Minnesota Department of Transportation seeks input in highway plan

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) invites the public and transportation stakeholders to participate in developing the 20-year Minnesota State Highway Investment Plan (MnSHIP) beginning with a webinar on Monday, August 27.

MnSHIP connects the 50-year transportation vision and policies established in the Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan to capital improvements on the state highway system. A primary outcome of the plan is the establishment of priorities for spending projected capital rev-enue.

Webinar details and direc-tions on how to view a recorded version can be found on the “Participate” page at www.dot.state.mn.us/planning/statehighwayinvestment-plan/index.html.

Other opportunities to participate include stakeholder engagement meetings in October, an interactive web tool, social media updates and draft plan reviews in early 2013.

The highway plan will use a risk-based, performance planning process to guide and prioritize future capital improvements on Minnesota’s state highway system. The investments made on the highway network are mul-timodal.

They include providing for the safe and expedited movement of freight, connect-ing customers and businesses to airports and ports, providing safe and efficient passage for transit users, bicyclists and pedestrians and facilitating personal vehicular travel throughout the state.

MnSHIP must consider a variety of factors, including state highway system needs that exceed projected revenue, recent federal legislation that requires MnDOT to prioritize improvements on major routes, state legislative requirements, technical expertise and public input, as well as feedback from the governor.

To receive monthly updates, follow the link on the “Participate” page, or follow the plan on Twitter, @minnesotago, and www.facebook.com/MinnesotaGO.

Additional inquiries can be directed to Ryan Wilson, MnDOT Office of Capital Programs and Performance Measures, at (651) 366-3537 or ryan.wilson@state.mn.us.

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