THE TIPPING POINT — PEF Executive Board member Ed Lucas testifies about the financial and safety problems facing DOT. PEF Legislative Director Brian Curran accompanied Lucas. PEF testimony on transportation consultant use may spur action Story and photo By DEBORAH A. MILES At a state Assembly Standing Committee on Transportation hearing in Albany November 14, PEF Executive Board member Ed Lucas said the state can save tens of millions of dollars annually by doing more in-house engineering work at the state Department of Transportation (DOT) and decreasing its reliance on costly consultants. Lucas, a civil engineer, emphasized that message which he and others have repeated to the committee for more than a decade, after a hiring freeze and retirements caused DOT to lose hundreds of workers. “Now, more than ever, the state simply can’t afford to continue wasteful spending. Our research shows the cost, on average, of a DOT engineer including benefits is $50.11 an hour. Comparable private consultant engineers charge the state up to $99 an hour. That’s $49 more for the same work being done by a state employee. “This year, more work has been given to consultant engineers. For the first half of the current fiscal year, DOT’s capital-projects’ consultant spending has increased by more than 22 percent from $113.5 million to $138.45 million for bridge inspection, engineering, engineering supervision and materials testing,” he said. Lucas listed examples of the state’s wasteful spending on engineering consultants such as in the bridge inspection program. He reiterated the consultants hired by DOT cost on average 64 percent more than state-employee engineers. “We’ve reached a tipping point,” Lucas said. “The workforce at DOT has been slashed to the point where DOT no longer has the capability to do in-house work more efficiently and cost effectively. So, that work is being pushed to expensive consultants and contractors. New York faces multi-year deficits that could be higher than $10 billion. We can no longer afford policies that benefit the corporate CEOs of engineering firms at the expense of the taxpayers and middle-class workers.” DOT Commissioner Joan McDonald testified prior to Lucas. She told the committee she was relieved when PEF members voted to ratify their contract with the state because DOT can’t afford to lose any more state employees. McDonald said she is willing to work with the union, consultants and the governor to help save the state money while focusing on critical areas such as bridges. Lucas also testified, “If DOT’s current capital program continues on the same path, the number of state bridges considered deficient will increase from 31 percent to 35 percent in 2016, and up to 40 percent in 2025.” David Gantt, chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee, suggested to Lucas that PEF should work directly with the governor and DOT to further examine the cost differential between state engineers and consultant engineers. “The bottom line is this committee wants what is best for New York taxpayers and to make sure the roads and bridges are safe for each of them,” Gantt said. The recently ratified PS&T contract contains a side letter confirming an understanding with the state to form a committee with PEF to review the state’s current use of contractors and consultants, among others. “After all this time, this may be the way to get everyone on the same page and reach the goal of PEF, to do what is best for all of New York,” Lucas said.

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