By Donna Lindberg

Mn/DOT adopted its first Minnesota Comprehensive Statewide Freight and Passenger Rail Plan and a new 20-year Greater Minnesota Transit Plan on Feb. 9.

The Comprehensive Statewide Freight and Passenger Rail Plan, mandated by the 2008 Minnesota Legislature, will guide the department’s statewide rail initiatives and investments and will make Minnesota eligible for federal funding.

“The state rail plan is a strategic vision for a future rail system that improves access to goods and services and enhances the movement of people and freight,” said Commissioner Tom Sorel.

The Greater Minnesota Transit Plan analyzes future levels of funding and investment strategies needed to meet the transit service needs of people in Greater Minnesota to 2030.

“This plan assists Mn/DOT in working with local transit providers and other stakeholders to maximize efficiencies and leverage funds,” Sorel said.

As directed by the Minnesota Legislature, an investment plan will be completed in 2010 to determine the level of funding required to meet 80 percent of unmet transit service needs in greater Minnesota by 2015 and 90 percent by 2025.

Both plans will be incorporated into the 2009-2028 Minnesota Statewide Transportation Plan.

“These are not just Mn/DOT’s plans,” Sorel said. “They were developed after extensive interaction with the public and transportation stakeholders. They reflect Mn/DOT’s vision of providing a safe, reliable and modern transportation system that meets the needs of all users.”

The Minnesota Comprehensive Statewide Freight and Passenger Rail Plan, the Greater Minnesota Transit Plan 2010-2030 and the 2009-2028 Minnesota Statewide Transportation Plan are available at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/planning/stateplan/.

Minnesota received $600,000 in federal funds Jan. 28 to study the potential for a high-speed rail service between the Twin Cities and Madison, Wis., one leg of a proposed line that would connect Minneapolis/St. Paul with Chicago.

In addition to the federal funds, Minnesota and Wisconsin each will contribute $300,000 to cover the cost of the $1.2 million study.

“The things we learn from this study will help advance Minnesota’s entire rail program,” said Commissioner Tom Sorel. “A high-speed rail connection supports development and economic competitiveness in the region and is consistent with our recently released 20-year state passenger rail and freight plan.”

The funds are part of $8 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dedicated to high-speed rail projects nationwide. Midwestern states as a whole are expected to receive $2.6 billion, which includes $810 million for new and refurbished stations between Madison and Milwaukee, as well as the implementation of train control technology along 80 miles of track.

“The work of the Intercity Passenger Rail Transportation Forum was integral to the application process and to our success with this grant,” Sorel said. “That group worked very hard to give us the background and credibility we needed to succeed. Without that assistance, we may not have been so fortunate.”

For more information about rail in Minnesota, visit http://www.dot.state.mn.us/aboutrail/.

Legislators returned to the Capitol on Thursday, Feb.4, officially launching the first day of the 2010 session, although committee hearings have already been going on for a couple of weeks.

At the top of the legislative agenda is capital bonding, which will provide funding for building and infrastructure improvements. On Jan. 15, the governor proposed $159 million in bonding for transportation, which includes requests of:

• $75 million for local bridges, providing the state portion of funding to replace approximately 960 bridges during the 2010-11 construction season
• $26.4 million in trunk highway bonding to build a maintenance facility and remodel existing district headquarters, including space for Driver and Vehicle Services in Rochester
• $20 million for local roads
• $15.8 million in trunk highway cash to build a truck station and mechanics facility in Maple Grove
• $3.3 million in trunk highway cash for construction of a new truck station and vehicle maintenance facility in Little Falls
• $3 million in trunk highway cash for a new bridge crew building in Maplewood
• $2.5 million to replace state-owned railroad crossing safety devices
• $2 million to Mn/DOT as a match for local or federal funds for pre-design, design and engineering studies for the realignment and construction of the Southern Rail Corridor around Rochester.  
• $700,000 in Trunk Highway cash for design work on the Plymouth Truck Station and a vehicle storage facility in Willmar

In addition, Mn/DOT will seek changes in some laws that govern the agency’s operations, including those related to turnbacks, quick clearance, bridge management, trucks/motor carriers, innovative financing and innovative contracting.

As in years past, the Office of Government Affairs will be sending out weekly updates on bills of interest to Mn/DOT. These are posted internally at http://ihub.dot.state.mn.us/governmentaffairs/legislative2010/. You’ll also find a number of one-pagers relating to key transportation issues on that site.

John Ward, Office of Information and Technology Services, has been approved for the state vacation donation program, which allows employees to donate up to 40 hours of vacation per fiscal year for approved recipients who have exhausted their sick and vacation leave due to illness.

Ward was driving home Friday, Dec.11, when his automobile was rear-ended by another vehicle. The impact of the initial hit spun Ward’s vehicle into oncoming traffic, where it was struck by a second vehicle.

Ward was air lifted to North Memorial Medical Center and remains in intensive care. He will be paralyzed and have to go through extensive rehabilitation.

To donate vacation hours, go to the Employee Self Service Web site and click “Other Payroll” and then “Leave Donations.” The site also allows employees to view a list of all state employees eligible for the program and enroll as a recipient.

Related information:

Vacation donation: a worthy program for worthy people (Newsline, June 21, 2006)—Read a viewpoint from one Mn/DOT recipient.

To put greater emphasis on multimodal transportation planning and enhance planning activities departmentwide, Commissioner Tom Sorel initiated the restructuring of the Office of Investment Management.

