Project 5.5
NWP Regional Permitting – Phase 2
Project 5.5, continued the efforts completed during Phase 1 through monthly discussions of options and coordination for regional permitting throughout the North/West Passage Corridor. Project 5.5 continued the discussion of North/West Passage non-Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (WASHTO) states joining WASHTO and concluded that the non-WASHTO North/West Passage states would not join WASHTO at this time.
During the duration of the project a number of measures that would make the process of moving oversize or overweight truckloads over the corridor easier were identified and noted as next steps. To help identify these steps a side-by-side detailed comparison of state permit requirements was developed. The project also focused on harmonization rules and identified recommended standards for the corridor related to signing, escorts, warning lights, and hours of operation. The project also identified necessary information to be requested from each permit application to move toward consistency.
XML or Virtual Permitting benefits and issues continued to be researched during Phase 2. Based on the research conducted during the project, the key is improving the state of the underlying states systems, agreeing on the functionality that is to be expected from the interface system and dedicating the needed resources.
Surveys were also conducted during the project to understand the confusion of regulations and requirements between jurisdictions. Survey respondents provides a list of suggested improvements to web-based information.
Based on recommendation from this phase, a third phase was completed by North/West Passage to continue the conversation among the states on issues such as harmonization. The projects also attempted to establish a regional dialog with the trucking industry; looked at weight rules and reasons for lack of harmony; and involved senior managers in the processes.