Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan

Read the 2022 SMTP

Minnesota is facing many changes.

Minnesota is facing many changes. These shifts—in population, economy, environment, technology, safety and travel behavior—will affect how people and goods move throughout the state. It is important we proactively plan to address these changes, so we can achieve our vision of a multimodal transportation system that maximizes the health of people, the environment and our economy.

That’s why, every five years MnDOT writes a plan for the future of the state’s multimodal transportation network. The document is a statewide policy plan for all users, all modes and any jurisdiction that has a role in Minnesota’s transportation system. It evaluates the status of the transportation system, what’s changing, and how we’re going to move forward over the next twenty years. The work is so important to the success of the future system that it is required under both federal and state law. The SMTP was last updated in 2022.

In addition to the agency’s long-standing commitment to preserving the existing system, the SMTP also includes new opportunities and emphasis areas, including:

Climate: Shifting to a climate-friendly transportation system requires that the transportation system look, feel, operate and be maintained differently in the coming decades. The SMTP includes the following climate action commitments:

Decrease annual greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector by 80% by 2040.
Ensure that all new light duty vehicles registered in Minnesota are zero emission vehicles by 2035.
Reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled across Minnesota per capita 14% by 2040.
Integrate vulnerability identification and resilience into planning and programming.
Develop system and asset resiliency measures.

Equity: The process used to update the SMTP included several activities that embedded transportation equity into the planning approach, including an equity review applied to all the draft strategies and solutions. As a result, equity is integrated throughout the policy direction. The SMTP update includes the following equity commitments:

Build internal capacity to advance transportation equity.
Enhance analysis and evaluation for transportation equity in project selection and project development.
Co-create stories about transportation in Minnesota in collaboration with communities.
Collaborate with partners to evaluate and address equity impacts of transportation fees, fines and fares.
Develop a measure of how much household income is spent on transportation.
Develop measures for transportation equity.
Use a newly developed transportation equity statement of commitment to inform ongoing work.

Health: Changes to transportation can make the system work better for all people and modes. When transportation works well, it improves health outcomes and reduces disparities. The SMTP includes the following public health commitments:

Adopt a Safe System approach to transportation safety.
Increase the percent of Minnesotans who walk or bicycle at least weekly to 60% by 2040.
Develop resources to mitigate urban heat islands.
Develop measures for walking, bicycling and taking transit at a project- and program-level.

The plan is the result of extensive collaboration during the last two years between MnDOT, partners, stakeholders and the public. The four-phased engagement approach has included a variety of ways and opportunities to meet people where they were at. The goal during Phase 1 (completed in early 2021) focused on identifying six focus areas for the SMTP update. The goal for Phase 2 (completed in fall 2021) was to dive deep into each of these six focus areas. The goal for Phase 3 (completed in winter 2021) was to get more feedback on select topics where MnDOT and transportation partners needed more information on how to proceed. Phase 4 (completed in summer 2022) was the public comment period and hearing for the draft SMTP.

More information about public engagement can be found in collection of summaries and in the 2022 SMTP.