2022 SMTP Table of Contents

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Chapter 6

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The Minnesota GO Vision, objectives, performance measures, strategies and actions laid out in Chapter 5 provide direction for all transportation partners. This direction outlines how partners should work together to develop, maintain and operate Minnesota’s transportation system. This chapter outlines how the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), specifically, will move forward the objectives, strategies and actions of the 2022 Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan (SMTP). The next steps for MnDOT include identifying near-term work activities, continued planning efforts, monitoring and reporting.

2022-2027 Work Plan

MnDOT will initiate the activities listed below before the SMTP is updated in five years. These activities are not necessarily specific to any one objective or strategy but represent key areas for MnDOT to advance. Taken together, these activities will help realize the overall policy direction laid out in this plan. The list is not meant to be all inclusive. There are many other activities in each of these areas and other areas that MnDOT will do in the upcoming years to help move this plan forward.

As a statewide transportation agency, MnDOT works every day with communities around the state and is often asked to help with issues that go beyond transportation. MnDOT can help by enlisting other agencies, partners or organizations whose expertise or authority falls in these areas. Depending on the situation, MnDOT may fill one of several roles:

• DO: Some work plan activities are exclusively within MnDOT’s authority to complete. These focus on internal processes, procedures, policies, etc. to inform how the agency makes decisions.
• LEAD: For many transportation decisions, MnDOT is typically the leader in partnership with other agencies and communities. MnDOT’s primary and traditional mission is to provide an integrated transportation system and to lead state transportation policy, plans and programs.
• PARTNER: For issues or situations that cross over agency disciplines or missions, MnDOT is typically a partner with communities and other agencies. Though MnDOT might not be leading a conversation or an investment, staff may still be involved in other important ways.
• FACILITATE: While MnDOT’s primary mission is focused on transportation, MnDOT has the capacity to assist with other issues. These could range from local transportation issues to land use, housing, public health and economic opportunities. While these issues are typically not under MnDOT’s purview, the agency has an interest in the health of the communities it serves and beneficial relationships with Tribal, federal, state and local agencies.

Each category includes acknowledgment of the role MnDOT is expected to play. The work plan activities are categorized by themes that are quick for people to understand and communicate. Related objectives are listed for each work plan item to clearly tie the activities to the policy direction in Chapter 5.

Note that not all activities will be implemented at the same time. Implementation may require building on existing work. This can sometimes mean implementing near-term actions to move towards longer-term strategies. It is possible that MnDOT might not be able to complete all work plan items before the next update of the SMTP. Lessons learned through implementation will provide valuable information and insights for MnDOT processes and operations that could likely extend beyond long-range planning.

WORK PLAN ACTIVITIES

ENGAGEMENT, COMMUNICATIONS & EDUCATION

DO

• Increase partnerships with community-based organizations to conduct public engagement and communication activities for MnDOT’s projects, plans, studies and programs. Nurture relationships with community-based organizations to enhance the breadth and depth of collaboration with Minnesotans.
  Related objectives: Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making
• Evaluate and update policies and procedures that will reduce participation barriers for underserved communities to engage with MnDOT processes. This includes learning from current pilot projects and developing policy and processes for providing reimbursement, vouchers or incentives to increase participation from underserved communities in our transportation processes and projects.
  Related objectives: Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making
• Develop a community ambassador program to enhance public engagement with Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), people with limited English proficiency and people with low incomes. Support the development of two-way communications between MnDOT and these populations in transportation planning, policy, program and project-development processes. This includes sharing back to MnDOT information and insights from engagement—such as work done by MnDOT’s Office of Tribal Affairs—to inform future public engagement efforts.
  Related objectives: Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making
• Provide more continuous engagement with partners and the public. MnDOT has a large presence within a community during planning and construction activities but is less present and involved if no work is currently underway. Expanding MnDOT’s engagement efforts to include more ongoing communication and relationship building would allow for broader understanding of local and regional priorities.
  Related objectives: Open Decision Making
  
• Improve transparency of MnDOT decisions and efforts. MnDOT has increased the transparency of the agency’s decisions by posting project selection scores, candidate lists, plans, programs and other related information. MnDOT will build on this work by expanding the practice to other programs and look for additional opportunities to publicly share more information about decisions the agency makes. Transparency helps ensure people are informed in transportation decision making and helps combat misinformation.
  Related objectives: Open Decision Making

Answer to “How do you envision a more equitable future?”

