By Sue Roe

MnDOT is looking into leasing rights of way to companies to install large groups of solar panels. Leasing the land will generate revenue and reduce greenhouse gases.

Rick Morey, project manager in the Office of Land Management, said the pilot project will demonstrate the feasibility of using rights of way for solar power generation and help MnDOT develop criteria for future solar panels, called arrays.

“We’ve been approached by several companies to set up solar arrays. This led to MnDOT looking into the potential of such a project,” Morey said.

The pilot project also supports the governor’s executive order to incorporate use of clean energy and reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050.

“We’re trying to be more sustainable by using our resources to help citizens use clean energy as opposed to coal-burning energy,” Morey said.

Several DOTs across the country use this innovative approach to develop larger scale renewable energy projects. Some DOTs purchase the renewable energy generated or acquire the energy credits for the energy generated from the solar arrays. Other DOTs lease the land to companies or own and operate the renewable energy facility.

MnDOT looked to the Oregon Department of Transportation, which started the nation’s first “solar highway project” in 2008, as a model. Solar arrays also have been built along highways in Europe for years.

“If we can take land that is otherwise unproductive and use it to produce energy, we’re using our resources in new and different ways to help maximize a positive impact on our economy,” Morey said.

MnDOT has more than 250,000 acres of right of way land, which includes other properties not along the roadway, such as wetland mitigation sites. Right of way is often acquired as part of a construction project or is situated between highways.

“As long as the arrays don’t interfere with traffic operation or safety, it may be possible for right of way to be used,” Morey said.

MnDOT has previously leased rights of way for such projects as parking lots. State statute requires that leasing cost be based on the land’s fair market value.

MnDOT is currently accepting proposals from energy companies, solar installers and others to lease rights of way. Proposals will be accepted through Nov. 3.

The minimum size for the solar array is one megawatt, which is about an acre of land. MnDOT will select up to five sites for the project. The term of the lease will be 20 years.

By Greg Ruhland, Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations

MnDOT is collaborating with railroads and the Department of Public Safety to carry out new rail safety legislation signed into law July 1 by Gov. Mark Dayton.

The new law will manage the risk of spills, derailments and other dangers associated with shipping crude oil and other hazardous materials such as ethanol and anhydrous ammonia. The amount of crude oil shipped on trains is expected to double in the next 10 years as more shipments of the volatile crude oil from the Bakken field in North Dakota and heavy tar sands crude from Alberta, Canada, move across the state.

Before 2007, no crude oil was traveling by rail across Minnesota. Today, between five to seven crude trains daily pass through the state. That’s between 400,000 to 550,000 barrels of crude.

The Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations is conducting a study of highway-rail crossing improvements. The study will identify sites where safety can be improved on rail corridors that now carry trains of Bakken crude oil.

“These corridors represent about 700 miles of the 4,400 miles of railroad track in Minnesota, and are protected by approximately 690 installed crossing signals,” said Dave Christianson, senior rail planner. “These oil train routes include the BNSF main line from Seattle to Chicago, and the CP line down the west bank of the Mississippi River.”

MnDOT hired three state rail safety inspectors – one dedicated to hazardous materials – to improve freight system safety. They monitor railway alignment and conditions, as well as other structures along the tracks, such as bridges and crossings. They also review and enforce safety requirements, keep maintenance and repair records and review railroad security.

“Inspectors are a critical part of Minnesota's response to the amount of freight trains carrying oil through the state,” Christianson said.

Along with MnDOT’s increased safety inspections and emergency response training, various agencies will require updated standards for oil tank cars, emergency prevention plans by railroads, and stronger oversight of railroad companies, said Christianson.

The laws allow a three-year period for older tank cars to be modified, or “retrofitted,” into compliance. A six-year window is allowed for newer tank cars, which are much stronger and designed to prevent crude oil from igniting. Even though 15,000 to 20,000 of these newer cars have been built since 2011, this is still only a fraction of the 90,000 total cars hauling Bakken crude oil across Minnesota.

