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Engineering lays out $3.5B portfolio, warns procurement, labor and costs constrain Vision Zero progress
Summary
County Engineer Milton Rahman told court the office manages 623 active projects (~$3.5B) and faces a $500M-plus funding gap to address 33 high-injury corridors for Vision Zero; he cited procurement lead times, rising construction and professional-services costs, and staff vacancies as core constraints.
County Engineer Milton Rahman and senior staff briefed commissioners on the Office of the County Engineer's FY25 priorities, describing a large portfolio of active projects and multiple funding pressures.
Rahman said the department currently manages 623 active projects valued at roughly $3.5 billion and cited $700 million in active transportation projects and $120+ million earmarked for county jails and public-safety improvements. He said the county has processed more than 54,000 permits (generating about $20.75 million) and performed large-scale Hurricane Barrel debris removal and recovery work.
On Vision Zero, Rahman said the county has identified 33 high-injury network corridors with an estimated $500 million in needs to address recurring serious injuries and fatalities. He said Proposition B (2022 bond) allocated approximately $50 million for Vision Zero initiatives but that broader programmatic funding will be required to meet the 2030 Vision Zero commitments. He also said recent federal grant wins total more than $60 million with a Vision Zero alignment.
Rahman and Chief of Staff John Dice highlighted implementation constraints: an acute shortage of construction and design-market capacity that has driven up professional-service rates and reduced bid competition, procurement timelines that can take five to seven months for professional services, and 138 total vacant positions across the department (including 70 in the general fund). They said these dynamics lengthen project schedules and increase costs.
The engineer urged commissioners to consider strategic funding choices and noted the department is pursuing staff-augmentation RFQs and programmatic grants while coordinating with precincts to prioritize safety investments. He said procurement and interagency coordination (with Metro, TxDOT and municipalities) will be essential for the county transportation plan and to stand up a regional approach to transit and Vision Zero implementation.
