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The Connector - January 2013

Note from the Secretary

By WisDOT Secretary Mark Gottlieb, P.E.

Governor Walker has made improving our infrastructure one of the five themes of the upcoming budget. In his State of the State address on January 15, the Governor said this about the important role that transportation plays in our state economy:

They need it to keep their competitive edge. The MillerCoors Brewery in Milwaukee is a good example. The plant manager told us that MillerCoors is in a hyper-competitive industry. Every day, they are looking to find any competitive advantage to see who can get a cold beer on a bar in Madison, Green Bay, or even Chicago the fastest. If beer trucks are tied up in the Zoo Interchange, the MillerCoors Brewery here in Wisconsin is at a disadvantage. In a similar way, a dairy farmer from Independence or a lumber company from Antigo or a crop farmer from Dodgeville or a dock worker from Superior all have a competitive advantage, if we have a good transportation system. That's why I am committed to improving our infrastructure. In February, the Governor will give his budget address to the legislature in which he will describe how his commitment to infrastructure will be translated into a transportation budget for the biennium that begins on July 1, 2013. Stay tuned.

Whether it is traveling to a tourism destination or taking product to and from market, so many of our key industries-manufacturing, dairy products, timber and paper products, cranberries, vegetables, grain, sand-and soon, iron ore mining; so many of these industries depend on our strong transportation backbone.

They need it to keep their competitive edge. The MillerCoors Brewery in Milwaukee is a good example. The plant manager told us that MillerCoors is in a hyper-competitive industry. Every day, they are looking to find any competitive advantage to see who can get a cold beer on a bar in Madison, Green Bay, or even Chicago the fastest. If beer trucks are tied up in the Zoo Interchange, the MillerCoors Brewery here in Wisconsin is at a disadvantage.

In a similar way, a dairy farmer from Independence or a lumber company from Antigo or a crop farmer from Dodgeville or a dock worker from Superior all have a competitive advantage, if we have a good transportation system. That's why I am committed to improving our infrastructure.

In February, the Governor will give his budget address to the legislature in which he will describe how his commitment to infrastructure will be translated into a transportation budget for the biennium that begins on July 1, 2013. Stay tuned.

To meet federal requirements, DMV is offering a new type of driver license and ID card

In 2005, based on recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, Congress adopted the federal REAL ID law to improve driver license and ID card security and integrity. To be in compliance with the law, states must meet multiple security requirements in the issuance of driver licenses and IDs. In 2006, the Wisconsin Legislature established the legal framework needed to implement REAL ID. Since that time, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended the deadline for REAL ID several times. Wisconsin DMV has had a goal for REAL ID to meet the DHS deadline while minimizing the costs and inconvenience for Wisconsin residents. This week, the DMV began issuing REAL ID-compliant driver licenses and ID cards. While a U.S. Passport will remain valid for federal purposes such as boarding an airplane, at some point in the future DHS will require that any state-issued driver license or ID be REAL ID-compliant in order for it to be accepted for federal purposes. That deadline is at least two years away (and most likely several years away). Unfortunately, while extending the start date for REAL ID, DHS has not yet extended the deadlines — hence the uncertainly. The most important points relating to Wisconsin's REAL ID program are: Every Wisconsin DL/ID is valid for federal purposes (i.e. boarding a plane) for at least two more years REAL ID products are not currently required for federal purposes like boarding an airplane. At this time, there is no need to come in and enroll in REAL ID prior to expiration of a WI DL/ID. Wisconsin residents have a choice — they can obtain a REAL ID or a non-compliant product People coming in for a renewal or a brand-new Wisconsin resident may want to enroll in REAL ID. However, those unable or unwilling to provide the documentation required for a REAL ID can simply renew their DL/ID just as they always have. That product will still be valid for federal purposes for at least two more years. Documents required to obtain a REAL ID-compliant driver license or ID They are much the same as those required to get a brand new Wisconsin product. Applicants must present proof of name, date of birth, identity, legal presence, address, their Social Security number and evidence of any name changes (marriages, divorces, legal name changes). These requirements apply even if an applicant has held a Wisconsin driver license or ID for many years. For many people, three documents will be enough to meet the requirements A current Wisconsin resident can get a REAL ID-compliant license or ID with: a certified U.S. birth certificate (or Passport), a Wisconsin driver license with their current address and a Social Security Card. The name on the birth certificate or Passport must match the name on the REAL ID or proof of name change is also required. All Wisconsin driver licenses and ID cards are now mailed whether REAL ID compliant or not Applicants are issued a photo receipt and receive their driver license or ID card by mail. Mailing all products from a central location allows the REAL ID-required security features to be placed in the cards. These security features can't be done in field offices and thus require mailing. Additionally, mailing products helps prevent identity theft and fraud by requiring a valid address and allowing a facial recognition scan to be done of the photo to ensure the person does not have a product in more than one name. The photo receipt is valid for all identification purposes. People typically receive their products in about 5-7 business days. A REAL ID-compliant driver license or ID card has a star symbol in the upper right corner The only difference between a REAL ID and a non-compliant driver license or ID card does is that a star symbol appears on REAL ID's.

