDIS) at that WSDOT was developed to achieve the strategic goals of accountability, communication and project delivery through the use of a project management process and the PDIS tool. PDIS allows the viewing of project schedules by team members within WSDOT, thereby improving project and schedule understanding among project teams. This system is currently being studied by a consultant/WSDOT team for modification to better meet the challenges of delivering our aggressive capital program. These modifications include new or improved software tools.

B. Document Management Systems – WSDOT has launched several pilot programs that are evaluating various document management systems. These systems range from general optical scanning, storage, and retrieval of hard copy, to systems that integrate paper, electronic design file storage and retrieval as well as work flow control management.

C. InRoads – In 2004 WSDOT began moving from CAiCE as its roadway design software to using Bentley InRoads. One of the advantages in this change is the close integration with our MicroStation drafting software and ProjectWise. However this change has required a major effort, by the department to create WSDOT specific resource files, environment and training.
With the start of the 2005-2007 biennium InRoads has been transitioning into production. During this two year period WSDOT has approximately 1100 projects scheduled with many of the new projects using the InRoads software.


D. Electronic Document Data Standards – The purpose of these standards is to create consistent procedures and policy on how electronic files, CAiCE, InRoads, ,survey files, and MicroStation, are saved, stored, and protected from the start of the project development process through transfer of the files to Construction and to final archiving. This could include the look and feel, required documentation, location of files, naming conventions and/or policies needed. A programming tool creates the needed file structure. These standards apply to both WSDOT and consultant projects. It is being implemented in the 3rd quarter of 2006.

E. GIS Toolbox Development – The GIS Workbench is a custom ArcGIS Desktop extension that provides WSDOT GIS Users custom tools and simplified data access for connecting to WSDOT’s enterprise GIS databases. The original Workbench only supported Environmental Reviews. This new Workbench presents menus of data and tools tailored for selected business activities.

F. PSRA (Personnel System Reform Act) - Was passed in 2002 to update and modernize Washington State government's personnel system. PSRA consists of four elements: Civil service reform, competitive contracting, collective bargaining, and a new central payroll/personnel computer system. WSDOT and other state agencies have integrated their individual payroll and personnel systems into one overall system this system uses customized technology from SAP AG. WSDOT’s portion went live 7/1/2006.

Information Wanted

1. How states are addressing the electronic ‘archiving’ of both graphical (CADD Files) and design data (Software product input files)?

2. How states are exchanging electronic files (graphic and data) with the consultants they have under contract? What guidelines, standards, or polices, are being used to control this process?

3. Have any states experimented with hand held GIS applications?

4. Are any states using Blue Tooth wireless technologies? If so for what purpose?

5. Have any states made their web sites Internet phone compatible? If so, how?