OIM is in the process of becoming two separate offices: the Office of Statewide Multimodal Planning and the Office of Capital Program and Performance Measurement. The process is expected to be completed by the end of February.

“Organizational placement of the statewide transportation planning responsibilities contributed to an internal and external perception that our planning process is highway-centric rather than multimodal and strategic,” said Tim Henkel, Modal Planning and Program Management Division director. “The new multimodal planning office will ensure coordination of planning across all modal offices.”

The modal offices within MPPM provide oversight in the areas of Transit, Aeronautics, Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations and Passenger Rail. Each office has traditionally been responsible for the development of plans and programs relative to its mode of transportation.

Office of Statewide Multimodal Planning

This office will be responsible for developing a long-term vision for Minnesota’s transportation system. It will provide planning products, processes and information to support and guide transportation investment decisions. The office also will be responsible for establishing statewide transportation policy through partnerships and developing plans for integrating and connecting modal systems. A director position for this office is currently vacant.

Office of Capital Program and Performance Measurement

Abby McKenzie will serve as director of this office, which will lead the development and implementation of Mn/DOT’s performance-based capital improvement program for the highway system and will serve as the highway modal office for Mn/DOT.  The office also will be responsible for conducting investment analysis and performance measurement and will provide expertise in those areas to the entire department.

To view a full report of the restructuring efforts, including organizational charts for both offices, visit http://ihub/commissioner/reports/Investmgmtinmdlplan.pdf.  

By Beth Petrowske

Rick Morey, Surveying and Mapping Section assistant director, received the Surveyor of the Year Award from the Minnesota Society of Professional Surveyors.

“It was a complete surprise to win this award,” Morey said. “I had no idea I was even nominated.”

Morey, a long-time member of MSPS, was selected for the award based on contributions he has made to the surveying profession during the past 30 years. His work with the MSPS legislative committee and Mn/DOT’s Graduate Land Surveyor program were recognized as examples of his recent accomplishments. The Graduate Land Surveyor program is two-year rotation program similar to the Graduate Engineer program.

MSPS is an organization of licensed land surveyors whose goals are to elevate the standards of the surveying profession, promote legislation and educational programs and work cooperatively with a variety of government and private partners.

By Nick Carpenter

Last April, Mn/DOT transit guru Keven Anderson wrapped up his 10th year working for the department, all of which have been spent in District 4.

Anderson works out of the Detroit Lakes office and serves as D4’s transit project manager and modal coordinator. Although he has a pretty nice setup at headquarters, Anderson spends a lot of his time traveling the state and representing the department at various transit-oriented gatherings.

During his 10 years with the department, Anderson has worked in a variety of areas including transportation enhancements, limited use permits, contract services, freight/rail and planning. He is one of the more than 200 employees that work in District 4, which maintains two office headquarters located in Detroit Lakes and Morris, four sub-areas operated out of Alexandria, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, and Morris, and 17 maintenance truck stations.

What’s your role in District 4? Describe your typical work duties?

I manage eight public transit systems in D4, as well as nine elderly/disabled bus grantees. I also provide technical assistance as needed with budget oversight, service design and promotion and regulation compliance to various stakeholders.

Every district has its own transit project manager who handles district duties and works closely with the Office of Transit at Central Office. I would say 20 percent of my duties are in planning and modes here in D4 and 80 percent of my work comes from the Office of Transit.

I spend a lot of time interacting with our external partners and various stakeholders in D4 and beyond. One of my duties is to explain regulations and requirements relative to certain projects that people might not be aware of and help them meet the needs of their clients. I think the interaction we have with communities, boards, commissioners and local groups not only provides a valuable opportunity for insight into the needs of the folks in D4, it reflects well on the department’s goal of building public trust through transparency.

Outside of the local councils and transit advocacy groups, who else do you work with?

I work with other state agencies like the Department of Natural Resources. I also work with the elderly and disabled community, the area transportation partnership, the White Earth Band of Ojibwe—pretty much anyone in the state who is interested in public transit.

What work did you do with the White Earth Band of Ojibwe?

A couple of years ago, I worked with the White Earth Band of Ojibwe in starting up their own transit system. It was an interesting and valuable opportunity to share my knowledge on the subject and assist them with the procurement process. 

What has changed during the 10 years you have worked for Mn/DOT?

In the last few years, I’ve noticed a transition with the department and its stance toward exploring more transit options and taking a closer look at the different modes of transportation.

What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

Finding contacts to extend public transit into underserved areas of D4 and making the best possible use of the funding that is provided for our systems.

What do you find most satisfying about your job?

The most satisfying portion of my job is the ability to provide transportation to the people of D4 that need it. Having good transit options allows them to stay in their homes instead of moving to the metropolitan areas for the services they need. 

By Lisa Yang

When people enter the front doors of the District 2 Headquarters in Bemidji, they will notice the words Boozhoo, Aaniin, Welcome.  The words boozhoo and aaniin are greetings in the Ojibwe language that are synonymous with hello and welcome.

By putting these words on the doors, Mn/DOT is supporting a language project established by Shared Vision, a group in Bemidji which works to bring about a more positive, inclusive effort directed toward the indigenous people of northern Minnesota – the Ojibwe/Anishinabe.

“Mn/DOT is supporting this communitywide project by signing our doors,” said Karen Bedeau, District 2 public affairs coordinator and member of the Red Lake Nation.

The people who make up the Shared Vision group represent a broad segment of the community, both public and private.

There are about 80 businesses and agencies in the Bemidji area and many others scattered throughout the Cass Lake area that now have these words on their doors.