Idaho Transportation Department News Release
January 4, 2011

Contact:
Jeff Stratten
Public Information Officer, Senior 
(208) 334-8817 


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ITD introduces new 'dashboard' to track performance

BOISE -- The Idaho Transportation Department reached a new milestone in its commitment to accountability and transparency this month when it introduced a web-based dashboard to mark progress in nine performance areas.

 

Idaho taxpayers, legislators and transportation partners can view graphics that visually display the current operations and desired trends. The dashboard, designed by a team of ITD employees, is available to the public through a link on the department's website: http://itd.idaho.gov/

 

"This is an important tool that will allow the public to easily track our progress. It is a visual report card on how we are performing as an organization," said ITD Director Brian Ness.

 

"I invite people to visit the site often to track the steps we are taking to become one of the best transportation departments in the country."

 

Ness said the dashboard concept, which is used prominently in the private sector, is becoming increasingly popular among government agencies to provide performance snapshots.

 

"This is the next step in making the Idaho Transportation Department more accountable to the citizens we serve," he said.

 

The new visual reports augment ITD's Performance Management Framework, explains ITD Deputy Director Scott Stokes, a member of the dashboard development team.  It will provide policymakers and citizens instant access to information about the department's progress in meeting long-range goals.

 

The performance measures are milepost markers that correlate directly with the department's three primary goals -- improving safety, enhancing mobility and supporting economic vitality.


Some of the dashboards will incorporate data provided by the department's new Transportation Asset Management System (TAMS). Information from that system will help guide decisions about maintenance and highway management that will maximize resources and lead to more efficient operations.

Resembling an automobile speedometer, the dashboard graphic depicts the status and desired trend for each of ITD's major performance measures. They include:

* Five-year traffic fatality rate
* Percent of pavement in good or fair condition
* Percent of bridges in good condition
* Percent of highway projects developed on time
* Construction cost at award (as a percentage of the construction budget)
* Highway congestion
* Administration and planning expenditures
* Division of Motor Vehicles title processing time, and
* Division of Motor Vehicles Internet transactions
 
Clicking any of the dashboard gauges will take users to a page that provides greater detail on ITD's progress in meeting the desired trend, including information on 1) Why it is important, 2) What ITD is doing to meet the objective, and 3) How ITD measures progress.
 
Pages also include other graphics that visually display historic information and current monthly trends.  Underlying information is database-driven, allowing changes to be made quickly and automatically.


-30-