In 2002, 18 people died in Minnesota work zone crashes—an increase of 80 percent from 2001. Mn/DOT again urges motorists to stay alert and obey work zone speed limits.

Keep your eyes peeled for Mn/DOT’s work zone safety posters coming soon to billboards and buses near you.

While you’re at it—keep your ears tuned for the work zone radio public service announcements reminding drivers to do their part so everyone gets home safely at night.

Mn/DOT is focused on delivering the work zone safety message to motorists statewide in as many formats as possible, said Mary Meinert, Mn/DOT’s work zone safety awareness coordinator. The bottom line is: work zone crashes can be avoided.

"Budgets are tight, but there is a lot of road construction planned again this summer," Meinert said. "Safety in work zones is of great concern and the investment in educating the public is worth every penny. We don’t want any more names added to our worker’s memorial."

In 2002, 18 people died in Minnesota work zone crashes—an increase of 80 percent from 2001, according to Jon Jackels, pavement marking, work zone and product evaluation engineer, Office of Traffic, Security and Operations.

"Safety in work zones is Mn/DOT’s top priority and everyone is responsible for their part, Jackels said. "My best advice: stay alert and obey the speed limit in work zones."

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The Nicollet Mall light rail transition station is now under construction. An artist's rendering of what the completed station will look like is shown below. Photo courtesy of the Hiawatha Project Office

Two years since breaking ground, the Hiawatha light rail transit line is now 72 percent complete and continues to be on time and on budget.

While motorists will notice fewer impacts to traffic this spring, there will be no shortage of visible progress along the 11.6-mile corridor.

Construction crews returned to downtown Minneapolis in early April to lay track near the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. All track work will be complete in downtown Minneapolis by early July. Crews also have begun installing poles that carry overhead electrical wires that power the trains.

Also in April, construction began in the Bloomington area, where passenger service will begin in late 2004. The contractor will progress in stages down the median of 34th Avenue with civil construction and track installation taking the entire season. North-south traffic will be maintained at all times along 34th Avenue during this work.

Though parts of the Hiawatha Line are nearly complete, much work remains for the next two construction seasons.

Artist's rendering of the Nicollet Mall Station. Courtesy of the Hiawatha Project Office

"We have a lot of work ahead of us," said John Caroon, Mn/DOT design/build project manager for the Hiawatha LRT Project. "But with two years under our belt we are confident that we are building an outstanding line that will be ready for passengers next April."

For details on upcoming closures related to light-rail construction, visit the Hiawatha Project Web site at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/lrt/ or call the 24-hour hotline at 651/284-0502.

By Josh Collins, Community Outreach Specialist, Hiawatha Project Office

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Federal, state and local officials smashed cinderblocks to symbolize removal of the old Main Avenue (Hwy 10) bridge that connects Fargo and Moorhead and dedication ceremonies held May 27. Lt. Gov./ Commissioner Molnau is in the foreground. Photo by David Gonzalez

Protected by hardhats and goggles, federal, state and city officials wielded sledgehammers to smash cinderblocks representing the current Hwy 10 Main Avenue Bridge between Moorhead and Fargo that will be replaced by a new bridge in 2004.

The "bridge breaking" ceremony was held May 27 in the middle of the existing bridge, halfway between the states of Minnesota and North Dakota.

Participants hailed the new bridge that will provide an improved connection between the two cities. The new structure, they said, will enhance safety, promote economic growth and provide a crossing less likely to be damaged by the flood-prone Red River of the North.

The bridge’s design also includes public plazas at each end of the bridge and a mid-span plaza intended to attract bicyclists and pedestrians to gather, relax and enjoy a panoramic view of the river valley. The plaza will be large enough to host small events and could include amenities such as historical information about the Red River, the cities and the old bridge.

The bridge will have four 12-foot traffic lanes and a pedestrian walkway. The new structure will be substantially higher than the old bridge, reducing potential damage from floodwaters or collected debris. The bridge’s height will also allow running Third Street in Moorhead under the bridge and eliminating the street’s intersection with Main Avenue, the most dangerous intersection in Detroit Lakes/District 4.

Construction of the new, $14 million Main Avenue Bridge will be completed in 2005. The bridge is a joint effort by the North Dakota DOT and Mn/DOT as well as the cities of Fargo and Moorhead. Mn/DOT is the lead agency on the project; Tom Swenson, District 4, serves as project engineer.

Speakers at the dedication ceremony included Lt. Gov./Commissioner Carol Molnau; Pamela Gulleson representing U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota; U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota; North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven; Mayor Bruce Furness of Fargo and Mayor Mark Voxland of Moorhead.