WisDOT MAPSS Performance Dashboard celebrates first anniversary

January 2013 marks the first anniversary of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's (WisDOT's) MAPSS Performance Dashboard. In its introductory year, the performance measurement program achieved great success in uniting WisDOT divisions to track progress toward the department's strategic goals. In the future, WisDOT will continue to rely on the MAPSS program for promoting agility, transparency, and the alignment of performance measurement with the Wisconsin Lean Government Initiative.

Why measure performance?

Department-wide performance measures are a top priority. They provide a powerful tool to inform the public and policymakers about the department's progress in fulfilling our mission, demonstrating transparency and being accountable for results. Performance measures create a results-driven environment to maximize the performance of the transportation system and WisDOT. Finally, the MAPSS Performance Dashboard is a critical head start in preparing for national performance measures required through the federal transportation reauthorization bill, MAP-21.

About MAPSS

The department's MAPSS Performance Dashboard Program was implemented in December 2011, and has published quarterly updates since January 2012. MAPSS is organized around five strategic department goal areas: Mobility, Accountability, Preservation, Safety and Service.

Mobility: Delivering transportation choices that result in efficient trips and no unexpected delays.

Accountability: The continuous effort to use public dollars in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

Preservation: Protecting, maintaining and operating Wisconsin's transportation system efficiently by making sound investments that preserve and extend the life of our infrastructure, while protecting our natural environment.

Safety: Moving toward minimizing the number of deaths, injuries and crashes on our roadways.

Service: High quality and accurate products and services delivered in a timely fashion by a professional and proactive workforce.

In alignment with the five strategic goal areas, the MAPSS Dashboard represents those measures identified as having the greatest interest to the public in demonstrating wise stewardship for the performance of the transportation system. The MAPSS Dashboard Scorecard provides a two-page snapshot of the department's performance on key measures, including data and a trend indicator that shows how each measure is trending and whether it is meeting established targets.

In addition to the MAPSS Dashboard, the department tracks other measures of interest to transportation stakeholders, as well operational measures to maximize the daily work of business areas. WisDOT management meets regularly to review progress and strategize areas for improvement.

Detailed information on the performance measures is provided online and in each quarterly report. These include:

• Why is it important?
• Target for the measure
• How do we measure it?
• How are we doing?
• What factors affect results?
• What are we doing to improve?

Featured metrics and trends

Throughout 2012, MAPSS Quarterly Reports have shown that most performance trends are holding steady or moving in a favorable direction.

• Mobility: Bicycle Accommodation
  Since 2008, the number of state highway miles safe for bicyclists has increased by over 20 percent.
• Accountability: On-Budget Performance
  WisDOT continues to improve its rate of on-budget performance for highway projects, having reduced cost overruns to two percent in 2012.
• Preservation: State Bridge Condition
  The number of state bridges in fair or good condition has exceeded our target rate of 95 percent since 2007, and continues to increase.
• Safety: Traffic Injuries
  The rate of serious injuries caused by traffic crashes, measured per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, has been on a downward trend since 2008 and reached a record low in 2011.
• Service: DMV Electronic Services and Service Center Wait Times
  The Division of Motor Vehicles continues to expand its offering of electronic services, helping to shorten wait times at service center locations. Still, the percent of customers served within 20 minutes is holding steady, just short of our 80 percent target.

The MAPSS Quarterly Reports have also identified several areas of concern, where WisDOT has not achieved sufficient progress toward our performance goals, including urban freeway congestion, state highway maintenance and pavement conditions, and traffic fatalities. Underperforming metrics have helped WisDOT to identify opportunities for improvement and to prioritize business areas that impact the MAPSS measures.

Future of MAPSS

The MAPSS Performance Dashboard supports a results-driven environment that allows us to get the most out of our department and the existing transportation system. The data we gather will increase the department's ability to respond to challenges and capacity to predict and monitor future trends.

Performance measures will provide a valuable tool to keep the public and policymakers informed about the state of the transportation network, while providing ongoing accountability and transparency through regular reporting of results. Business units will continue to identify operational measures that support the success of the five MAPSS core goal areas. The department is committed to growing and sustaining the program and making it part of the WisDOT culture of improvement.

MAPSS is aligned with the statewide Lean Government Initiative’s priorities to:

• reduce the cost of government
• improve customer satisfaction
• improve employee work environment
• change government work culture

See all the details about MAPSS, including the MAPSS Dashboard Scorecard, an archive of publications, interactive web pages and the monthly metric on the web.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation's MAPSS Performance Dashboard reviews five key goal areas and over-arching performance measures that guide us in achieving our mission. To check out the latest 2012 MAPSS Performance Dashboard Report, simply click on the MAPSS logo.

The WisDOT Connector is produced by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Connect with us at opa.exec@dot.wi.gov or www.dot.wisconsin.gov

Questions about the content of this page:
Office of Public Affairs, opa.exec@dot.wi.gov
Last modified: January 23, 2013