The Committee of 100 | Meeting Notes

Being Secretary of Transportation is not for the feint of heart. Especially in 2006. After former Secretary of Transportation Nathan Hayward resigned to concentrate on cancer treatment, Representative Bill Oberle declared that if Nathan "were a member of an elite military unit, he'd be shot for what he'd done." What he had done, was tell members of the General Assembly that the Transpor-tation Trust Fund (TTF) was insufficiently funded. But they hadn't listened (so decided they hadn't been told).

They've listened to Carolann Wicks. This year, as the new Secretary of Transportation, she not only told them that was there not enough revenue in the TTF for the 6-year transportation plan, but also, for their Community Transportation Fund (CTF) for projects in their own districts. Now that got their attention.

Carolann has been getting everyone's attention ever since. People have been paying attention as she recounts, in her quiet unassuming manner, the transportation challenge facing Delaware. Because we want a lot of transportation improvements but have not adequately funded the TTF, we have tough choices ahead: we can increase funding or cut projects. As Carolann states it, we must "Right Size" our transportation program. In the meantime, given the funding constraints, Carolann has focused on DelDOT's "core business," people and assets.

Indeed, instead of crediting her BA in civil engineering or her master's in public administration, or even her 23 years with DelDOT, as preparation for the position, she accepted this challenge because of the people of DelDOT, saying, "we are an excellent team of professionals who work hard to provide our customers with a safe and efficient transportation system."

Carolann understands how important transportation is to economic development. But she also understands that we can't have it all. Some already-authorized projects will not be built, at least not anytime soon. Projects which survive will need to address core issues, such as safety and congestion. And they will have to have advocates.