05 LC 34
0406
Senate
Resolution 503
By:
Senators Mullis of the 53rd, Williams of the 19th, Whitehead, Sr. of the 24th
and Pearson of the 51st
A
RESOLUTION
Urging
the Department of Transportation to proceed with the initiation in 2005 of a
pilot performance based asset maintenance project for highway maintenance; and
for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
the State of Georgia, like many states throughout the country today, is facing
tough challenges with transportation infrastructure; and
tough challenges with transportation infrastructure; and
WHEREAS,
the Georgia Department of Transportation currently operates, maintains, and
improves the existing 19,853 miles of roads and highways in Georgia;
and
WHEREAS,
vehicle miles traveled on our roadways in Georgia continue to increase, while
budgetary constraints make it more and more difficult to keep up with the
overwhelming needs of the traveling public; and
WHEREAS,
the Federal Highway Administration has estimated that 20 percent of the bridges
in Georgia are either structurally obsolete or deficient; and
WHEREAS,
the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Department of Transportation are
attempting to meet these challenges and are deserving of support in fully
exploring all avenues for innovation and improvement; and
WHEREAS,
the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development governing the
Department of Transportation budget held a hearing in 2005 to hear testimony on
"best practices" in other states including piloting programs involving a
"performance based asset management" approach to transportation maintenance;
and
WHEREAS,
particularly the State of Florida´s Department of Transportation has
embarked upon an asset management program for maintenance that has generated
proven cost savings of 17 percent without impacting the level of service;
and
WHEREAS, the Georgia Department of Transportation has experienced problems with hiring and retaining road maintenance employees, resulting in an impairment of necessary preservation and maintenance in some areas of the state; and
WHEREAS, the Georgia Department of Transportation has experienced problems with hiring and retaining road maintenance employees, resulting in an impairment of necessary preservation and maintenance in some areas of the state; and
WHEREAS,
the Senate is committed to investigating new and innovative means to save tax
dollars while at the same time providing a high level of service to the citizens
of our state; and
WHEREAS,
the commissioner of the Department of Transportation has during the past year
reviewed the feasibility of applying asset management concepts to highway
maintenance in Georgia.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body
request the Department of Transportation to proceed with the initiation in 2005 of a pilot performance based asset maintenance project for highway maintenance in a location or district it deems most feasible for the benefit of the citizens of the State of Georgia.
request the Department of Transportation to proceed with the initiation in 2005 of a pilot performance based asset maintenance project for highway maintenance in a location or district it deems most feasible for the benefit of the citizens of the State of Georgia.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the commissioner of the
Department of Transportation.