Chapter 4 – What is directing this plan?

Public Engagement

Public engagement was an essential part of the update to the Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan. The transportation system exists to meet the needs of the people and businesses in Minnesota. It is important to understand what those needs are and use that information to guide decision-making. It is also important that everyone is able to participate and be heard.

A high-level summary of engagement is included in the following sections. More detailed information can be found in Appendix D.

Phase 1

The engagement approach for this plan update was organized into two phases. The first phase focused on connecting with the general public and transportation partners. Phase 1 was the primary phase of engagement. It began in August 2015 and continued through March 2016. Almost all engagement activities were conducted jointly with the Minnesota 20-Year State Highway Investment Plan, which was being updated at the same time. The two plans also shared a joint website.

The first phase of engagement asked about the future of the state and transportation. To plan for the future, it is important to understand what Minnesotans wanted the plan to focus on. To do this, MnDOT asked participants about a number of changes projected for Minnesota over the next 20 years. These shifts – in the economy, environment, population, technology and transportation behavior – will affect how people and goods move. The goal was to understand which of these changes, or types of changes, were most important for the plan to consider moving forward. Participants helped prioritize more than 20 individual trends in five different areas:

Environmental Trends

Transportation Behavior Trends

Population Trends

Economic Trends

Technology Trends

Phase 1 engagement at a glance

August 2015 through March 2016
125+ in-person events
7,500+ website sessions
300,000+ social media views/impressions
12,450+ responses

Activities

The first phase of engagement included a variety of in-person and online opportunities for Minnesotans to get involved. Figure 4-1 highlights all the tactics that were used. More information about each activity is available in Appendix D.

Figure 4-1: Summary of engagement tactics

Audience

More than 12,450 responses were received during the first phase of engagement. Participants were asked to answer a few optional and anonymous demographic questions. They were asked about their age, race / ethnicity, gender and zip code. This information helped to make sure overall participation mirrored the make-up of Minnesota. When asked, about 56 percent of participants provided at least some demographic information. Figure 4-2 and Figure 4-3 show who was reached during this engagement effort.

Figure 4-2: Demographic comparison between respondents and Minnesota’s population

Figure 4-3: Phase 1 participation by zip code

Phase 1 participation by zip code

Results

A summary of input from Phase 1 is included in the following sections. More detailed information can be found in Appendix D.

Trend Categories

Environmental trends were more frequently identified as the most important area of change to plan for. Approximately 30 percent of all participants chose this as their top priority. Environmental changes were followed by changes in transportation behavior and population changes, which were both the top priority for approximately 20 percent of respondents (Figure 4-4).

Figure 4-4: Percent of respondents identifying a trend category as their top priority

This overall relative priority provided some direction. However, not every respondent shared the same priorities. Demographic data was used to identify trend areas that were a higher priority for one group than the collective ranking. Key differences include:

Transportation behavior changes were a higher priority among these groups: transportation partners, men, Asian Minnesotans, White Minnesotans, and age groups 21-35, 36-50, 51-65 and 66 plus.
Population changes were a higher priority for American Indian or Alaska Native Minnesotans.
Economic changes were a higher priority among these groups: transportation partners, men, American Indian or Alaska Native Minnesotans, Asian Minnesotans, Black or African American Minnesotans, Hispanic Minnesotans, and Minnesotans of multiple races / ethnicities.
Technology changes were a higher priority among transportation partners, American Indian or Alaska Native Minnesotans, and Minnesotans age 20 and under.

This data indicates potential differences among demographic groups, but it is important to remember that this is a summary. There are many different perspectives and opinions within all communities in Minnesota.

Individual Trends

In addition to ranking each trend category, participants were asked to identify which individual trends are most important to them. The goal was to understand if there are specific trends that may be a high priority even if the broader category was seen as less important. The five most-prioritized individual trends are shown in Figure 4-5.

Figure 4-5: Top five most important individual trends

Generally speaking, the top individual trends are closely linked to the top priorities among the broader trend areas. Similar to the broader trend areas, there were variations in how participants prioritized the individual trends. Key differences include:

The aging population trend was ranked in the top five for American Indian or Alaska Native Minnesotans and Minnesotans older than age 65.
The economy and employment trend was ranked in the top five for Minnesotans of multiple races / ethnicities.
The mobility as a service trend was ranked in the top five for Minnesotans ages 20 and younger.
Health trends in Minnesota were ranked in the top five for American Indian or Alaska Native Minnesotans and Hispanic Minnesotans.
The electrification and alternative fuels trend was ranked in the top five for Black or African American Minnesotans and Minnesotans ages 20 and younger.
The racial disparities and equity trend was ranked in the top five for Black or African American Minnesotans and Hispanic Minnesotans.
The sensors, monitors and big data trend was ranked in the top five for Minnesotans ages 20 and younger.

Again, while this data indicates potential differences among demographic groups, it is important to remember that these numbers are summaries. There are many different perspectives and opinions within all communities in Minnesota.

Impact

The input received from Phase 1 helped determine what the policy direction in the plan should focus on. The priority areas and trends identified by Minnesotans were reviewed to make sure they are reflected in the bjectives and strategies (Chapter 5). For example, climate change and environmental quality were identified as top priorities. There are now two new strategies related to climate change: one to reduce emissions from the transportation sector and one to identify risks to the transportation system, such as more frequent flooding.

Phase 2

The second phase of engagement occurred during April and May 2016 and built on the information gathered in Phase 1. A number of specific questions rose up as the priorities from Phase 1 were incorporated into policy direction. These questions covered a range of topics and mostly dealt with the details about how the proposed changes would be implemented. Given this focus on implementation, Phase 2 primarily focused on reaching transportation partners, including different groups within MnDOT. However, even with a focus on transportation partners, anyone was welcome to participate. The major topics covered in this phase of engagement included:

Land use and transportation connections
Urban and rural system performance
Equity and ability
Climate change and environmental quality