- Executive Summary
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 – Importance of Freight to Minnesota
- Chapter 2 – Current and Future Freight Trends and Issues
- Chapter 3 – Minnesota’s Freight System Assets, Conditions and Performance
- Chapter 4 – Freight Forecasts
- Chapter 5 – Freight Policies and Strategies
- Chapter 6 – Sustainable Truck Trends and Strategies
- Chapter 7 – Freight Investment Plan and Implementation
- Appendix A – Critical Urban and Rural Freight Corridors
- Appendix B – Freight Performance Measures
- Appendix C – IIJA State Freight Plan Requirements
Freight Policies and Strategies
The freight policies and strategies MnDOT and freight partners will use to implement the State Freight Plan Goals cover a wide range of focus areas and activities. These strategies link to both the National Multimodal Freight Policy goals as well as the Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan goals and objectives. Strategies come in the various forms of policies, programs and projects and will be prioritized predicated on how soon the strategy is needed and the resources allotted to the implement the strategy. Successful implementation of these goals will require a joint effort by many different stakeholders and partners.
Minnesota’s Freight Action Agenda
The Freight Action Agenda is a set of actions created by MnDOT in partnership with the Minnesota Freight Advisory Committee (MFAC) to implement the State Freight Plan. The Action Agenda provides guidance in how to improve the freight network statewide in Minnesota along with opportunities to collaborate on how to better maximize the health of the economy, people and environment.
The Role of the Minnesota Freight Advisory Committee
Partnerships were key to developing this plan, and they will also be key to implementing and maintaining it. The Freight Action Agenda is not intended to be a static document, but modified as stakeholder needs change. As such, continuous outreach and communication with public and private sector freight stakeholders will be critical to implementation. The MFAC will monitor and report on the implementation and development of the Freight Action Agenda. The MFAC will work with MnDOT to ensure the Agenda is continuously revised and updated on regular and timely basis. MnDOT, the MFAC, and other public and private partners will collaborate towards fulfilling the Freight Action Agenda, helping ensure the well- being and success of Minnesota’s freight network, and its economy, environment and communities.
ID | Action Description | Roles | Timeframe | Objective(s) |
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GOAL 1: FREIGHT SYSTEM STEWARDSHIP | ||||
1 | Encourage and Support Partnerships: Engage and partner with Minnesota’s public agencies and with producers, shippers/receivers, carriers, and other private sector freight stakeholders to address Minnesota’s freight issues together. This includes convening an ongoing freight forum. Engage and partner with neighboring states to address regional freight issues together. | Lead: MnDOT Partners: The Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota and members of the MFAC, REV Midwest Coalition | Short- term |
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2 | Freight Education and Advocacy: Public and private freight stakeholders advocate together for a safe, equitable and sustainable freight transportation by advancing critical freight partnerships, strategies, investments, and continued funding for freight investments, and educate the public on the critical role freight plays in the economy and everyday life of Minnesotans. | Lead: MnDOT Partners:Public and private sector freight stakeholders | Short- term |
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3 | Improved Data Collection: Improve freight-related data collection (e.g., truck counts) and use innovative sources to help make data-driven decisions. Increase public visibility of freight data. | Lead: MnDOT | Short- term |
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4 | Freight Investment Plan: Develop a freight investment plan that aligns key freight projects and available sources of funding so they can be implemented. | Lead: MnDOT Partners: Public and private freight stakeholders, system owners and operators | Short- term |
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5 | Prioritize Maintenance of the National Multimodal Freight Network: Prioritize bridge/pavement maintenance on these shared routes to ensure ability to handle freight rail, truck and passenger traffic. | Lead: MnDOT | Short- term |
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6 | Integrate Freight into All Planning Projects: Consider freight in overall project planning across modes (highway, rail, water, and air). Regularly engage the private sector and communities impacted by freight to consider their perspectives during freight system planning. | Lead: MnDOT Partners: State, regional and local planning agencies | Short- term |
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7 | Preserve Key Rail Corridors: Preserve and maintain key railroad corridors by actively managing the State Rail Bank and coordinating with railroad partners on future connections across the state. | Lead: MnDOT Partners: State, regional and local planning agencies | Short- term |
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8 | Maintain MnDOT Superload Corridors: Maintain critical oversize and overweight routes to ensure access across the state for key freight movements and work with peer state partners to identify ways to harmonize size and weight limits. | Lead: MnDOT, state and local departments of public safety and enforcement Partners: Local permitting agencies | Short- term |
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9 | Targeted Freight System Investments: Utilize freight system performance measures to monitor and report system condition and identify investment needs. | Lead: MnDOT, public and private sector freight system owners and operator | Mid-term |
