Reports

This Technical Summary pertains to Report 2023-22, “Impact of Speed Limit Changes on Urban Streets,” published June 2023.

This Technical Summary pertains to Report 2022-31, “Establishing a Repeatable Method for Presenting Non-Traditional Traffic Treatments to Maximize Stakeholder Support,” published June 2023

A novel infrastructure design known as the J-turn intersection reduces the risk of serious and fatal crashes at thru-STOP intersections through decreasing points of conflict at an intersection by restricting crossing movements from the minor road. Despite their demonstrated safety efficacy, J-turns have not been met with uniformly positive support. In this research, we first examine novice driver baseline attitudes and driving behaviors on J-turns using a driving simulator study. Results demonstrate that critical errors are decreased with driving exposure to the J-turn; however, attitudes toward J-turns are not improved by exposure alone. A series of studies then evaluates the efficacy of various messaging strategies and educational materials on improving attitudes toward J-turns. The findings from these studies identify that the use of both educational materials and persuasive and customized messaging strategies is an effective method for increasing acceptance of J-turns across diverse resident populations (i.e., rural, suburban, and urban) and among stakeholders in Minnesota. This work demonstrates the importance of the role of proactive educational programs and community initiatives in promoting the acceptance and buy-in toward novel roadway treatments, such as J-turns, among diverse drivers, communities, and stakeholder groups.

This report analyzes how state-funded highway improvement projects in the seven county Twin Cities metropolitan area affected businesses in adjacent Census Tracts. We first identify demographic factors associated with the temporal and financial prioritization of some projects over others, finding that the per capita income of a Census Tract is associated with it featuring more heavily prioritized highway improvement construction. We then turn to the effects of highway improvement construction and operation, using results from the previous analysis to account for endogeneity of improvement timing. While we find largely null results of highway improvement on sales, employment, establishment counts, and turnover for both single-establishment and multiple-establishment firms, we also find that pooling data masks several sources of effect heterogeneity. Specifically, we find that single-establishment firms experience negative sales effects from construction when tracts are affected only by infrastructure replacement projects (improvements that do not affect traffic operations, i.e., a bridge replacement). Furthermore, negative sales and employment effects occur after construction is completed for single-establishment firms in urban areas and in tracts affected by longer bouts of construction. Meanwhile, in suburban areas, some modest gains accrue to multiple-establishment firms. These results suggest that regional planners need to account for potential externalities from highway construction on particularly nearby small business establishments

Contains a statistical report of the expenditures of the State Highway Department for the year 1923 with charts showing federal aid appropriations to Minnesota, construction on trunk highways by the state, distribution of trunk highway maintenance expenditures, analysis of trunk highway mileage, status of trunk highway mileage by counties, 1923 accomplishment report on trunk highway maintenance, analysis of maintenance expenditures by class and item, analysis of maintenance expenditures by commodity, traffic observations on trunk highways, summary of laboratory tests on materials, statement of expenditures, construction on state aid roads, the status report of federal aid payments on federal aid projects, maintenance expenditures on state aid roads, condition of state aid roads, abstract of annual reports on trunk highway expenditures, abstract of annual reports on state aid road expenditures. Submitted by Charles M. Babcock, Commissioner of Highways. [82 pp.]

Contains a report of the expenditures and achievements of the State Highway Department for the year 1922, road construction and maintenance, bridge construction and maintenance, road equipment, surplus war material, snow removal, trunk highway marking, traffic census, tests and inspection, highway offices and buildings, accounts, federal aid appropriations, construction on trunk highways by the counties, distribution of trunk highway maintenance expenditures, analysis of maintenance expenditures by commodity, analysis of maintenance expenditures by class and item, status of trunk highway mileage by counties, analysis of trunk highway mileage, traffic census observations on trunk highways-average number of vehicles per day, summary of laboratory tests on materials, Minnesota Highway Department financial statement, construction on state roads, state aid road and trunk highway construction upon which federal aid is applied, maintenance expenditures on state aid roads, abstract of annual reports on trunk highway and state aid road expenditures, condition of state aid roads, photos of roads and bridges, of Minnesota Highway Department-Central Office, main floor, drafting room, garage, machine shop, stock room, of Engineers' Convention Auditorium. Submitted by Charles M. Babcock, Commissioner of Highways. [117 pp.]

Contains charts showing state construction on trunk highways, construction by the counties on state trunk highways, distribution of 1921 trunk highway maintenance expenditures, analysis of expenditures on trunk highway maintenance work ending 1921, status of trunk highway mileage by counties, analysis of trunk highway mileage, 1921 traffic census observation on trunk highways average number of vehicles per day, performance and cost of operation of state owned gravel truck fleets, departments expenditures, allotment of state air road funds, construction on state roads, state and road and trunk highway construction upon which federal aid is applied, maintenance expenditures on state aid roads, abstract of annual reports on state aid road expenditures, status of improvement of state aid roads, a colored photo of State Highway no. 7. Submitted by Charles M. Babcock, Commissioner of Highways. [64 pp.]

Contains a report of activities of the State Highway Department during the calendar year of 1920, road construction and maintenance, excess war material, charts showing status of federal aid funds by states for period ending Dec. 31st 1920, construction on state roads, state road construction upon which federal aid is applied, motor vehicles on hand, motor vehicles delivered to counties, miscellaneous excess war material, etc. Submitted by Charles M. Babcock, Commissioner of Highways. [44 pp.]

Contains charts showing construction on state roads, construction of town and county roads, maintenance expenditures on state roads, maintenance force, accidents reported on state roads, abstract of traffic observations on state roads, status of improvement of state roads, statement of allotment of state aid road funds, statement of county road and bridge funds, Minnesota Highway Department financial statement. Submitted by Charles M. Babcock, Commissioner of Highways. [42 pp.]

Contains charts showing construction on state roads, statement of state aid road fund, maintenance costs and work, state road condition, accidents on state roads, and Minnesota Highway Department financial statement. Submitted by Charles M. Babcock, Commissioner of Highways. [19 pp.]