136-44.3. Report on the condition of the State highway system and maintenance funding needs.

The Department shall establish performance standards for the maintenance and operation of the State highway system. In each even-numbered year, the Department of Transportation shall survey the condition of the State highway system and shall prepare a report of the findings of the survey. The report shall provide both quantitative and qualitative descriptions of the condition of the system and shall provide estimates of the following:

(1) The annual cost to meet and sustain the established performance standards for the State highway system, delineated by costs to the primary or secondary system, to include the following categories of work: (i) contract resurfacing, (ii) pavement preservation, (iii) routine highway maintenance, (iv) disasters and emergencies, (v) structurally sound bridge maintenance, and (vi) structurally unsound bridge rehabilitation, repair, or replacement.

(2) Projected system condition and corresponding optimal funding requirements for a seven-year plan to sustain established performance standards. The report shall also identify target levels of service for each maintenance activity and assess historical program performance across divisions, including project delivery rates, staffing, and direct and indirect costs. The Department shall clearly denote prioritized maintenance needs and recommended resource allocations and distribution methods to achieve each target.

(3) Any significant variations in system conditions among highway divisions. The report shall include an examination of how well the highway divisions streamline project delivery, maximize efficiency, and prioritize spending based on needs and make recommendations on ways to improve these processes. The report shall analyze the cost of delivering maintenance activities by division and make recommendations on how to reduce these costs regionally and statewide.

(4) An assessment of the level of congestion throughout the primary highway system based on traffic data, and a ranking of the most congested areas based on travel time reliability and the average number of congested hours, together with the Department's recommendations for congestion reduction and mobility improvement.

(5) An analysis of existing highway division staffing levels and recommendations to ensure staffing levels are distributed appropriately based on need.

(6) A cross-divisional comparison summary document, not to exceed one page in length, which includes the divisional performance data described in subdivision (2) of this section as well as the most deficient roads and bridges in each division.

The report on the condition of the State highway system and maintenance funding needs shall be presented to the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee by December 31 of each even-numbered year, and copies shall be made available to any member of the General Assembly upon request.