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Delaware Department of Transportation

Council on Transportation (COT)

The Council on Transportation

As per 29 Del.C.84§8409, The Council on Transportation (COT) is a nine-member advisory panel appointed by the Governor. It is made up of business and community leaders who have expressed interest in transportation subjects and have demonstrated expertise or experience that would help in evaluating relevant issues and programs.

Members donate their time and serve for three years. They are drawn from each of Delaware's three counties, with a minimum of two from each county. While current members cannot be legislators, their political party affiliation is a consideration. No prospective political party can outnumber any other political party by more than one member. No member may be engaged in any business, employment or vocation which would create a conflict of interest in determining Delaware's transportation programs.

What the Council Does

The Council serves in an advisory capacity to the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Directors of the Department of Transportation and the Governor on issues relating to transportation and other matters which may aid the Department in providing the best possible transportation services for the traveling public. The Capital Transportation Program and the Council on Transportation Brochure

Role of the Council on Transportation

  1. Sets Transportation Priorities
    The COT has final approval on the planning process by which the Department determines the priorities of transportation improvements. This is formally known as DelDOT's Project Prioritization Process.
  2. Adopts DelDOT's Capital Transportation Program
    The COT reviews and approves DelDOT's Capital Transportation Program (CTP), making sure that the public is well-informed and involved in the planning process and that these projects are in the community's best interest.
    A wide variety of projects are considered by the COT. Everything from new roads and bridges, to employer programs to encourage use of public transit, to transportation programs for persons with disabilities or senior citizens may be put on the table. Decisions often come down to hard, but informed choices.
  3. Approves Highway Realignments
    The COT approves DelDOT's decisions on realignments of existing highways and alignments of new highways, ensuring that the Department has followed the prescribed public process for reaching those decisions.
  4. Reviews Certificates of Convenience & Necessity
    DelDOT issues certificates to public carriers (operators or railways, taxicabs/limousines, buses and commercial carriers), except for schools and churches, for transportation services. The COT reviews and comments on the issuance, suspension, revocation or reinstatement of these certificates.


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