By Bob Filipczak

The emerald ash borer, a highly destructive pest, threatens three million ash trees that make up a substantial part of Minnesota’s forests, but it also creates problems for Mn/DOT maintenance crews clearing trees downed by fierce summer storms.

Typically, removing the trees and branches after a storm is the tough part of the job, according to Dan Gullickson, Mn/DOT’s forestry natural resource program coordinator.

But since the Minnesota Department of Agriculture issued a quarantine last month on all firewood, ash trees and ash tree products in Hennepin and Ramsey counties, Mn/DOT crews now need to be extra careful where they move the debris. Houston County in the southeastern corner of the state also has been under quarantine since April.

Ash tree material cannot be taken anywhere outside of the borders of those counties. There is a $7,500 fine for anyone—including Mn/DOT workers—violating the quarantine. That fine is for each incident and accumulates every day the ash material is outside of the quarantined areas.

“Our main concern right now is if we happen to get hit with a storm in the metro area,” Gullickson said. “As part of the storm cleanup, we don’t want to be potentially moving ash material outside of the quarantine area.”

The only options for infected trees after they are cut, he said, is to store them somewhere inside the quarantine, chip them or burn them at St. Paul Energy.

John Sander, a forester and Mn/DOT maintenance worker, is currently training other maintenance workers to identify ash trees and the bugs that are killing them.

For more information, visit the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Web site.

Debate about the future of the country’s transportation system and how to pay for it is heating up.

One area of concern is the Highway Trust Fund, which provides funding for federal aid highway and mass transit programs through revenue from fuel taxes. Due to the economic climate and decreased tax revenues, the federal fund is not keeping up with expenditures. The revenue shortfall is predicted to affect the Highway Trust Fund before Sept. 30, the end of the 2009 federal fiscal year, thus creating a cash flow problem that has the potential to affect daily payments to states as early as mid-August.

There is broad awareness that this situation can only be avoided through an infusion of $5 billion to $7 billion into the fund for this fiscal year and an additional $8 billion to $10 billion for federal fiscal year 2010, according to Serge Phillips, Mn/DOT’s federal relations manager.

“The Highway Trust Fund faced similar circumstances last summer, and Congress transferred $8 billion from the U.S. Treasury’s general fund to shore it up,” Phillips said. “This approach is an option again this year. Another option would be to address the funding shortfall in surface transportation authorization legislation.”

The other deadline looming is the Sept. 30 expiration of the current surface transportation authorization, SAFETEA-LU. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, chaired by Minnesota Congressman James Oberstar, has been working on a new authorization bill that would set surface transportation program policy and funding for the next six years, but it is not clear that such a bill can be passed before SAFETEA-LU expires—or in time to fix the Highway Trust Fund.

The Obama Administration has proposed an 18-month extension, which would include both a $17 billion to $18 billion influx of new money into the Highway Trust Fund and a few policy changes.  

“In the past, short-term authorization extensions have been passed to keep programs funded and functioning at existing levels while Congress completed work on a new authorization,” Phillips said.

Oberstar’s committee has a different approach. The committee has developed a six-year, $450 billion authorization bill that sets the course for transportation in the longer term. This bill would consolidate existing programs, emphasize performance-based measures, create the metropolitan mobility and access program, and create new opportunities for intermodal transportation. It would also emphasize livability and transit, and provide more authority to metropolitan planning organizations. Details on funding sources and levels have not been provided, but the committee is proceeding with marking up the bill and House floor action is expected in July.

Watch for updates later this summer on the Highway Trust Fund shortfall and the surface transportation authorization.

By Nick Carpenter

Traveling on Interstate 94 through central Minnesota will get a little bit safer come August, when work is scheduled to be completed on a 12-mile cable median barrier installation project in Sauk Centre.

The project marks one of the final phases of cable median barrier construction along I-94 in District 3. By the end of 2009, central Minnesota will have 70 miles of cable median barrier installed along I-94, with future plans to install 30 additional miles by early 2011.

Installing cable median barrier strategically on identified sections of highway like I-94 in Sauk Centre is a key effort toward the department’s goal of reducing the risk of transportation-related fatalities and severe injuries.