Molnau said since the old bridge was built in 1936, the Fargo-Moorhead area has more than tripled in population and grown in regional significance. The new bridge, she said, is designed to accommodate growth and other changes in the region.

"The partnership has resulted in a project that is not only an urban centerpiece, but is also a bridge that will enhance mobility, improve flood control and promote economic development," she said.

In his remarks, Hoeven said the new bridge will create an economic and cultural span that will bind not only Fargo and Moorhead but the two states as well.

"Much like the International Peace Garden in Dunseith reminds of our friendship with our Canadian neighbors, this new bridge will serve every day as a reminder that two communities and two states can work together for the common good of their citizens," he said. "May this bridge stand for decades to come as a testament to that friendship."

By Craig Wilkins

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Craig Falkum arrives at the Rochester/ District 6 headquarters after his 43-mile bike commute from Wabasha. Photo by Brian Jergenson.

May 15 found many Minnesotans commuting in ways other than driving alone in their cars.

The day was part of National Bike to Work Week, an effort backed by the League of American Bicyclists to persuade commuters to find alternatives to driving to work or school for their benefits to the environment and the individual’s wellness.

From her home in St. Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood, Sue Stein, Office of Communications, joined a group of bicyclists for a ride to the Capitol. Other groups of bikers arrived from starting points on St. Paul’s Summit Avenue, the Gateway Bike Trail, St. Paul’s Battle Creek neighborhood, Roseville and West St. Paul.

In Roseville, Marv Hondl, an engineering specialist, arrived by bike after a 17-mile ride from his home in New Hope, the same trip he makes three or four days each week. He was joined by Jim Nelson, who rode his bike 13 miles from south Minneapolis.

Nelson rides most days as long as the streets and roads are not snowy or icy. Riding to work, he said, gets him energized for the day while the ride home provides release from the workday’s stress.

"I ride for fitness and to do my share for the environment," he said. "Mainly, I really enjoy it."

Hondl, who has been riding for about 20 years, said he has worn out a couple of bikes during his years of commuting.

At about the same time Nelson and Hondl arrived at the Waters Edge building, Craig Falkum rode into the parking lot of the Rochester District office after a 43-mile trip from his home in Wabasha.

Unlike Hondl and Nelson, Falkum is a not a regular bike commuter. He decided to make the long, mainly uphill ride as a personal challenge. He had made the ride once before but downhill—from Rochester to Wabasha.

Falkum, the district structures engineer, planned to ride his bike and then carry it home in a new car. His car wasn’t ready, however, so Falkum rode the 43 miles back to Wabasha. He then rode around town for a while to clock 100 miles and meet the requirements for a century ride.

Falkum is an avid biker who plans to pedal his lightweight road bike in the annual Ride Across Iowa this July.

He chose to commute on May 15 to demonstrate his support for biking and to achieve his goal of biking to work—uphill.

In a news release announcing Bike to Work Day, Lt. Gov./Commissioner Carol Molnau encouraged commuters to try biking, walking or using transit.

"We need to remember that roads can be used by bikes as well as by other vehicles," she said. "Bicyclists and drivers can share the road and reduce congestion."

By Craig Wilkins

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Dr. C. Michael Walton, professor of civil engineering, University of Texas-Austin, and Lt. Gov./Commissioner Carol Molnau welcome attendees to the ITS America 13th Annual Meeting. Walton is also chairman of ITS America. Photo by David Gonzalez

More than 2,500 people converged on Minneapolis May 19-22 to learn about the most current applications of intelligent transportation system technology at the ITS America 2003 conference.

The annual conference attracted participants from China, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Canada and Japan—a first for an ITS conference held in the United States.

ITS Minnesota hosted the Intelligent Transportation Society of America-sponsored conference.

The conference and exhibition enabled participants to meet with hundreds of exhibitors, participate in workshops and join site tours to explore ITS applications in Minnesota, including the new Regional Traffic Management Center in Roseville, the Hiawatha light rail corridor and Metro Transit’s control center.

Workshop sessions offered topics such as deployment of the 511 Traveler Information System and use of ITS to improve intermodal freight mobility, simplify ramp metering systems and integrate weather information systems into traffic management systems.

Conference participants also heard national leaders in ITS technology and management discuss topics such as using ITS solutions to help transportation and public safety agencies work more closely together and creating national transportation system information network to improve service and security for transportation system users.

Lt. Gov./Commissioner Carol Molnau welcomed the conference to Minnesota, as did Mayor R. T. Rybak of Minneapolis and Mayor Randy Kelly of St. Paul. Gov. Tim Pawlenty also proclaimed May 19 as "Intelligent Transportation Systems Day in Minnesota."

