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Federal-Aid Highway Program: Impact of the District of Columbia Emergency Highway Relief Act

RCED-97-162 Published: Jun 30, 1997. Publicly Released: Jun 30, 1997.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the District of Columbia's efforts to implement the District of Columbia Emergency Highway Relief Act, focusing on: (1) the extent to which the District took advantage of the opportunity for the federal government to pay 100 percent of the eligible projects' costs expended during the waiver period; (2) whether the District's efforts to streamline its contract award process have reduced the time frames to process and execute federal-aid highway contracts; and (3) the status of the District's efforts to implement the Federal Highway Administration's (FHwA) recommendations for improving the District of Columbia Department of Public Works' (DPW) capabilities to carry out its federal-aid highway program.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Transportation The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator of FHwA to continue to work with the District to evaluate DPW's internal contract award procedures and assist the District in implementing changes needed to help reduce the time to process and execute federal-aid highway contracts.
Closed – Implemented
The Department of Transportation concurs with this recommendation and is continuing to assist DPW in identifying and implementing improvements to facilitate the delivery of federal-aid highway contracts. According to DOT's D.C. Division Office, the District has not made changes since 1999 that would substantially reduce the time to process and execute federal-aid highway contracts. However, the District Department of Transportation is currently undergoing a "massive" restructuring effort with the assistance of the Volpe Center. Ward-based project management teams will be created to take projects from planning through close out. Teams' performance will be measured and they will be held accountable. Implementation of the new structure is scheduled for October 1, 2001.
Department of Transportation The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator of FHwA to assist DPW in establishing priorities, timetables, and process for monitoring the implementation of FHwA's April 1996 recommendations that are still found to be worthwhile.
Closed – Not Implemented
Since the issuance of the report, numerous organizational changes have occurred that have affected both DPW and the District of Columbia Government. For example, the DC Control Board was abolished by Congress and there has been a change in DC mayoral administrations. These changes have prompted many new initiatives designed to improve the processes and operations of both DPW and the District Government. The sheer multitude and magnitude of the changes makes further tracking of this recommendation next to impossible; therefore, the recommendation should be closed.

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Topics

Federal aid for highwaysIntergovernmental fiscal relationsMunicipal governmentsPublic roads or highwaysRoad constructionState and local procurementRoad repairsTechnical assistanceHighway projectsPublic works