Will Kempton
Director

Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
For more information about Caltrans and its programs, go to www.dot.ca.gov.

Responsibilities and accomplishments include:

Increasing road safety for motorists and workers:

• Retrofitted 99.5 percent of all state-owned bridges for earthquake preparedness.
• Issued more than one million special transportation permits to allow oversized loads of goods and equipment, including a space shuttle, on the state's highway system.
• Coordinated Slow for the Cone Zone campaign to reduce annual deaths from traffic accidents on state highways by 14 percent and in incorporated jurisdictions by 35 percent in FY 2004-05.
• Partnered with state public safety operations to reduce holiday season deaths from traffic accidents by 26 percent in FY 2004-05.

Efficiently managing the state's transportation funds and assets:

• Positioned to achieve $50 million in annual savings from improved Caltrans management, generating $250 million more for transportation projects for five years.
• Saved about $95 million between 2001-05 through audits that helped to correct errors, eliminate improper payments and reduce litigation.
• Initiated a program that challenges each of its 12 districts to deliver projects on schedule - a statewide total of 174 projects valued at $2.1 billion.
• Reduced time required to hire architectural and engineering contractors from an average of 198 days to less than 60 days - averaged 57 days producing 19 contracts worth $63 million since July 2005.

Enhancing mobility on the state's transportation system:

• Partnered with the Federal Highway Administration and regional transportation agencies to redirect $403 million in federal funds for transportation projects ready for construction.
• Collaborated with local and state stakeholders to develop the first-ever transportation system performance measures adopted by the California Transportation Commission.