The Virginia Department of Transportation will lay off 450 hourly employees across the Commonwealth next month as a first step in reducing staffing costs.

The cuts are one element of a comprehensive plan, called the “Blueprint for the Future,” presented Thursday at the Commonwealth Transportation Board meeting and designed to address the projected $2.6 billion shortfall in transportation revenues during the next six years.

The agency is seeking to reduce its overall staffing levels by 1,000 full-time employees and 450 wage, temporary and hourly staff over the next 18 months. Currently, the agency has 605 hourly employees and approximately 8,400 full-time, salaried employees. VDOT estimates it will have 7,500 employees total by July 1, 2010.

“Budget shortfalls have significantly reduced the Commonwealth’s transportation budget, causing VDOT to focus state dollars on maintenance, operations and emergency response efforts,” says David S. Ekern, VDOT commissioner. “Ensuring that VDOT has a long-term strategy to address the changes in our financial future requires that additional tough decisions be made surrounding our construction program, services and staffing.”

VDOT will focus its resources on emergency response efforts and maintenance and operations.

“Motorist safety and emergency response continue to be VDOT’s top priorities,” says Ekern. “However, VDOT will be smaller and focused solely on core services and commitments.”

The CTB implemented the first phase of the blueprint dealing with reductions in the number of new projects that will be built on February 13 when it adopted a revised Fiscal Years 2009-2014 Six-Year Improvement Program. The revised program cut $2 billion in funding, delaying or eliminating 808 projects statewide.

The second phase of the blueprint involves staffing changes and organizational restructuring that will commence in four stages, the first of which involves reductions in wage, hourly and temporary employees. VDOT announced that it will cut staff in its construction development program, field operations and administrative functions, and will close 15 residency offices and 36 equipment repair facilities around the Commonwealth in the next 18 months.

The third phase of the blueprint focuses on reducing spending on VDOT’s programs and services, including reducing motorist amenities and to routine maintenance contracts for services not affecting driver safety. These proposals include:

- Reducing Rest Areas and Welcome Centers
- Reducing Ferry Services
- Reducing Safety Service Patrols
- Reducing Interstate Maintenance Services
- Reducing Vegetation Management

VDOT plans to meet with community leaders and citizens to discuss potential service and organizational impacts during a series of public meetings to be held across the commonwealth this spring. The dates and locations of those meetings will be finalized in the next weeks.