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GOAL 2: IMPROVING FREIGHT SAFETY | ||||
10 | Incident Management and Emergency Response Plans: Develop emergency plans to ensure critical supply chain connectivity and proactively route hazardous materials | Lead: Minnesota Office of Public Safety Partners: MnDOT, public and private sector freight stakeholders | Short- term |
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11 | Design for Freight Safety: Design and implement geometric features that improve freight safety across modes including on roadways, across railroads, ports, and other facilities. | Lead: MnDOT | Short- term |
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12 | Address Truck Parking and Charging Needs: Address the statewide truck parking shortage and electric truck charging by working with public and private sector partners to identify truck parking needs, invest in new and existing sites and maintain truck parking availability information systems. | Lead: MnDOT Partners: Public and private sector freight stakeholders, neighboring states, REV Midwest | Short- term |
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13 | Improve Freight Rail System Safety: Building on the work of the State Rail Plan and the Railroad At Grade Crossing Safety Action Plan, implement the key findings from each focusing on rail safety improvement projects through the Minnesota Railroad Service Improvement Program, the At Grade Crossing Safety Program, the Antiquated Equipment Program, and others. | Lead: MnDOT Partners: Public and private sector freight stakeholders, Minnesota Department of Public Safety | Short- term |
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14 | Invest in New Freight Technology: Support the implementation and advancement of connected and automated electric vehicles, truck parking information management systems, work zone in cab safety messaging and others. | Lead: MnDOT Partners: FHWA | Short- term |
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GOAL 3: CONNECT MINNESOTANS AND BUSINESSES | ||||
15 | Improve First- and Last-Mile Connections: Encourage the development of first and last mile connecting infrastructure and operational programs, such as highway access and rail spurs to local businesses | Lead: MnDOT Partners: Various state, regional and local planning and economic development agencies | Mid-term |
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16 | Support Freight Modal Balance: Encourage modal balance and redundancy within key trade corridors so that businesses have access to a variety of cost-effective and competitive freight modes to ship their goods. | Lead: MnDOT Partners: Public and private sector freight stakeholders | Mid-term |
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17 | Support Multimodal Freight Options and Expansions: Incentivize intermodal and multimodal facility development to allow goods to shift between modes to promote more competitive shipping rates, efficient use of vehicles, and minimize potential conflicts between freight and passenger modes. | Lead: MnDOT Partners: DEED, railroads in Minnesota, regional and local planning and economic development agencies where a new facility may be cited | Mid-term |
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GOAL 4: SAFEGUARD MINNESOTA’S HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT | ||||
18 | Explore Urban Goods Movement Programs: Research, identify and trial urban freight delivery programs and projects to improve delivery safety and timing, reduce truck congestion, consolidate parcel deliveries, reduce freight conflict with passenger modes, decrease vehicle miles traveled and promote traffic safety. | Lead: MnDOT, various state, regional and local planning agencies | Mid-term |
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19 | Implement Sustainable Freight Efforts: Actively lead on transition to low and zero emission freight vehicles, incentives for fleet replacement and coordinate with key public and private sector partners on electric, hydrogen and other motive power systems. | Lead: MnDOT Partners: REV Midwest Coalition | Mid-term |
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20 | Mitigate Impacts on Environmental Justice Populations: Identify and mitigate freight impacts which relate to environmental justice issues such as air quality and flooding on underrepresented, underserved, and overburdened communities in future infrastructure projects. | Lead: MnDOT Partners: Various state, regional, and local planning agencies, freight stakeholders | Long-term |
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21 | Integrate Freight into Land Use Planning and Policies: Implement land use planning and policies to ensure freight development areas are designated and preserved and that development occurs adjacent to existing infrastructure in ways that do not negatively impact vulnerable populations while improving first and last mile connections. | Lead: Various state, regional and local planning agencies Partners: MnDOT, DEED | Long-term |
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22 | Mitigate and reduce local air pollution, flooding, stormwater runoff and wildlife habitat loss impacts caused by the freight system in Minnesota: Support policies and programs that reduce freight transportation emissions, minimize the impacts of freight on the natural environment. | Lead: MnDOT | Long-term |
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GOAL 5: SUPPORT MINNESOTA’S ECONOMY | ||||
23 | Improve and Expand Freight Industry Workforce Development: Develop programs in cooperation with community colleges and the private sector to ensure workforce is available for industry needs. | Lead: DEED, Minnesota Trucking Association | Mid-term |
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