Describe the organization and function of your state highway/transportation department.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Under the Governor, responsibility for the general administration of Virginia's government is distributed among eight cabinet secretaries, one of whom is the Secretary of Transportation. The Secretary of Transportation is empowered to oversee Virginia's transportation program. The secretary is also the chairperson of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, a 16 member policy board that functions as a board of directors to (i) oversee the construction of highways and make regulations governing the use of state highways, (ii) ensure compliance with transportation-related federal laws, (iii) collect transportation statistics, (iv) regulate the location of outdoor advertising, (v) oversee the administration of the Transportation Trust Fund, and (vi) generally oversee the operation of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). VDOT is headed by a Commissioner, who is also appointed by the Governor. VDOT's core function is to construct and maintain the roadways of Virginia. This includes the dailymaintenance and repair, design and engineering of future road projects, and the long range planning based on future demand projections. It is VDOT's responsibility to keep the roadways in good working condition throughout the year. This organization has its central headquarters located in Richmond, Virginia, and nine other District offices strategically located in other areas of the state. These District offices employ individuals to maintain the roads and the right-of-way year round, which includes the mowing of grass in the summer and plowing snow in the winter. In addition to the roadways, VDOT is also
responsible for all of the roadway signs, signals, and street lighting.