Metropolitan highway investment study under way
Policymakers invited to Jan. 28 workshop
A highway investment study is under way that will establish a framework for long-term highway investments throughout the seven-county Twin Cities region.
The Metropolitan Highway System Investment Study is a collaborative effort between the Metropolitan Council and the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The effort focuses on a new approach to highway funding.
Examples of congestion management tools
- Aggressive active traffic management applications, like ramp metering and fast incidence response
- Low-cost/high-benefit capacity and safety improvements
- New managed lanes (MnPASS)
Rather than planning for a handful of large expansion projects that will benefit only certain parts of the region, the study is examining smaller-scale projects. These would improve the efficiency of the existing system by leveraging new technologies, traffic management techniques and other innovations. The study will also create a 50-year “MetroInvest” vision for highway investment in the region, far beyond the 20-year planning outlook required by the federal government.
Work on the study will continue through the middle of 2010. It will result in a proposed amendment to the Council’s 2030 Transportation Policy Plan, adopted in 2009, by the end of the year.
Workshop to bring in national experts
As part of the study process, a range of policymakers and interested parties have been invited to a workshop at the University of Minnesota on Jan. 28 to discuss the new approach.
The workshop will explore the techniques for managing congestion already being used in the region, as well as other parts of the United States and the world. In addition, it will provide background information regarding the state and federal highway revenue outlook, to provide context regarding fiscal constraints over the next several decades.
Adding more MnPASS lanes like this one on I-35W South is among the techniques for managing congestion in the Twin Cities region that will be considered in the 50-year vision.
Several national experts will be on hand to provide information and discuss the trends emerging in other metropolitan areas comparable to the Twin Cities region.
“We know we can’t build our way out of congestion,” said Arlene McCarthy, director of transportation services for the Council. “By more effectively managing congestion throughout the system using a variety of solutions, we feel we can move more people and more vehicles more reliably, which will provide a much broader benefit to the region as a whole.”
The Jan. 28 workshop is an important check-in with local officials, legislators, and other stakeholders, to help them understand the new approach and clarify the process for developing a 50-year vision for investment in the region.
MnPASS lanes: a success story
Expanding on the success of the region’s MnPASS lanes on I-35W and I-394 will be among the congestion management techniques that will be considered in the 50-year vision. The lanes provide an option for commuters who carpool, ride the bus, or are willing to pay a fee to travel at a more reliable speed through the corridor.
The I-35W MnPASS lane was part of a $133 million federal Urban Partnership Agreement grant, matched with $50 million in state and local funds. The funds supported highway and transit-related improvements along I-35W from Lakeville in the south and Blaine in the north to downtown Minneapolis, and along Cedar Avenue in Lakeville north to downtown Minneapolis.
Framework: Flexible to respond to changing revenues
“The new MetroInvest strategy recognizes how difficult it is to predict future transportation revenues,” McCarthy said. “We are striving to create a framework that provides flexibility to implement solutions if additional sources of revenue become available. This vision will include a reservoir of prioritized, strategic improvements that can be ready to go.”
Current timelines estimate the study will conclude in early summer, followed by the process to create amendments for the Transportation Policy Plan, which will be considered by the Council before the end of 2010. A public comment period, including public hearings, will be part of that amendment process.