“Re-envisioning ways to bring people to the table, addressing the barriers, and altering the educational requirements that limit Indigenous and Persons of Color to the planning and design process.” - Comment shared during SMTP engagement

LEAD

• Collaborate with partners, stakeholders and the public to prepare for connected and automated transportation. Building knowledge of connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology throughout Minnesota so people have the information they need and can help shape the future of transportation. Develop two-way, trusting and lasting relationships with communities, organizations and entities to create a CAV-ready environment in Minnesota and increase confidence in Minnesota’s CAV program.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, System Stewardship, Critical Connections, Open Decision Making

PARTNER

• Enhance education programs in collaboration with transportation partners. Keep the public and stakeholders informed on major transportation policy and safety issues using a variety of tools such as communication campaigns, demonstrations, pilots, technical assistance workshops and more.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making

“Living where I do, means I am dependent upon a car for transportation. I am very anxious about climate change and fear we have not moved quickly enough to slow the process.” - Comment shared during SMTP engagement

CLIMATE ACTION & PUBLIC HEALTH

DO

• Transition MnDOT’s fleet to zero emission vehicles. MnDOT owns hundreds of light, medium and heavy duty vehicles. MnDOT has already started to transition the light and medium duty vehicles to zero emission vehicles (ZEV) options and will continue to do so. MnDOT is also exploring options for heavy duty vehicles. MnDOT will be a leader in the state enterprise by encouraging all state departments and agencies to transition to zero emission fleets.
  Related objectives: Climate Action, Healthy Equitable Communities
• Leverage MnDOT right-of-way to reduce carbon emissions. There is a growing list of ways transportation right-of-way can be used to reduce carbon emissions such as carbon capture and storage, clean energy utilities, active transportation and more. Expand on MnDOT’s NextGen Highways work.
  Related objectives: System Stewardship, Climate Action, Healthy Equitable Communities
• Develop resources to mitigate urban heat islands. Document understanding of how extreme heat affects Minnesota, what populations are most directly affected and how people are impacted for the long term. Recommend and implement strategies to reduce urban heat islands.
  Related objectives: System Stewardship, Climate Action, Healthy Equitable Communities
  
• Identify opportunities to use low-carbon construction and building materials. This includes material throughout the cement and concrete value chain. Research materials that could be used in all weather conditions. Pursue low-carbon building materials for use in MNDOT facilities.
  Related objectives: System Stewardship, Climate Action, Healthy Equitable Communities

LEAD

• Develop a carbon reduction strategy. The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act created dedicated funding for projects that reduce transportation emissions. To do so, states must work with metropolitan planning organizations and other partners to develop a carbon reduction strategy. This will build off of the Pathways to Decarbonization report in 2019 and other recent efforts to identify key strategies for reducing transportation greenhouse gas emissions.
  Related objectives: Climate Action, Critical Connections, Healthy Equitable Communities
  

PARTNER

• Collaborate with private and public partners to support the deployment of zero emission vehicles throughout Minnesota. Use a variety of tools and tactics to support ZEV in Minnesota. Implement the recommendations from the Regional Electric Vehicle Midwest Plan. Develop and implement a National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure plan for designated corridors in the state. Create opportunities for co-ops, municipal utilities, and investor-owned utilities to discuss best practices related to ZEV chargers. Engage fuel providers to understand their role in ZEV charger deployment. Develop and share resources for businesses on how to support ZEVs.
  Related objectives: System Stewardship, Climate Action, Critical Connections, Healthy Equitable Communities
• Strengthen and develop collaborative relationships with public health partners to better integrate health into transportation decisions. Expand on MnDOT's collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Health. Work with partners to identify opportunities to integrate health into transportation policies, programs and projects along with a commitment to advance shared goals. Identify and track public health measures, including the utility of public impact evaluation tools.
  Related objectives: Critical Connections, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making

“It’s important to center our decision making processes on people’s lived experiences and the challenges that they have, and also connect this to who is making decisions.” - Abdullahi Abdulle, Council of Old and New Wisdom

EQUITY

DO

• Build internal capacity to advance transportation equity. Offer transportation equity training for all staff and update orientation materials to include information about transportation equity. Develop resources to ensure staff throughout the agency understand how their role can advance transportation equity.
  Related objectives: System Stewardship, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making
• Clarify how equity considerations could be accounted for in Environmental Justice analysis. Ensure there is clear distinction on the federal requirements for Environmental Justice. Provide resources to staff to understand how MnDOT’s commitment to transportation equity relates to and supports Environmental Justice analysis. Update guidance materials for consistency.
  Related objectives: System Stewardship, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making

