Consolidating, sharing, combining and saving money; those are the new goals of state government over the last few years. The
Michigan Department of Transportation is no exception, undergoing a transformation to become smaller, less expensive and more efficient.
Facilities and staff are among the things that are being reduced; eight MDOT facilities will close or be consolidated with nearby centers by October, and more than 60 vacant management positions won't be filled. MDOT director Kirk Steudle says the agency has 15 percent fewer employees than it did in 2009, and changes in facilities and workflow need to show that.
"Our actions show we are committed to consolidating services internally, making smart financial choices to leverage more funding, and partnering with other transportation companies and agencies to save dollars," Steudle says.
Three Transportation Service Centers will close, in Cass City, Howard City and Grayling. The Escanaba TSC will be combined with other U.P. centers, and the Macomb and Port Huron centers will be combined together. Three construction field offices will close in Tecumseh, Allen Park and Rockford.
"We are committed to providing the same level of customer service in these areas," says Steudle, "but now there are fewer locations, or perhaps more mobile offices. The business world calls it 'meaner and leaner' but we call it 'smarter.' Our Lansing staff is also consolidating offices."
Other changes at MDOT include restructuring bonds, and going through a revision of standard processes to make them more efficient and use less staff time, such as moving to electronic bidding for contracts and using intelligent traffic systems.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Kirk Steudle, Michigan Department of Transportation
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