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Effects of Legalization of Marijuana on Traffic Safety

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Date Created
2024-05
Report Number
TRS2404
Description
The recent legalization of recreational marijuana use in Minnesota prompted MnDOT’s Office of Traffic Engineering to request this Transportation Research Synthesis (TRS) to gather information about the impacts to traffic safety of such legislation in other states. Using a survey of the states and district where recreational use of marijuana has been legal for some time or only recently legalized, this TRS examines any changes in traffic safety; the effects law enforcement agencies have identified after legalization; and the guidelines, procedures and experts law enforcement use to determine impairment of recreational marijuana users. Findings from this TRS are expected to inform future actions by MnDOT and local agency staff, as well as the state and local policymakers and legislators seeking to assess the traffic safety impacts associated with legalizing recreational marijuana use.

Measuring the Livability Framework

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Date Created
2024-02
Report Number
TRS 2401
Description
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Office of Livability established the Livability Framework to guide transportation policies, programs, and/or projects toward improved, people-focused outcomes. The Livability Framework proposes seven (7) Livability Pillars to be considered as part of the planning and implementation of these activities. These Livability Pillars include Health and Environment, Economic Vitality, Sense of Place, Safety, Connectivity, Equity, and Trust. To support this effort, a Livability Measurement Tool (or tools) will be developed to help planning agencies measure, represent, interpret, evaluate, and track livability considerations, and, thereafter, determine appropriate action to address identified needs. An initial step for this work is a summary identification of current best practices for measuring livability. This report provides a literature analysis of research conducted on measuring livability and identifies points of consensus, debates, and gaps in the research on the measurement of livability as the MnDOT Office of Livability defines the concept. Within the body of research analyzed, there was consensus regarding the effect of the built environment on human health and subjective well-being, and measurements for its assessment. However, there are notable gaps in existing literature for measuring feelings of belonging, the inequitable burden of transportation systems on vulnerable populations, and distrust in government by residents, among other issues.

Administrative Rules and Structures of Speed Safety Camera (SSC) Systems

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Date Created
2024-03
Report Number
TRS2402
Description
Minnesota does not currently have legislation enabling the use of speed safety cameras (SSCs), previously referred to as automated speed enforcement (ASE). However, due to an increase in speed-related fatal crashes on Minnesota roadways and research indicating the effectiveness of SSCs (TRS 2204), there is renewed interest in passing enabling legislation in the state. While the effectiveness of SSC programs has been widely agreed on, implementation of SSC programs is complex. This Transportation Research Synthesis was completed to better understand the complexity and best practices for SSC program administration and highlight considerations specific to Minnesota if enabling legislation were to be passed by the legislature. It also provides a summary of recent FHWA guidance documents, bi-annual reports from states with active SSC programs, and expert interviews conducted through the TRS process to better understand Minnesota specific considerations. Some of the topics covered in the report include: Citation Type/Processing Structure, Penalties, Equity Considerations, Commercial Drivers License (CDL) Implications, Top Concerns from Stakeholder Agencies, Public Perception and Revenue, and Funding.

Bridge Drainage Systems and Discharge to Waterways

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Date Created
2023-06
Report Number
TRS 2304
Description
The MnDOT Bridge Office sought out information on best practices regarding the use of drainage systems on bridges. Minnesota regulations strongly discourage the discharge of runoff directly into waterways; however, bridge drainage systems can lead to accelerated deterioration in bridge elements. MnDOT requested a synthesis to gather information to assist them in future development of guidance on design, detailing, specifications, construction, and maintenance procedures for bridge needs, focusing specifically on agencies with similar northern climates to the greatest extent possible.

Electric Vehicle Fee Restructuring

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Date Created
2024-03
Report Number
TRS2403
Description
This Transportation Research Synthesis (TRS) investigates potential strategies for equitable fee structuring among motorists in Minnesota as adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) continues to accelerate. To examine funding structures that could address revenue shortfalls due to EV deployment, this TRS summarizes other states’ approaches to capturing revenue from EVs.

The Health and Transportation Nexus: A Conceptual Framework for Collaborative and Equitable Planning

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Date Created
2022
Report Number
TRS2201
Description
Transportation is a crucial contributor to health. It not only directly shapes the social and physical environments but also determines the type of places where people can live, learn, work, and play in their everyday lives. This project develops a conceptual framework for collaborative and equitable health and transportation planning by extending the social determinants of health framework to include three major pathways through which transportation factors operate on health and equity outcomes. The three major pathways are behavioral health, environmental health, and social exclusion, which are identified via a thorough review of the academic literature and gray resources on health and transportation connections. Of the three pathway mechanisms, social exclusion and environmental health are intrinsically linked to social equity and justice issues. We further review state-level initiatives linking transportation to health and interview six state departments of transportation that are pioneers in advocating and implementing integrated health and transportation planning. The interview results are summarized and discussed in the report. Based on the interviews, we make recommendations for the Minnesota Department of Transportation to help further its efforts on integrated health and transportation planning.

Developing Transportation System Climate Resilience Performance Measures

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Date Created
2022
Report Number
TRS2202
Description
Climate change is exacerbating weather-related impacts on the transportation system. As floods, droughts, wildfires and other extreme weather events become more common and destructive, transportation infrastructure will need to adapt to become more resilient. To better understand how climate change will impact Minnesota’s transportation system and to identify areas of high risk in the state, MnDOT is seeking to develop a new strategy that measures and tracks a range of climate resiliency-related variables. This Transportation Research Synthesis presents the findings of a survey of state transportation agencies about the performance measures and practices implemented to monitor the agencies’ climate resilience efforts. Supplementing these findings are case studies of selected state departments of transportation and resources obtained through a literature search.