PEF peers into budget, page by page, department by department
DOT would sell roads, bridges; pay more high-priced consultants
Sometimes, no amount of planning or analysis prevents the state from making bad decisions. A prime example is the state Department of Transportation’s “Design-Build” and “Transportation Facility Development Partnership” programs.
Both of these state budget proposals would increase DOT’s dependency on more costly consultant engineers, expand the use of no-bid contracts and limit public oversight of the state program to maintain and expand New York’s transportation infrastructure.
All evidence shows that the best value in transportation work is found within the DOT staff itself. Multiple bi-partisan studies over the past 15 years have shown that state-employed engineers cost dramatically less than private-sector consultants, including the cost of benefits.
New Yorkers need DOT initiatives that increase the use of state engineers. According to DOT’s own study (conducted for DOT by a private auditing firm at a cost of $360,000), the state could save more than $123 million annually by using DOT engineers exclusively.
That’s enough to pay for 18 additional road and bridge projects and employ about 2,000 construction workers.
Instead, the Executive Budget proposes to put existing state highways and bridges on the auction block. It wants the option to sell them to private companies that could charge tolls to the same New Yorkers who are still paying the debt for building many of them. These private owners would operate the roads and bridges for profit, not simply to cover maintenance costs.
Not only does the budget propose the continued waste of tax dollars on private engineers, it would eliminate the competitive bidding process for selected design and construction contracts.
Only the largest contractors, that have both design and construction capability, could compete for these contracts — restricting competition and shutting out smaller companies.
PEF is leading a public campaign to stop the state’s abuse of contracting out. This abuse has been sharply criticized by state comptrollers and some legislators.
— Sherry Halbrook
The
Communicator March 05
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