Volunteers from the Minnesota Chapter of ITS America staffed the registration desks, pressroom and the Minnesota Guidestar exhibit. Marthand Nookala, division director, Traffic, Safety and Technology, said the conference focused on practical applications of ITS technology and ways it can be used in the future.

"The meeting demonstrated a host of ITS best practices and created a roadmap for practitioners to follow in the areas of operations, management and emerging technologies," Nookala said.

Representatives from the North Dakota DOT found the conference a valuable source of information and support because they plan to start operation of a transportation operations communications center in Fargo that will serve the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area.

"We’re in the infancy of using ITS technology, but it’s been helpful meeting with vendors to find ways to integrate the surveillance cameras, automated sprayers and variable message signs that we are currently using," said Lyle Landstrom, traffic operations engineer with ND/DOT’s Fargo District.

Landstrom said he and his colleagues were investigating software, fiber optic cable and other methods to link ITS applications such as surveillance cameras on the I-94/I-29 interchange at Fargo and an automated anti-icing sprayer on I-29 near Hillsboro.

Gary Feist, maintenance coordinator at Bismarck, said his delegation received valuable information and support from the Mn/DOT people they met in various conference workshops and in informal settings.

"The Mn/DOT people were very good about sharing information," said Feist, who planned to visit the new Regional Transportation Management Center at the Waters Edge Building in Roseville along with other ND/DOT staff.

"We found vendors who can help us link our system’s components, meet NTCIP (National Transportation Communications for ITS Protocol) standards and get our TOCC operating," Landstrom added. "We sponged up a lot of information; it was an excellent conference."

By Sonia Pitt and Craig Wilkins

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Although roads and bridges usually invoke images of cars and trucks, they also attract numerous pedestrians—a fact not lost on the 90 engineers and planners from Mn/DOT, cities, counties and consulting firms who recently attended one-day sessions on "Design and Safety of Pedestrian Facilities."

Michael Ronkin, Oregon DOT's bicycle and pedestrian program manager, and Charlie Zegeer, associate director of the University of North Carolina's Highway Safety Research Center, conducted the sessions, which were held May 19-21 in Mankato, Brainerd and Minneapolis.

Pedestrian facilities cover physical improvements to the pedestrian environment including traffic control devices, curb ramps, overpasses and underpasses, crosswalks, sidewalks and other technologies, according to Kristie Billiar, Mn/DOT's pedestrian coordinator. Cities and counties have more pedestrian facilities; state roads present more crossing issues, she said.

In 2001, Mn/DOT formally adopted the Design and Safety of Pedestrian Facilities report from the Institute of Transportation Engineers as the standard for integrating pedestrian facilities into road design. The ITE report formalizes design standards for pedestrian facilities.

"It is 'a should' rather than 'a shall' document," Billiar said.

"The guidelines don't provide all the answers. Designer creativity and foresight are also needed," said Lisa Bigham, District 7 planning director and a workshop attendee.

"One size doesn't fit all," she said, pointing out that pedestrian facilities may increase in importance with an aging population. "We are designing for the future."

According to statistics from the Department of Public Safety, 1,175 crashes involving pedestrians occurred in Minnesota in 2001—including 46 pedestrians who were killed and 1,184 who were injured. This represents a six percent decrease from the previous year. People younger than 25 years old account for 40 percent of the injuries and fatalities. Eighty-two percent of pedestrian crashes occur in urban areas; 28 percent are on rural roads.

For more information, visit the following sites:

• www.ite.org to order a copy of the ITE report

• www.dot.state.mn.us/sti/peds.html for more information on Mn/DOT's pedestrian programs

• http://www.dps.state.mn.us/ots/crashdata/cf01pedestrian.pdf for information on pedestrian crashes

By Sue Stein

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The Cessna Citation jet aircraft Mn/DOT purchased in 1996 was sold for $627,500 on May 23. Staff photo

The Cessna Citation jet aircraft Mn/DOT purchased in 1996 was sold for $627,500 on May 23. Mn/DOT purchased the airplane for $2,000 and then refurbished it for use by the governor, state officials and state employees. Refurbishing the twin-engine jet cost $581,000.

The aircraft was purchased through the federal government’s surplus property program.

Sale of the Citation will reduce operating costs of the existing Mn/DOT fleet as well as contribute monies to the state’s General Fund.

The Citation was based at the Downtown St. Paul Airport along with the department’s other aircraft.

Mn/DOT’s aircraft fleet retains its two twin-turboprop Beechcraft King Air passenger planes to provide air transport service.

"Having its own air transport service gives Mn/DOT advantages in flexibility, security, safety and cost-effectiveness when compared with using charter flights," said Dan McDowell, senior aviation planner.

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