LEAD

• Enhance analysis and evaluation of transportation equity in planning, programming and project development. Use an equity lens to facilitate decisions and build tools to measure transportation equity in capital improvements. Understand how to quantify benefits and burdens for planning and project delivery.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, System Stewardship, Climate Action, Critical Connections, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making

PARTNER

• Co-create stories about transportation in Minnesota in collaboration with communities. Center Minnesota’s transportation story in people’s lived experiences, especially for communities that have been harmed most by past decisions. Collaborate with partners and communities to identify dominant narratives, align our understanding of the power of storytelling and generate elements of a new transformational narrative that centers on transportation equity.
  Related objectives: Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making

FACILITATE

• Collaborate with partners to evaluate equity implications of transportation fees, fines and fares and develop options to reduce disparities. Conduct analyses on the impact of transportation fees, fines and fares for BIPOC and people with low incomes. Recommend policy changes to advance transportation equity.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, Critical Connections, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making

“We have one car and two adults which means that we need reliable transportation and shared mobility to access employment. This limits where either of us can access jobs because most public transportation and shared mobility do not reliably exist outside of Minneapolis and St. Paul.” - Comment shared during SMTP engagement

TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS

DO

• Implement recommendations from regional studies and plans. Regional planning processes like the Manufacturers’ Perspectives Project, Community Conversations project focused on equity as well as district freight and bicycle plans resulted in near- and long-term recommendations. Look for opportunities to implement the actions listed in the plans.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, System Stewardship, Climate Action, Critical Connections, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making
• Continue to integrate complete streets into transportation decision making. Support Complete Streets Policy and Complete Streets Handbook implementation. Track Complete Streets performance measures to inform decision making. This will help ensure the needs for people of all ages and abilities, traveling along and across roadways, are considered during all phases of planning, scoping, project development, construction, operations and maintenance activities.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, System Stewardship, Critical Connections, Healthy Equitable Communities
  

LEAD

• Increase the availability and accessibility of safe and affordable transportation options, including more lower emission transportation options. Provide community engagement and education needed to maximize the return on infrastructure investment. Work with multijurisdictional partners to understand how increasing transportation options meet SMTP commitments.
  Related objectives: System Stewardship, Climate Action, Critical Connections, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making

PARTNER

• Expand travel demand management strategies in collaboration with partners. Diversify travel choices, such as route, time of travel and mode. Provide people with effective choices to improve travel accessibility and reliability.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, System Stewardship, Climate Action, Critical Connections, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making
• Expand intermodal and multimodal freight opportunities with input from Minnesota businesses. Explore opportunities to invest in and support intermodal freight access across the state and identify potential options to promote modal shifts for freight carried by railroads, ports and waterways.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, System Stewardship, Climate Action, Critical Connections, Open Decision Making
• Work with transportation partners to identify and advance statewide strategies for reducing per capita vehicle miles traveled (VMT) 20% by 2050. Opportunities to reduce vehicle miles traveled vary by geography, community and context. Work with partners to determine where there are the greatest opportunities to meet local travel needs and SMTP targets for VMT, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and multimodal accessibility. Develop guidance for regional planning with place-based strategies to reduce per capita VMT. Additionally, the VMT target will be revisited within the next SMTP. Sub targets for specific modes or geographies will be considered after working with partners to better understand implementation and effectiveness. Consideration will be given to growth in the movement of goods and how to support agriculture, manufacturing and tourism while reducing per capita VMT.
  Related objectives: System Stewardship, Climate Action, Critical Connections, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making

PLANNING, POLICY & GUIDANCE

DO

• Revise Cost Participation for Cooperative Construction Projects and Maintenance Responsibilities between MnDOT and Local Units of Government Policy to incorporate explicit considerations for SMTP commitments including climate, equity and health. The review will identify when and under what circumstances MnDOT will cover a greater share of project costs.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, System Stewardship, Climate Action, Critical Connections, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making
  
• Update MnDOT technical guidance to incorporate new practices and policy direction. MnDOT is responsible for a variety of technical guidance that influences how projects are developed and impact communities in Minnesota. It is important that these documents are updated periodically to reflect new research, innovation and policy direction. Guidance should address changes needed to meet SMTP targets for VMT reduction, GHG reduction, multimodal accessibility and transportation safety.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, System Stewardship, Climate Action, Critical Connections, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making

