Sustainability

In fall 2010, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released its Sustainable Highways Self-Evaluation Tool (since renamed the Infrastructure Voluntary Evaluation Sustainability Tool or INVEST). The tool provides a means by which transportation agencies can assess their policies and practices to determine how well sustainability is integrated into their planning, projects and operations. As part of its Sustainability Flagship Initiative, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) was looking for a programmatic way to assess the sustainability of current agency policies and practices. The INVEST tool offered a means for accomplishing that. MnDOT retained HDR Engineering, Inc., a consultant firm, to: • Objectively review MnDOT information using the tool, • Develop a “score” for each component, • Report the findings, • Help MnDOT establish a benchmark for its future use and • Recommend enhancements to MnDOT programs and practices. MnDOT is the first DOT in the nation to have used INVEST.

In order to receive National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program funds, each state must develop a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)-approved Electric Vehicle (EV) infrastructure deployment plan (EV Plan). The plan describes how the state intends to use the funds according to NEVI Formula Program Guidance. Refer to Section III.B of the Program Guidance for additional details on each section within the EV Plan. This report was prepared by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Office of Sustainability and Public Health (OSPH), with special thanks to the many partners who shared their time and thoughts to help guide the development of this plan.

Asphalt pavements deteriorate from temperature cycling, moisture, oxidation, and loading-related distresses. Pavement preservation is critical in maintaining the functional and structural integrity of roads and extending pavement life. Surface treatments can prevent or restore the aging effects by rejuvenating and/or sealing the pavement’s surface, limiting further damage, and restoring its flexibility. This collaborative study of MnDOT, the National Road Research Alliance (NRRA), and Iowa State University investigates the efficacy of fog seal/bio-fog seal topical treatments based on soy-derived rejuvenators, epoxidized soybean oil (SESO), and BioMAG, which contains SESO and the biopolymer poly(acrylated epoxidized high oleic soybean oil) (PAEHOSO). Each topical treatment is applied at three locations in different asphalt binder grades to provide a comprehensive approach to their impacts on the dry time, reflectivity, friction, and permeability of the pavement course. It is observed that the bio-fog seal treatments improve the skid resistance of the pavement, do not affect the reflectivity of pavement markings, and are able to restore the stiffness of the asphalt mixtures. Additionally, the fog seals show fast setting and curing and allows the road to be open to traffic in less than 30 minutes.

Minnesota has declared ambitious climate goals aimed at significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the next thirty years, which it plans to accomplish partly through considerable reductions in the average vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per person. This will require close collaboration between local governments and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). This report presents the findings of a brief field scan conducted in early 2023 to understand relevant initiatives, opportunities, and challenges experienced by local communities throughout Minnesota. It involved a review of local plans and documents, a survey distributed among local agencies across the state, and targeted follow-up interviews. Results indicate that while many local organizations have expressed an interest in cutting greenhouse gas emissions, few focus explicitly on transportation emissions and even fewer of those see VMT reduction as a major strategy for meeting those goals. Nonetheless, there are organizations that are interested in the types of policies and investments that could reduce overall driving and help meet ambitious climate goals, often because they support local economic goals. This presents opportunities to realign VMT-reduction strategies with local needs and for MnDOT to provide local support in the form of funding, technical assistance, data resources, and additional guidance.

On April 11, 1996, Governor Arne Carlson signed into law an act relating to sustainable development in Minnesota. This act defines sustainable development as "development that maintains or enhances economic opportunity and community well-being while protecting and restoring the natural environment upon which people and economies depend. Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." The Minnesota Department of Transportation's (Mn/DOT) Sustainable Development Task Force adopted this definition. This report examines four different aspects of transportation policy and their roles in a sustainable community. It reviews Mn/DOT's activities currently under way in those policy areas including: land use and transit; pricing; technology; and research and education. It outlines the following seven specific steps for future action: - Comply with sustainable development legislation in Minnesota--Minnesota Legislative Act Chapter N. 454, H. F. No. 1800 -Integrate sustainability measures into Mn/DOT's family of measures - Improve the link between transportation investments and land use decisions - Participate actively in sustainable development interagency working group - Establish a statewide access management program - Review the Transportation Research Board report on sustainable transportation - Develop alternatives for sustainable transportation Mn/DOT Deputies' Staff adopted these recommendations on June 3, 1997.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) funded this project to assess the current state of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) in pavement material manufacturing and the feasibility of their inclusion in the pavement procurement process in the state of Minnesota. As EPDs have only recently become available; their readiness and suitability for project procurement is currently under consideration. Specifically; this project intended to educate stakeholders regarding Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and EPDs and co-develop an EPD Pilot Project implementation plan. This pilot project conducted two high-level stakeholder education and planning workshops. The stakeholders included both MnDOT staff that would administer an EPD program in the long term and industry organization representatives; key manufacturing representatives; and other individuals whose buy-in will be necessary for the project's success. The project developed a roadmap for the implementation of EPDs in procurement along with identification of barriers and challenges in doing so.

Report #2 in the Series: Local and Regional Planning, Management, Design and Evaluation of Advanced Transportation Technologies.

This report investigates how advances in telecommunications-based technologies could aid in making transportation more sustainable. The first task examined the effect of telecommunications on work and shopping trips. The second task focused on how transit could be improved through new technology; specifically, whether the addition of GPS-based technology to flexible, on-demand "paratransit" services has the potential to serve the general public. The third task considered how wireless communications, particularly e-911 services, could improve transportation system safety in rural areas. These efforts found that particular opportunities exist. Advances in residential broadband telecommunications may lead to increased travel, which demonstrates a need for increased collaboration between telecommunication and transportation infrastructure planning. Similarly, emergency response services would benefit from increased cooperation between transportation agencies, local telecommunications providers, and emergency response services. Finally, new GPS technologies create opportunities for paratransit services to provide trips to the general public as a complement to existing fixed-route services in areas with low population densities. Finally, more research is needed, as careful targeting of the improvements would maximize the benefits from these developments. A particular area of need is in understanding inter-organizational process, as these recommendations call for providers to reach beyond their traditional expertise.

This collection of studies addresses legal and institutional issues around applying telecommunications, wireless, and Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies to transportation, with a focus on the development of sustainable communities.