VDOT completes employee reductions

Edited by Chris Graham
[email protected]
 

The Virginia Department of Transportation will complete major portions of its reorganization this week in order to reach a mandated staffing reduction to 7,500 full-time employees by July 1, 2010, and to streamline the way it does business around the Commonwealth.

VDOT’s restructuring program, called the Blueprint for the Future — to be implemented beginning Monday, April 26 — also changes business practices and alters the way citizens, developers, localities, businesses and transportation industry contacts will do business with the agency. These scheduled actions include:

– Consolidating 15 residency offices around the state and expanding the geographic scope of the remaining 29 residency offices.

– Transitioning customer-service activities from area headquarters and residencies to a coordinated customer-service center.

– Reorganizing and downsizing VDOT’s land-use, permitting, construction and project development activities to the district offices.

“April will be a challenging time at VDOT as we embark on the final stages of our year-long downsizing and restructuring effort,” said Acting Commissioner Gregory Whirley. “VDOT is undertaking a fundamental change in the way we do business as we streamline operations and address reductions in staffing and funding. Although these changes are significant, we will not stray from our mission to plan, build, operate and maintain a safe and efficient transportation system for the citizens of the Commonwealth.”

In January, VDOT informed 632 employees that their positions would be affected by this reorganization. VDOT has worked in the ensuing months to identify placement opportunities for employees. On Saturday, April 24, approximately 360 employees will leave the agency, closing out the final of three stages of employee reductions announced in late 2008. Of that group, 235 affected employees elected to leave the agency without seeking placement opportunities.

“We have worked hard to provide options for those employees affected by this change and adjust our staffing while simultaneously meeting the business needs that have arisen as part of this reorganization,” Whirley said. “Through the strategic use of allowing employees to substitute themselves in place of another affected employee, and through diligent work to match affected employees with vacancies and other opportunities within VDOT, only a small number of staff who wanted to stay at VDOT —approximately 35 — will leave on April 24.”

The agency has achieved its legislated goal of reducing in size by approximately 1,000 full-time and 450 part-time employees since September 2008 as VDOT continues to address a $4.6 billion revenue shortfall.

For more information about these changes, visit www.VirginiaDOT.org.