RuralTransportation.org

Resource Library
Minnesota

The Rural Context For Transportation Consultations

Minnesota is the 12th largest state in the U.S. in land area, 20th largest in population, and 32nd most densely populated. Approximately 47 percent of Minnesota's population and jobs, and 98 percent of the land, is non-urban. About 90 percent of its roads are rural. Federally owned lands are a moderate factor; they amount to 14 percent of the state's land area.

Minnesota is a slowly growing state, as measured by population, with a moderately growing rate of employment. The portion of the state's jobs in the uniquely rural agriculture and mining sectors is medium to small (9 and less than one percent, respectively). Most jobs in Minnesota's rural areas are in sectors also common in urban areas: construction, transportation & utilities (12 percent); manufacturing (19 percent); business & trade (25 percent); and services & government (35 percent).

Demographically, Minnesota's non-urban population is predominately white (98 percent). Compared to the other states, the proportion of non-urban adults who did not graduate from high school ranks in the middle, and the proportion that did graduate from college ranks near the middle. The 11 percent of Minnesota's non-urban population who are poor is less than in most other states. About 45 percent of the state's non-urban population is in non-working age groups (30 percent 18 years or younger, and 15 percent 65 years or older).

Governmentally, Minnesota is complex. The state has 87 counties, a fairly large number compared to many other states. Minnesota also has 854 municipalities and 1,794 towns or townships for a total of 2,648 sub-county divisions. This is the 2nd highest number of sub-county governments of all states. Minnesota has only one federally recognized Indian tribe. In addition, the 1997 U.S. Census of Governments has identified nine independent, special-purpose governments in Minnesota that have transportation responsibilities. This number is lower than in many other states. These special types of local governments include 5 for airports, and 4 for transit. Minnesota also has 52 other public transit providers serving rural areas and an additional 155 organizations that provide specialized transit services to elderly and disabled populations in those same areas.

Minnesota has 10 regional councils that cover approximately 70 percent of the state, and 4 MPOs. These regional units help to coordinate the other local governments and play a direct role in rural transportation programs as described below.

Of Minnesota's 129,622 miles of roads, approximately 6 percent are state-controlled, while less than one and a half percent are federal. Of the total miles of non-federal rural roads, 10 percent are state, 38 percent are county, 46 percent are township, and 6 percent are municipal and other.

Processes For Consultation And Cooperation With Local Officials In Non-Metropolitan Areas

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) conducts transportation planning and programming largely through its district offices. MPOs and Regional Development Commissions (RDCs) play key roles in transportation planning. Additionally, Area Transportation Partnerships (ATPs) are actively involved in programming. Mn/DOT prepares a 20-year long-range statewide plan, several shorter-term project study and project work plans, and the three-year STIP. Though these documents have traditionally been limited to highway projects, Mn/DOT is working to make them multi-modal.

Mn/DOT's Strategic Plan and long-range Statewide Transportation Plan provide vision, direction, and policy for transportation investment. The 20-year plan is fiscally constrained. Mn/DOT districts prepare individual district plans that incorporate available regional and local plans. Regional plans are developed by the MPOs and RDCs, which include local elected officials and represent the respective constituencies within cities and counties. RDCs each receive $50,000 annually to conduct transportation planning activities. MPOs receive state funds to supplement their local match for federal planning funds.

In addition to working through the RDCs, consultations take place through associations, such as the County Engineers Association. Also, the districts may conduct public meetings, use newsletters, newspaper articles, informational mailings, and press releases to obtain public input. Focus groups and market surveys may also be used at the discretion of the districts. Typically, Mn/DOT also makes the draft plan available for a formal public comment period.

Mn/DOT districts are beginning to develop a detailed multi-modal transportation plan that links land use and economic development. Indian Tribal Government officials are included in planning and programming activities. Mn/DOT's Office of State Aid for Local Transportation works with federal land management agencies whose input is incorporated into the overall plan.

Mn/DOT conducted an Interregional Corridors Study to identify significant statewide corridors. Direction for the study was provided by Mn/DOT's Statewide/District Plan Steering Committee. The Technical Advisory Committee for this group included RDC and MPO representatives. Many public meetings were also held in preparation of this study.

Mn/DOT uses Area Transportation Partnerships (ATPs) in developing the STIP. ATPs are sub-state, multi-county, geographically based partnerships composed of representative membership from cities, counties, RDCs, MPOs, and state agencies. Counties, cities, RDCs, and MPOs appoint representatives, many of whom are elected officials, to sit on the ATPs. The ATP process was specifically developed to bring a broader cross section of public and private interests to transportation decision-making. The ATP process and membership continue to evolve. Other methods, in addition to obtaining input from ATPs concerning content of the STIP, are used to encourage public involvement, including newsletters, newspaper articles, mailings, and press releases. In addition, the draft STIP is made available for public comment annually.

Mn/DOT uses a mechanism entitled "Target Funding" to guide the programming process. ATPs are given estimates of the amount of federal highway and state highway funding they will receive. The ATPs integrate the project priorities submitted by each partner to be included in the STIP.

Transportation is funded from federal, state, and local sources. Over one-half of the highway funds and over one-third of transit funding is from federal sources. Additional county and municipal state aid is provided by Minnesota highway users tax distribution revenue.

Minnesota uses these practices:

State Hearings: The plan and STIP are made available for formal comment; public meetings are held.
State Processes for Interactive Exchanges of Views with Local Officials: Open houses.
Roles of RPOs: RDCs and ATPs serve regional programming roles.
Allocation of Transportation Funds and Responsibilities: Target funding used by the Area Transportation Partnerships (ATPs) to develop Area Transportation Improvement Programs. Target funding is an estimate of federal funding distributed to each ATP by formula.
State Policy-Making and Advisory Bodies: Statewide/District Plan Steering Committee.
Other Practices: Newsletters, news articles, mailings, press releases, market surveys, work with associations, participation in local government association meetings, Mn/DOT website, toll-free telephone number, and focus groups.

Return to the top

National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation
400 North Capitol St., NW, Suite 390, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 624-7806 • Fax (202) 624-8813 •info@nado.org
www.nado.org