SYSTEM STEWARDSHIP & OPERATIONS

DO

• Strengthen vulnerability identification and resilience in planning and programming. Expand data and analysis to be able to identify the criticality of transportation assets, understand prioritization options and establish decision analyses to inform programming decisions.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, System Stewardship, Climate Action, Critical Connections, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making
• Expand the diversity of MnDOT’s contractor pool for more opportunities for women, people with disabilities, Veterans and BIPOC to perform MnDOT work. By increasing the proportion of contracting dollars for these groups, MnDOT can drive economic recovery in tribal, rural and urban parts of the state and increase the safety, accessibility and useful life of MnDOT assets. Effort should be made to collaborate with contractors with diverse staff and those who will have a difficult time competing with large firms. MnDOT can use statutory authority for negotiated contracts and other contracting strategies (like the Disadvantage Business Enterprise program) to reduce contracting disparity and to continue developing best practices in government contracting in order to drive change regionally and nationally.
  Related objectives: System Stewardship, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making
• Pilot collaborative approaches to develop, attract and retain more Black, Indigenous and People of Color, people with disabilities and women to the transportation industry, including trades positions. Use MnDOT’s Workforce Diversity Initiative as a resource for strategies and lessons learned to scale workforce development.
  Related objectives: System Stewardship, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making
• Procure and implement a freight network optimization tool that will provide cargo and marketing information to chambers of commerce and Minnesota businesses.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, System Stewardship, Critical Connections, Open Decision Making
  

LEAD

• Support recovery and resilience of transportation operations from the COVID-19 pandemic. All parts of the transportation system have been disrupted by the pandemic. MnDOT will collaborate with partners to understand opportunities to improve transportation system operations as more information about long-term impacts become clearer. Near-term opportunities include studying changes to travel demand by different modes, exploring strategies to support transit ridership recovery and addressing freight bottlenecks.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, System Stewardship, Climate Action, Critical Connections, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making
• Explore options to improve year-round maintenance. Collaborate with partners to explore best practices to ensure year-round maintenance within MnDOT right-of-way. Update planning, design and maintenance to incorporate best practices.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, System Stewardship, Climate Action, Critical Connections, Healthy Equitable Communities

PARTNER

• Increase the number of licensed commercial drivers in Minnesota. From transit and snowplows to freight and construction, many aspects of transportation depend on licensed drivers to keep the system moving. MnDOT will collaborate with private and public partners on opportunities to increase the number of people with commercial driver’s licenses including exploring options for people ages 18 to 21.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, System Stewardship, Critical Connections
• Work with partners to evaluate telework opportunities and broadband expansion to support transportation system operations and economic development. Understand the state of the industry through pandemic recovery and support the development of resources.
  Related objectives: System Stewardship, Climate Action, Critical Connections, Open Decision Making

TRANSPORTATION SAFETY

DO

• Integrate Safe System approach in transportation safety processes and initiatives. Pursue a holistic and comprehensive framework to make the transportation system safer for people. Incorporate considerations of human behavior and human vulnerability into system design and operations.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, Healthy Equitable Communities
  
• Complete and implement district safety plans. Incorporate information from the SMTP into the district safety planning for both rural and urban contexts. Ensure processes and outcomes support a Safe System approach to transportation safety.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, Healthy Equitable Communities

LEAD

• Continue to strengthen and expand partnerships for Toward Zero Deaths, Vision Zero, Safe Routes to School, Active Transportation Program, Operation Lifesaver and other partnerships. Working together, partners can build a culture of safety, advance transportation equity and focus investment where there is opportunity for greatest impact.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, Climate Action, Critical Connections, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making
• Expand efforts to ensure safe speeds. 2021 was the deadliest year on Minnesota’s roads in over a decade due in part to reckless driving including high speeds. Partners, including the Department of Public Safety, have a role in decreasing speeds and improving transportation safety.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making

PARTNER

• Provide more options for safe and reliable truck parking in collaboration with partners. Identify underused locations that might be appropriate for truck parking in the near term. Regulatory changes and partnerships may be needed to provide sustainable options for the long term.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, System Stewardship

FACILITATE

• Collaborate with partners to evaluate speed enforcement in school and work zones. Study, track and monitor options to evaluate safety and equity outcomes.
  Related objectives: Transportation Safety, Healthy Equitable Communities, Open Decision Making

Next steps for the Family of Plans

MnDOT’s Family of Plans provides direction for all the ways that goods and people move throughout Minnesota and helps meet the 16 statutory goals for transportation in Minnesota. All planning at MnDOT begins with the Minnesota GO 50-year Vision. The SMTP is the first plan under the Minnesota GO Vision in the Family of Plans listed in Figure 6-1. The other plans in the Family of Plans provide policy direction for all transportation modes in the state. Descriptions for each modal and system plan is located below. See Table 6-1 for the update cycle for each modal and system plan.

