The Virginia Department of Transportation is doing its best job of delivering projects on budget and on time since FY 2010. According to VDOT’s most recent quarterly report, the department had 340 maintenance and construction projects due for completion during the October-December quarter. Of those, 77.1% were completed both on time and on budget — edging out its target of 77%.

Stated Governor Bob McDonnell in a prepared statement: “I’m pleased
to report that VDOT is on-time and on-budget for all VDOT-managed construction and maintenance projects during this quarter. This is especially significant since so many additional projects and project phases are under way following our historic investment in transportation made during last year’s General Assembly session, advancing more than 900 projects.”

It’s good to know that VDOT performance is meeting goals. Kudos all around. But the governor’s statement leaves a few questions unanswered.

• Now that VDOT has met its 77% target, is it realistic and appropriate to raise the target — say, to the 83% on-time/on-budget performance of the 2Q of FY 2009?
• The on-budget/on-time performance was the best since FY 2010. Gosh, that means it was the best in six quarters. Not exactly earth shaking news. Indeed, the question arises, why did VDOT performance dip in FY 2011, when only 66% of projects came in on-time and 68% on-budget?
• While we’re on the subject, how does the most recent quarter compare to years before FY 2010? VDOT has been tracking performance for nine years now. How does current performance stack up against the best performance recorded?
• Given the fact that bids are coming in 15% or so under official VDOT estimates, why are any projects coming over budget?

Bacon’s Rebellion — asking the questions nobody else asks.

Update: To answer some of the questions above, it seems that VDOT hit 80% on-budget/on-time in 2007 and maintained that level for the next two years. So, my new questions are (1) what caused performance to dip in 2010, and (2) why would the McDonnell administration bring attention to an issue that no one was asking about?

— JAB