The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) Director Bill Panos was elected vice president of the Western Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (WASHTO). His term as vice president began July 1.

WASHTO membership includes departments of transportation from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming and Washington.

The purpose of WASHTO is to serve its member departments by:

• promoting a closer relationship between its members
• contributing to national policies on transportation issues that are responsive to members’ needs
• advocating legislation that supports efficient and effective transportation systems, economic competitiveness, and the environmental integrity of member states
• providing a forum for exchanging ideas, exploring and adapting techniques, promoting quality and best practices for implementation
• working with the United States Department of Transportation and other governmental agencies.

The NDDOT maintains a safe, efficient transportation system consisting of approximately 8,622 miles of roadway and 1,722 bridges. It oversees the development of surface transportation including highways, bridges, transit, pedestrian and bicycle paths across the state.

Annually, the department processes more than one million vehicle registrations and serves over 500,000 licensed drivers at branch offices located throughout North Dakota.

The NDDOT is an innovative and progressive organization that has a team of employees working hard across the state to carry out the department’s mission to safely move people and goods.