Minnesota Department of Transportation

This report contains data about contracts that meet the definition of “Privatization Transportation Contracts” as described in Minnesota Statutes 161.3203, which is also known as the “Taxpayers’ Transportation Accountability Act.” A total of 994 contracts were evaluated since the Act took effect. The Minnesota Department of Transportation executed 113 contracts meeting the statutory definition of a privatization transportation contract during state fiscal year (FY) 2024 (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024). This report provides information on the contracts executed in FY 2024 and the 248 contracts from previous years that remained active or were in the close-out audit process at the end of the prior year. Appendix A provides a detailed breakdown for each active contract.

The Transit Report is published annually to give residents and elected officials an overview of public transit services in Greater Minnesota. The report includes fact sheets that describe each of these state-supported public transit systems, aggregated information about calendar year (2022) expenditures, and calendar year (2023) operating budgets. 2023 expenditures are not included because the report is developed in fall 2023. This report meets the requirements in Minn. Stat.174.247 that MnDOT annually compiles and publishes financial information for federal and state-supported transit systems.

Pedestrian bridges are sometimes constructed as the result of public pressures, i.e. emotional pleas for pedestrian bridges are voiced with safety used as a ploy. But, casual observation has shown that some pedestrians prefer to ignore the safety of bridges that have been provided for them, and cross highways at grade level. The purpose of this study was to determine pedestrian crossing patterns and degree of pedestrian bridge use in areas where pedestrian bridges exist but pedestrians are not compelled to use them.

The Third National Conference on Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) was held to share information and experience on this rapidly advancing technology. The first such conference was held in Denver, Colorado in 1983 and explored the technology in its infancy. The Conference looked ahead to experimentation, testing, and demonstrating the capabilities of WIM. A second conference was held in Atlanta, Georgia in 1985. WIM use and interest had grown from a handful of states to a majority of states and the conference looked ahead to the use of WIM data for enforcement, design, and pavement management. The third national conference on WIM was attended by representatives from all 50 states and eight foreign countries. Presentations and demonstrations clearly revealed wide spread acceptance and use of WIM for both enforcement of vehicle weight laws, pavement design, and management.

The Third Avenue North Distributor is being designed as a high capacity connection between I-394 west of Minneapolis and the downtown Minneapolis street system. It is the eastern most mile of I-394, and it will be constructed on the northern fringe of the CBD. As part of the transportation system management plan for downtown Minneapolis, three parking garages are being proposed to be constructed adjacent to, or in the air-rights of, this roadway. The garages were proposed in 1969, and in 1974, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) asked to have a financial feasibility study conducted along with a study to determine the impact these parking garages will have on the regional transit system. This report is the results of these studies, and includes an examination of alternative locations for the garages

This project is located in a fully developed area of the Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. The unmarked Trunk Highway involved is Legislative Route 108, which is Lake Street in Minneapolis and Marshall Avenue in St. Paul. Lake Street and Marshall Avenue span the Mississippi River on Bridge No. 6520. The river banks on both ends of the bridge are part of the park systems of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The common border of the cities at this location is at the middle of the bridge, which is known as the Lake Street Bridge in Minneapolis and as the Marshall Avenue Bridge in St. Paul. This project consists of replacing the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue Bridge. Originally constructed in 1888, the bridge must now be replaced because of its poor condition and inability to handle modern-day traffic loads and volumes. The replacement bridge will be constructed in stages to allow continuous use of the bridge during the construction period. This project will also incorporate, at the request of the City of Minneapolis; the construction of a grade-separated intersection at Lake Street and West River Road. The present at-grade intersection is directly off the west end of the bridge. Construction is expected to begin in early 1988 and be completed in 1989.

In August, 1984, the Commissioner of Transportation requested the Finance and Administration Division to perform a preliminary feasibility study of using toll financing for funding of bridge replacement construction. The objective of the study was to provide information to decision makers regarding the feasibility of using tolls as a means of accelerating the financing of bridge replacement construction.

This is the Executive Summary of the findings and recommendations to the Special Refuse Collection Vehicle Committee jointly under the auspices of the State Commissioner of Highways and the Director of the Pollution Control Agency. This Executive Summary is a condensed non-technical version of the final report. It provides a capsulized summary and acts as a guide for future decisions as they relate to the issue of overweight rear loading refuse compactor vehicles under load conditions when collecting or transporting solid waste refuse. The full and final report contains the complete findings, recorded weight datum, identification of contributing factors and suggested recommendations. Readers interested in the more detailed version should refer to the final report.

This report summarizes the approach, findings, and recommendations of the Minnesota Truck Size and Weight (TS&W) Project led by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) in cooperation with other public and private stakeholders. The purpose of the project is to assess changes to Minnesota's TS&W laws that would benefit the Minnesota economy while protecting roadway infrastructure and safety.

In 2006, the Minnesota Departments of Transportation and Public Safety partnered with the Wright County Highway Department and the Safe Communities Coalition of Wright County to pilot a Tailgating Treatment Program similar to a Pennsylvania project honored with a 2001 National Highway Safety Award. The Minnesota project was viewed as a tool to educate motorists on how to identify and maintain a minimum safe following distance, and ultimately to reduce rear end crashes.