Key Recommendations

• Abolish the Texas Transportation Commission and replace it with an appointed Commissioner of Transportation.

• Establish a Transportation Legislative Oversight Committee to provide necessary oversight of the Department and the state's transportation system.

• Require the Transportation Legislative Oversight Committee to review and comment on TxDOT's research program, including individual research projects and activities.

• The Sunset Commission should recommend that the Legislature directly fund the Texas Transportation Institute to conduct transportation research previously contracted through TxDOT.

• Continue TxDOT for four years.

Issue 2

The State's Complicated Transportation Planning and Project Development Process Frustrates Understanding of How Important Decisions Are Made.

Key Recommendations

• Require TxDOT to redevelop and regularly update the long-range Statewide Transportation Plan describing total system needs, establishing overarching statewide transportation goals, and measuring progress toward those goals.

• Establish a transparent, well-defined, and understandable system of project programming within TxDOT that integrates project milestones, forecasts, and priorities.

• Require TxDOT districts to develop detailed work programs driven by milestones for major projects and other statewide goals for smaller projects.

• Require TxDOT, with input from transportation partners and policymakers, to develop a system to measure and report on progress in meeting transportation goals and milestones.

• Require TxDOT to establish, and provide funding and support for, transportation planning in rural areas of the state.

Issue 3

TxDOT Does Not Meet the High Expectations Placed on It to Ensure Consistent, Meaningful Public Involvement.

Key Recommendations

• Require TxDOT to develop and implement a public involvement policy that guides and encourages more meaningful public involvement efforts agency-wide.

• Require TxDOT to develop standard procedures for documenting complaints and for tracking and analyzing complaint data.

• TxDOT should provide a formal process for staff with similar responsibilities to share best practices information.

• TxDOT should provide central coordination of the Department's major marketing campaigns.

• TxDOT should make its website easier to use.