The city of Louisville, Ky., is creating a new Department of Transportation (DOT).
The DOT will be responsible for public way infrastructure, including planning, design, construction, maintenance and management. The new department will be dedicated to enhancing the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the city's transportation network.
“We have seen other cities around the country successfully create and implement local Departments of Transportation and I am confident the Louisville DOT will make it easier for people and businesses to move around our city quickly, safely and efficiently,” said Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. “Improving transportation will also strengthen our economy and help us plan and implement Louisville’s future growth and development.”
“Evaluating yourself and the work needed to do your job better isn’t an easy thing,” said Louisville Department of Public Works Director Jennifer Caummisar-Kern. “We are very grateful to our consulting teams Cityfi, Sam Swartz Engineering and Gifted by Design for leading us through this process and to all those who took time to share information during interviews earlier this year.”
Earlier this year, Metro Government created a DOT consulting team led by Cityfi, LLC, which included representatives from Metro Council, Metro Air Pollution Control District, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Kentuckiana Planning & Development Agency, PARC, Louisville Parks and Recreation as well as suburban city leaders and mobility advocates.
A Fiscal Year 2025 budget allocation of $500,000 was approved by the Louisville Metro Council in June and includes four new full-time positions.
During the coming months, officials will create job descriptions for DOT positions, work on rebranding and host team workshops to better understand new roles within the department. The anticipated launch of the Louisville DOT is January 2025.
The city notes the model has been implemented in many cities, including Atlanta, Ga., Chicago, Ill., Denver, Colo., New York City, N.Y., and Seattle, Wash., with cities successfully restructuring transportation functions to achieve infrastructure goals.
Key recommendations include:
- Reorganize — Consolidating all transportation functions under one department to form a dedicated and structured division within the Department of Public Works.
- Realign — Establish a stand-alone transportation department and establish three distinct executive units within the rebranded Public Works department: Administrative Support, Transportation and Solid Waste Management Services.
- Rebrand — Public Works will elevate “transportation” in the department name to improve public understanding and underscore the department’s commitment to comprehensive transportation management.
- Implement process improvements — Strategic Planning, Project Prioritization, Project Development and Management, communication and transparency and standardization of project performance evaluation.
“I'm excited about the opportunities the new Department of Transportation can unlock,” said Louisville Metro Council President Markus Winkler. “By aligning these key functions, I'm hopeful we will be able to efficiently manage our transportation spending, improve strategic planning and provide a better experience for our residents.
The full report can be found here.
