Short, Elliott, and Hendrickson

In 1998, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) conducted a project originally named Metro Computer Aided Dispatch/Automatic Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) project. It was than changed to what it is known today - Safety with Automated Intelligent Locator (SAIL). The purpose of this project was to test CAD software and AVL technology in the Twin Cites metro area. This was an operational test that ran from March 19, 1999 to February 26, 2000. Six maintenance vehicles were equipped with portable mobile data terminals (MDT) for the test. The test, at that time, was used to determine the feasibility of AVL technology for maintenance activities in the metro area. The benefits of this project were real-time information for improving decision-making, recording information for after storm playback and analysis, reducing paper work, allowing operator to respond and send messages when it is safe, and provide information for verification of route completion. The SAIL 2 project is an extension of SAIL 1 to further assess the application of AVL systems for gaining value in overall snow fighting techniques, decision support systems, and area-wide highway maintenance issues for winter and summer operations by deployment of fully functional AVL systems. AVL systems were installed on 60 snow removal/highway maintenance vehicles within several Mn/DOT districts in the State of Minnesota. The project is unique from other AVL projects because of the design and planning for integration with Mn/DOT's existing resource management systems.

This report presents the results of a one-year evaluation test of an Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) project known as Advanced Rural Transportation Information and Coordination (ARTIC) located in the Arrowhead Region of Northeastern Minnesota. The objective of the project focused on combining resources and streamlining dispatching operations for four transportation agencies: District 1 of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT), Minnesota State Patrol (MSP) District 3100, City of Virginia Dial-a-Ride, and Arrowhead Transit Services. Before deployment of this project, the above agencies worked independently of each other, with overlapping functions, duplicate record keeping, and stretched already scarce resources that resulted in degradation of the quality of service to the public. The focal point of this project is a centralized communications and dispatching center, where the dispatchers communicate with maintenance and emergency vehicles, and dispatch vehicles based on an integrated database that includes functionality, availability, and real time location of vehicles in the field.

The purpose of the Highway 212 Corridor Management Plan is to document the study process and key outcomes of the Highway 212 Interregional Corridor (IRC) Study. This executive summary focuses on key elements of the study process including the Highway 212 Corridor Vision, the public involvement process, and the recommended Highway 212 Corridor Management Plan, including the shared strategies needed to initiate the implementation plan

The purpose of the Highway 52 interregional Corridor (IRC) Management Plan is to document the study process and key outcomes of the Highway 52 Interregional Corridor (IRC) Study. This executive summary focuses on key elements of the study process including "Vision 52", the public involvement process, and the recommended Highway 52 IRC Management Plan, including the shared strategies needed to initiate the Implementation Plan. The Highway 52 Interregional Corridor (IRC) Management Plan provides a vision for future improvements to the highway, known as "Vision 52", which will help protect and enhance the corridor to ensure that it provides for high speed, safe, and predictable travel conditions. It is only through the commitment of all responsible agencies that the recommendations and proposed improvements of this study can be realized. The Highway 52 IRC Management Plan is one part of a broader statewide effort of identifying and assessing the needs of the most important highway corridors across the state. These critical Interregional Corridors (IRC) are the backbone of the statewide highway transportation network.

The TH 36 bridge over Lexington Avenue is rated structurally deficient and functionally obsolete, and Mn/DOT has programmed this bridge for replacement in 2009. Additionally, the existing Lexington Avenue and Hamline Avenue ramps at TH 36 do not meet current standards for safety and geometric design. A way to bring these ramps into compliance with current standards is to lengthen and straighten the Lexington Avenue ramps at TH 36, which would require the closure of the westbound Hamline Avenue ramps at TH 36. Closing the westbound Hamline Avenue ramps at TH 36 would have impacts at other interchanges and intersections in the area. The purpose of this study is to develop traffic models and investigate the traffic impacts that closing the westbound Hamline Avenue ramps at TH 36 will have on the surrounding road network. The intersections to include in the study area were determined by Mn/DOT, Ramsey County, and the City of Roseville. The study area is shown in Figure 1 and includes 23 intersections

Executive summary of the 2003 Tier 2 Air Service Study.

The Tier 2 Air Service Study began as an exploration of the roles and functions of the Tier 2 airports that surround Minneapolis-St. Paul. These airports are in both Minnesota and Wisconsin and include Duluth, Rochester, St. Cloud and Eau Claire. The study launched with the premise that someday the highways would be even more crowded and that eventually MSP might have capacity issues of its own. Since major changes at airports require planning, design, environmental assessments, community and political consensus and finally money, lots of money, it seemed prudent to examine what were the possible future roles for these airports and start to get straight on what needed to be done to build an inter-regional system of passenger airports in the metropolitan area.

In order to provide an even greater transit advantage for buses using the Pilot Knob Road ramp, Minnesota Department of Transportation initiated a study for an A.M. peak hour bus priority system. The goal for the priority system is to aid the bus in accessing the freeway faster, but not affect the traffic signal operation adversely for the proposed routing from the park and ride lot to the freeway entrance ramp. This report documents the process taken to determine the best type of priority system for this application. It includes the analysis of four types of priority strategies on the existing signal system plus different types of detection strategies. The affects on the existing signal system under each priority strategy are tabulated along with the affect on the bus delay. Also listed in the report are other things to consider to improve the operation of the signal system as a whole.

In 2005, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) completed the Minnesota Statewide Freight Plan (Freight Plan) calling attention to needs in Minnesota to support current and future freight movements. The Freight Policy quoted below recognizes the importance of intermodal connections for efficient access to global markets: The Freight Plan also presents a policy framework providing directions, strategies and performance measures for improving freight mobility and safety in Minnesota. The Twin Cities Metro Area Freight Connector Study (TCMA Freight Connector Study) was undertaken to provide additional detailed analysis required to support the implementation of several strategies found in the Freight Plan: • "1.4: Support efforts to develop a statewide interconnected 10-ton roadway system to serve major freight facilities. " • 1.5: Pursue National Highway System Intermodal Connector designation for significant connectors." • "3.1: Address performance (speed and safety) needs on roads with significant truck volumes, particularly in the Twin Cities." • "4.1: Develop and monitor key freight system performance measures and indicators; set targets, as appropriate. "

In response to a large number of community concerns, the Minnesota State Legislature passed legislation in 1999 requiring the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) to conduct a study of all public highway/railroad grade crossings along the proposed project in Minnesota to determine minimum safety devices at each crossing. Furthermore, the plan will identify potential grade separations and identify potential grade crossing closures. This plan provides the technical background for Mn/DOT to evaluate all grade crossings affected by the PRE project, develop a strategy to ensure consistent application of federal and Mn/DOT rules and guidelines, provide input into the EIS, and to provide information to road authorities and the Legislature on grade crossing safety.