• Greater Minnesota Transit Mobility/Investment Plan – The plan sets policy and investment priorities for transit and determines the level of funding necessary for the state to meet its transit needs in Greater Minnesota. Updating the Greater Minnesota Transit/Mobility Investment Plan is anticipated to start in 2022, with final adoption anticipated in 2025.
• Statewide Pedestrian System Plan – The plan identifies priority areas for investments and lays out specific strategies to improve walking availability and accessibility. The plan was based off of the collaborative framework, Minnesota Walks, developed in 2016 with the Minnesota Department of Health. MnDOT adopted the state’s first statewide pedestrian plan in 2021.
• Statewide Bicycle System Plan – This plan identifies policy direction for bicycle transportation in Minnesota. The most recent update of the Statewide Bicycle System Plan was adopted in 2016.
• Minnesota State Highway Investment Plan – This plan sets a fiscally constrained, performance-based, 20-year investment direction for future capital improvements on Minnesota’s state highway system. Updating the Minnesota State Highway Investment Plan is underway and anticipated to be adopted in 2023.
• Minnesota State Freight Plan – This document broadly plans for Minnesota’s freight system across all modes. This plan also includes Minnesota’s Freight Action Agenda for MnDOT and its partners to advance a number of strategies that will improve the efficiency, safety and reliability of the freight system. The most recent update was adopted in 2018 and the update is due in 2024.
• Minnesota State Aviation System Plan – This plan informs decision making and guides the development of Minnesota’s system of publicly-funded airports. The plan is updated in two parts; Phase 1 was completed in 2019. Phase 2 is ongoing and will validate the deliverables from Phase 1 and include developing a continuous implementation plan.
• State Rail Plan – This plan establishes guidance for Minnesota initiatives and investments for freight and passenger rail services. An update to the State Rail Plan is in process and adoption is anticipated in 2024.
• Statewide Ports and Waterways Plan – This document broadly plans for Minnesota ports and waterway facilities. The first Statewide Ports and Waterways Plan was adopted in 2014 and the update is anticipated in 2025.

Figure 6-1. MnDOT's Minnesota GO Vision and Family of Plans

Table 6-1: Family of Plans update schedule

Modal or System Plan	Last Adopted	Next Update Anticipated
Greater Minnesota Transit Mobility/Investment Plan	2017	2025
Statewide Pedestrian System Plan	2021	Recommended to be updated every five years and at least once every 10 years
Statewide Bicycle System Plan	2016	Recommended to be updated every five years and at least once every 10 years
Minnesota State Highway Investment Plan	2017	2023
Minnesota State Freight Plan	2018	2024
Minnesota State Aviation System Plan	Phase 1: 2019	Phase 2: ongoing
State Rail Plan	2015	2024
Statewide Ports and Waterway Plan	2014	2025

The new policy direction from this SMTP will be reflected in each of MnDOT’s modal and system plans as they are updated. It is anticipated that these updates will occur over the next few years.

In addition to MnDOT’s Family of Plans, there are many more supporting plans and studies that inform transportation decision making for MnDOT and other transportation partners. These plans focus on specific topics, such as safety or on specific geographic areas or corridors. This planning helps direct the specific projects that build, maintain and operate Minnesota’s transportation system.

Monitoring & reporting

To track progress toward the objectives identified in this plan, MnDOT will continue to monitor and report on the key performance measures identified in Chapter 5. The primary reporting method is Minnesota GO Performance Dashboard. This website holds transportation partners accountable for delivering the direction identified in this plan. It also allows the public and transportation partners to see how well the plan strategies are working. Since the SMTP is only updated every five years, annual performance reporting is useful to identify if and when any mid-course corrections are necessary.

MnDOT will also collaborate with partners, stakeholders and the public to develop additional performance measures and targets in the near term. The current list of measures does not tell the complete story of the plan. For some policy areas there is a need to develop new measures or reassess existing targets to better communicate progress. Specific measures to be explored and developed are identified in Table 6-2. However, others may be added over time.

MnDOT will also look to improve how performance measures are reported to make sure the information is easy to find, engaging and accessible for Minnesotans. MnDOT will update its performance measure website and reporting to include all the performance measures from Chapter 5 and new measures as they are adopted.

Table 6-2: List of performance measures to be developed

Proposed Measure	Related Objective
System resilience	Climate Action
Asset resilience	Climate Action
Transportation Cost	Healthy Equitable Communities
Multimodal accessibility	Healthy Equitable Communities
Increase in Transportation Equity	Healthy Equitable Communities
Project-level engagement	Open Decision Making
Partner coordination	Open Decision Making