Pete Rahn, former president of the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and director of the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), is featured in a new video on the State-to-State Channel of Transportation TV this week. The video highlights Rahn's Jan. 14, 2010, speech at the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Rahn discussed MoDOT's implementation of "Practical Design," a project planning and management system that Rahn says is saving millions of taxpayer dollars annually and has created a positive impression across his state.

"We're taking a more comprehensive view at MoDOT," Rahn said. The goal is to make sure planners spend time thinking about how projects fit together, instead of concentrating on a single project. "By using practical design, projects can be reprioritized, redesigned and/or scaled back to save money and meet the immediate needs of our customers," Rahn said.

Rahn admits that making such a transformative change can be "incredibly difficult" for a state DOT, but he said, "In today's tough economy, practical design is helping MoDOT to do more with less. We're building the right projects, on budget and on time, that are creating maximum benefits for the people of Missouri."

Rahn also outlined eight initiatives that he said have helped MoDOT to dramatically improve the department's public image and approval rating.

Mr. Rahn's speech, which includes his PowerPoint presentation, can be seen in its entirety at www.transportationtv.org.