Caltrans announced the release Thursday of its new 2015-2020 Strategic Management Plan, a roadmap of how Caltrans will meet the bold goals it has set for itself in order to be a high-performance, efficient, innovative and modern state department of transportation. The department will report to the public on its progress through its quarterly Mile Marker, a plain-language accounting of where Caltrans is succeeding and where it needs improvement.

“Adopting a new mission, vision and goals was only the beginning of helping Caltrans better focus on improved department performance, accountability and communications,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “The Strategic Management Plan takes it to the next level by laying out the specific performance measures we will use to communicate honestly and transparently about our progress in meeting our department’s goals.”

The Strategic Management Plan describes Caltrans’ five goals and their corresponding objectives, adding performance measures connected to each goal. These performance measures will be used by Caltrans as tools to manage from the Plan. The five goals and a sample of performance measure targets include:

Safety and Health: Provide a safe transportation system for workers and users, and promote health through active transportation and reduced pollution in communities.

* Zero work zone-related worker deaths each year. (For calendar year 2014, there were zero Caltrans employee fatalities)

* Less than 0.5 fatalities for every 100 million miles traveled on state highways. (Baseline for calendar year 2012: 0.61)

* Reduce the number of fatalities for bicycling, pedestrian and transit trips by 10 percent each year.

* By 2020, reduce the pollutants and greenhouse gases generated within the transportation system by 85 percent (from 2000 levels).

Stewardship and Efficiency: Money counts. Responsibly manage California’s transportation related assets.

* Increase the miles of roads with good pavement to no less than 88 percent of the total highway system. (As of 2013 Pavement Condition Survey: 84 percent)

* Have Caltrans’ inventory of bridges around the state rate 95 or better (out of 100) on the Bridge Health Index. (For fiscal year 2013-14: 96.3)

* Deliver 100 percent of planned projects for each fiscal year so they can begin construction. (For fiscal year 2013-14: 98 percent)

Sustainability, Livability and Economy: Make long-lasting, smart mobility decisions that improve the environment, support a vibrant economy, and build communities, not sprawl.

* By 2020, triple the amount of trips taken via bicycle, and double the amount taken via walking or transit.

* Deep cuts in transportation system-related air pollution, including:

§ 15 percent cut (from 2010 levels) of greenhouse gas emissions to achieve 1990 levels by 2020.

§ 85 percent reduction (from 2000 levels) in diesel particulate matter emissions statewide by 2020.

§ 80 percent reduction (from 2010 levels) in Nitrogen Oxide emissions by 2023 in the South Coast Air Basin (Orange County and the non-desert regions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties).

System Performance: Utilize leadership, collaboration and strategic partnerships to develop an integrated transportation system that provides reliable and accessible mobility for travelers.

* Improve the travel time reliability for four major commuting directions (SR-57 in Orange County, I-110 in Los Angeles, I-80 in portions of the Bay Area and I-210 in Los Angeles)

* Have 90 percent of intercity rail trips be considered “on-time” by 2020.

* Slow the growth of hours that drivers are delayed driving in urban areas.

Organizational Excellence: Be a national leader in delivering quality service through excellent employee performance, public communication and accountability.

* Expand the percentage of Caltrans employees who indicate that they work in a positive environment.

* Increase the percentage of stakeholders who feel that Caltrans’ overall communication, professionalism and service levels have improved.

* Increase the percentage in the number of partners who agree or strongly agree that Caltrans is a collaborative partner.

The new Strategic Management Plan is a culmination of a comprehensive process that builds upon the efforts of the Caltrans Program Review, Caltrans Improvement Project and recommendations of the State Smart Transportation Initiative. The Plan, along with the goals and objectives within, was created through extensive discussions within Caltrans and the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), and with the valuable participation of Caltrans employees, stakeholders and regional partners. Please note that in many cases, Caltrans is in the process of determining and developing baselines for all performance measures.

The Strategic Management Plan is only one of the steps Caltrans has taken recently to embrace reform, transform into a modern transportation agency and better serve all Californians. Its new mission, vision and goals encompass a larger set of outcomes around economy, livability and environment in addition to the traditional goals of improving mobility. To improve communication and community outreach, Caltrans publishes The Mile Marker, A Caltrans Performance Report, which tracks how Caltrans is performing and where it needs to improve.

Caltrans also released its 2012 Statewide Household Travel Survey, which showed that residents have used walking, biking, transit and other non-motorized sources for 23 percent of trips, more than double the amount in the 2000 survey. This underscores the rising demand for non-motorized transportation infrastructure.

For more details on the reform efforts underway at Caltrans, visit http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/paffairs/news/pressrel/15pr011.htm.

Read the new Strategic Management Plan [here].

Visit the Caltrans Office of Strategic Management at http://www.dot.ca.gov/perf/.