“High tension cable median barrier is designed to help prevent head-on collisions when drivers inadvertently cross the center median and collide with oncoming traffic,” said Dan Labo, District 3 project manager. “This project will significantly reduce the risk of motorists being involved in a fatal or disabling accident.”

The Sauk Centre project represents one of 16 cable median barrier projects that are scheduled to be constructed statewide in 2009. It also represents one of two cable median barrier projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

With 139.4 miles of cable median barrier already installed throughout the state and 96.5 miles funded for construction from 2009-2011, the department already has plans for 79 additional miles that are currently unfunded.

While it typically costs about $125,000 to install one mile of cable median barrier, there are instances where additional funds are necessary.

“Added costs are introduced if there are issues with the cross section of the median area,” said Julie Whitcher, assistant state traffic safety engineer. “If it is determined that a side slope is too steep, we may have to grade or provide cable median barrier for both directions.”

Most cable median barriers are not designed to stop large vehicles, like semitrailers, from crossing into oncoming traffic.

However, cable barrier systems used in Mn/DOT projects must be able to contain and redirect impacting vehicles in accordance with standard Test Level 3 or Test Level 4, according to the National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 350.

Test Level 3 is based on a 3/4 three-quarter-ton pick-up truck weighting 4,400 pounds, traveling at 62 mph with an impact angle of 25 degrees. Test Level 4 is based on a single-unit truck weighting 17,650 pounds, traveling at 50 mph with an impact angle of 15 degrees.

Cable median barriers work

From January 2001 through December 2007, the Office of Traffic, Safety and Technology conducted a cross-median crash study of a 10.5-mile section of cable median barrier on I-94 in Maple Grove. Crews installed the barrier in 2004.

Before installation of the barrier, six fatalities occurred on the identified stretch of I-94, five of which were related to vehicles crossing the median and striking vehicles traveling in the opposite direction.

Besides the fatalities, there were 29 other crossover crashes where a vehicle traveling in the opposing direction was struck and 27 more vehicles that ended up in the center median.

After installation of the cable median barrier, zero fatalities were reported, with only 10 vehicles managing to cross the cable median barrier and seven making it into the opposing lanes of traffic.

In collaboration with the Selby Area Community Development Corporation, the Office of Civil Rights welcomed a delegation from Germany to the Twin Cities on June 18, by way of the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program.

The German guests were invited to observe the public-private partnership between Mn/DOT and the Selby CDC. In particular, the group wanted to learn about the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program, estimating and electronic bidding training, and other supportive services.

The program was created to increase the capacity and capability of DBEs and identify barriers to success, while helping them develop business plans with clearly defined goals and individualized training plans to map a course to self sufficiency.

“Since we started working with the Selby CDC, we have seen a significant increase in the numbers of DBEs bidding on Mn/DOT projects and obtaining work,” said Hope Jensen, civil rights program director. “I think the German delegation was intrigued by our partnership and what it has meant for DBEs.”

After four years serving as the Dakota County Transit Manager, Daniel Krom became the director of Mn/DOT’s Office of Passenger Rail on June 15.

Krom is no stranger to the department. He began his career in 1990 working in the Office of Transit before moving on to the offices of Freight, Railroads and Waterways and Government Relations.  

In his new position, Krom will lead Minnesota’s efforts to establish and develop an interstate passenger rail program.

“It’s an exciting time for Mn/DOT and I’m glad to back,” Krom said. “I’m looking forward to helping the department develop passenger rail options for Minnesotans.”  

Krom’s office is located in Central Office, 2nd floor north. He can be reached at 651-366-3193.

Two days before the first runner even crossed the starting line for the annual Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Jim Miles, District 1 assistant traffic engineer, walked away with the Rudy Perpich Public Service Award for his role in planning road closures and rerouting traffic for the event.

Miles received the award June 18.                                                         

Named for the late Minnesota governor, the award was created by the Grandma’s Marathon organization in 2006 to recognize public employees and elected officials who have contributed their time, energy and service to the marathon.

The organization also presented Perpich awards to a Duluth police officer and a city maintenance operations lead worker.