Public hearings Friday on 14 new positions at RIDOT

PROVIDENCE – Public hearings will be held Friday on the R.I. Department of Transportation’s reorganization proposal that will include 14 new jobs.
The hearings, held by the state Department of Administration, will create classifications for the new positions, which are non-union. Hearings will begin at 10 a.m.
RIDOT, in a press release, described the jobs as the “latest step in the largest reorganization in its history that will position the department to effectively and efficiently manage and deliver transportation projects on time, on budget and with the highest quality.”
“It’s not just about fixing roads and bridges, it’s about fixing RIDOT,” RIDOT spokesman Charles St. Martin said.
St. Martin said of the 14 positions, eight are new, and the others represent reclassifications. The salaries for the group are expected to total between $1.3 million and $1.5 million.

The positions are:

  • Administrator, Division of Planning, $126,951 to $141,259
  • Administrator, Division of Project Management, $141,259 to $155,564
  • Chief operating officer, DOT, $141,259 to $155,564
  • Legislative director, DOT, $82,572 to $93,575
  • Administrator, Office of Stormwater Management at DOT, $117,128 to $131,397
  • Administrator, Office of Transit, New Starts, Operations and Transportation, $126,648 to $140,920
  • Chief safety officer, DOT, $98,105 to $112,370
  • Manager, construction management, DOT, $98,105 to $112,370
  • Manager, project management, DOT, $126,648 to $140,920
  • Manager, in-house design engineer, DOT, $117,128 to $131,397
  • Project manager I, DOT, $82,378 to $93,347
  • Project manager II, DOT, $88,586 to $102,860

St. Martin said the positions already are included in the budget, and hiring is expected to begin this spring. He said RIDOT is at a low point in staffing levels, as positions have gone unfilled “for a variety of reasons.” The reorganization has been in the works since last summer, when it was included as part of the RhodeWorks truck-tolling legislation, he said. However, he said the addition of the positions was not tied to the the governor’s signing last week of her plan into law.
The reorganization features the creation of a new Division of Project Management to oversee and manage all projects from design to completion. Project managers, according to RIDOT, will monitor schedules, coordinate permits and regulatory requirements to ensure projects are completed on time and on budget.
“A project management approach – an industry standard in all manner of construction – will ensure that the taxpayers’ dollars are protected as we build a world-class transportation system and a stronger Rhode Island,” R.I. Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti Jr. said in a statement.
Three unclassified positions also were created last fall – chief of staff, director of communications and policy director. Celia Blue has been hired as chief of staff; she previously worked for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
Last fall, the department also converted 40 administrative positions, which were unfilled, to maintenance jobs to help improve roads and bridges.

RIDOT is responsible for the maintenance of 1,100 miles of roads.

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