Dover -- The Delaware Department of Transportation today announced that it will hold public hearings next month in all three counties as part of Governor Markell's effort to improve Delaware's regulatory climate and to streamline or eliminate unnecessary regulations.

The Department's public hearings are being conducted in connection with Governor Markell's Executive Order No. 36, a statewide review by all agencies to identify and remove regulatory hurdles. The Department's hearings are scheduled for:

* Thursday, January 10, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. at Sussex Central High School, located at 26026 Patriot's Way, Georgetown, DE 19947.
* Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. at Delaware State University, located in the Bank of America Building, Longwood Auditorium, 1200 N. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901.
* Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. at the Carvel State Office Building, located at the Carvel Building, 2nd Floor Auditorium, 820 N. French St., Wilmington, DE 19801.

"At DelDOT, we are committed to a culture that is transparent and engages in meaningful dialogue with the people we serve. Executive Order No. 36 provides citizens an opportunity to review and question the regulations governing our agency," said Secretary Bhatt. "However, the success of this effort depends on meaningful public input. If you have suggestions about specific regulations that you believe should be streamlined or eliminated, we want to hear from you."

Executive Order 36 provides an opportunity for state agencies to review regulations on their books, and streamline or eliminate those that are outdated, inconsistent or no longer serve their intended purpose. After formal comment, the Department will consider the input received and change or remove regulations accordingly. The Governor will submit a report to the General Assembly detailing the regulatory changes in all state agencies in June 2013.

In addition to participating in the public hearings, members of the public are also encouraged to submit comments in writing. Comments may be submitted via an online submission form located here. Comments will be accepted through March 1,2013.