WSDOT unveils new-look Gray Notebook

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has released the latest edition of its ‘Gray Notebook’, the agency’s quarterly performance report on the state’s transportation system. The August edition (46) features a new look and a new focus on communicating the economic benefits of state transportation investments. The report details how WSDOT’s Incident Response program saved drivers and businesses US$16.75 million, by clearing roadways last quarter, which covers April 1 through June 30, 2012. The new edition marks the beginning of a process to update the publication’s overall content, design and writing style to enhance reporting on all WSDOT’s activities.

Highlights from the current edition include: a review of highway system safety and ongoing efforts to eliminate traffic fatalities statewide by 2030 through the Target Zero program; WSDOT’s annual review of its bridge preservation program; and a look at how accurate the agency’s engineers are when estimating the costs associated with construction contracts.

Introducing the latest edition, Daniela Bremmer, WSDOT director of strategic assessment, explained its new look, “Data-driven publications should be informative. We’re showing they can really be appealing and interesting to a broad spectrum of people, too. This Gray Notebook edition still provides in-depth analysis and checks whether WSDOT’s projects and programs are meeting their performance measures, but the format is leaner and easier to read. It’s vital Washingtonians know just how closely WSDOT tracks their hard-earned tax dollars. We provide these regular performance reports to our elected officials and the public at large to ensure across-the-board accountability and transparency.”

24 August 2012