In an ongoing campaign to revamp itself and move further from a troubled past, the Virginia Dept. of Transportation March 12 launched its new Website featuring a comprehensive progress list of construction contracts. The "Dashboard" Web page, http://dashboard.virginiadot.org/, lists contracts in progress with red, yellow and green buttons to designate which are behind schedule, over budget, or have a lot of change orders; which are at risk of any of these; and which are on time and on budget, respectively. The site will be updated every 24 hours, says VDOT Commissioner Philip Shucet. "Dashboard will make better managers out of all of us," says Shucet, referring to DOT and private managers of projects.

The program was a year in the making. VDOT solicited updated data about every project. "Nobody called me up to say they were unhappy, though I did hear of some squirming," says Shucet. "But...after all, we're talking about major public works and if we’re willing to put our face transparent[ly] out to the public, I don’t think contractors will hesitate. We have a good group of contractors as interested as any in making us a good organization."