PrintThis week, we’ll take some time to explore state Departments of Transportation (DOTs). All 50 states have a department of transportation, and while there are many similarities between them, they can differ in both how they are organized and in the specific functions they perform. A convenient set of links for all 50 state DOTs is maintained by FHWA.
The origins of most state DOTs trace back to the early 1900s. At that time, they were commonly named State Highway Departments and, as the name implies, their focus was almost exclusively on highways. In the 100 or so years since then, their roles have evolved, and the responsibilities have increased dramatically. Today, state DOTs typically operate or oversee all modes of transportation within the state, and the scope of their functional responsibilities have grown from engineering and construction to include planning, safety, assessment, and mitigation of project impacts on the environment and community resources, driver’s licensing and vehicle registration, permitting, and providing technical support and oversight for local roads. A good summary of the roles and responsibilities of a state DOT is provided in Chapter 2 of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program’s (NCHRP) Report No. 750 titled “Strategic Issues Facing Transportation, Volume 5: Preparing State Transportation Agencies for an Uncertain Energy Future (2014).”
Given the extensive number of functions a state DOT is responsible for performing, there are a tremendous number of opportunities for applying spatial technologies, some of which we have looked at already (FHWA maintains a searchable compilation of state GIS-T projects). Consequently, state DOTs have a substantial need for GIS expertise, although the degree to which these needs are outsourced varies. GIS expertise within the DOT is often housed in their planning or information technology organizations. AASHTO maintains a list of GIS-T contacts for each state.