Minnesota Transportation 20 Year Plan Ready For Public Input + Review

The future ways that Minnesota residents,businesses, and industries get around is being mapped out right now.  From highways to rail, aviation to sail the Minnesota Department of Transportation's strategic planning will come to life over the next twenty years.

It's officially called the 2022-2041 Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan; it's colloquially referred to as the 'Minnesota Go' plan.  And, it gets updated every five years.

The current cycle of updates has the plan being revised and worked on right now.  That's where you come in.

MNDOT officials are inviting members of the general public to review the documents and provide commentary and input ahead of the final draft.  The plan is available right now for review on the MinnesotaGo.org website; there is a survey field available there to collect comments online.  Hard copies of the plan are also available at the MNDOT Library (395 John Ireland Boulevard in St. Paul), or at any of the eight MNDOT District Headquarters located around the state.  Locally - in Duluth - that office is located at 1124 Mesaba Avenue.

There will also be a public hearing on Wednesday, September 7, 4:00 to 6:00 PM in Room G15 at MNDOT's Central Office - in the same building in St. Paul as their library.

The open comment period and review will close after September 18.

The Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan is:

"...the highest policy plan for transportation in Minnesota.  It outlines objectives, performance measures, strategies, and actions to help advance MNDOT's vision of a multimodal transportation system that maximizes the health of people, the environment, and our economy over the next 20 years.  The document is a statewide policy for all users, all modes and any jurisdiction that has a role in Minnesota's transportation system."

A lot of advance work has already been accomplished in regards to the strategic plan.  Work on this current update cycle began a long time ago:

"The 2022-2041 updated Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan is a result of a two and a half year collaboration with the public, stakeholders, and partners.  Engagement involved more than 6,500 interactions with Minnesotans including surveys, forums, listening sessions, presentations, and opportunities to attend community events."

Along with plotting out future directions, decisions, spending, and more for the statewide transportation system, the plan also takes into account things like aging infrastructure, aging population, and air quality issues.