An Empirical Examination of the Statutory Characteristics and Effects of Highway and Transportation Commissions on DOT Capital Management Capacity

Abstract

A majority of the states have created, by statute, some type of external body (such as a board or commissions) to oversee their departments of transportation (DOTs). The focus of this research is on two types of commissions: highway-only commissions and multimodal transportation commissions. We review the authorizing statutes that establish these boards and commissions to identify their statutorily defined membership characteristics and roles. We then empirically estimate the possible contribution of commissions'statutory characteristics to a measure of DOT capital and infrastructure management capacity taken from the Government Performance Project. The findings suggest that commissions are designed to promote the general interest in the efficient allocation of transportation resources. They also suggest that large commissions may improve management capacity by fostering more open discussion. There were no significant differences between highway-only and multimodal transportation commissions.

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