“Minnesota’s rate of rail inspections fares better than that of most states,” said Christianson, “but Minnesota can still improve its response to an ongoing risk.”

Because rail cars can travel within 60 feet of a home or business, he said rail crossing safety also remains an important consideration.  

The Governor has met numerous times with local emergency managers to review the laws and discuss other ways the state can partner with communities to improve disaster preparedness.

At the federal level, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued an emergency order requiring railroads that operate trains with Bakken crude to notify State Emergency Response Commissions when operating through their states. USDOT also issued a safety advisory urging rail fleets to use tank car designs with the highest level of integrity available. A number of other proposed federal regulations are pending.

For more information, read MnDOT’s frequently asked questions.

By Shannon Fiecke, Research Services & Library

Before a national audience of more than 1,400 urban planners and transit enthusiasts, Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin and others told the story of how the Twin Cities metropolitan area was transformed into a community that embraces “livability” and mass transit, including light rail.

“The growth was horizontal and there were lots of people who were saying it wouldn’t work in Minnesota,” said McLaughlin, during the opening plenary of the RailVolution conference in Minneapolis.

But the metro region bucked years of infighting and helped pass a transportation bill in 2008 that allows counties to tax for the expansion of transit in the metro area. Anoka, Ramsey, Hennepin, Dakota and Washington counties decided to pool their resources from the quarter-cent transit sales tax, which is why the Southwest Light Rail Line is able to move forward.

“They had to believe their day would come,” McLaughlin said of the counties.

This was the first time the annual conference has been held in the Twin Cities, allowing Minnesota leaders to share their success stories. MnDOT was selected to host the annual four-day event, along with the Counties Transit Improvement Board and the Metropolitan Council.

Commissioner Charlie Zelle, who biked the Greenway Trail to get to the conference, spoke of MnDOT’s commitment to multimodal transportation and maximizing the health of Minnesota’s people and economy.

“MnDOT is more than a highway department,” said Zelle. “We have a statewide bike plan and we will probably be the second state in the union to have a statewide pedestrian plan.”

Michael Langley of Greater MSP said a mix of transportation types is critical to attracting talented workers to the Twin Cities, especially millennials.

“Nearly every area of the world is facing a future workplace shortage,” he said. “It’s fueling a competition for talent like we’ve never seen.”

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx addressed conference attendees on Tuesday about the need for a bipartisan compromise on funding. He proposed moving away from the Highway Trust Fund to a more inclusive transportation account (named the Surface Transportation Trust Fund) that also addresses rail needs, with $19 billion in proposed dedicated funding. He also discussed the recent announcement of $3.6 billion in resiliency funds for transit systems.

During the five-day conference, attendees toured the recently completed Green Line and attended dozens of workshops on topics ranging from street walkability to bus rapid transit to the use of mobile phones to enhance bus service. On Sunday, the Northstar commuter train traveled for the first time to St. Paul’s Union Depot and conference attendees took it back to Minneapolis.

By Mary McFarland Brooks

Ashanti Payne was recently appointed to a newly created role in business and program development for the Office of Civil Rights. In this position he will manage the business development section, which provides capacity-building services to certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises. He also will work with the contract compliance function to develop programs to support contractors’ efforts to meet workforce related program objectives.

“Ashanti has been with the department for more than 20 years and brings an excellent background to the position. We are delighted to have someone of his experience in this important role,” said Kim Collins, Office of Civil Rights director.

Prior to this position, Payne served as the small business contracting supervisor. He also held the position of workforce contract compliance supervisor, where he provided strategic direction for clients and staff, along with identifying, pursuing and executing business development programs. Payne also worked at various other positions within the Office of Civil Rights during his 22 years of service.

“I’m excited to take on this new role in the Office of Civil Rights,” Payne said, “Excited for the opportunity to work with small businesses and workforce program development and to help lead the office to excellence.”

Payne studied at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., where he received an undergraduate degrees in philosophy, political science and economics. More recently he earned undergrad and masters certificates as a certified compliance administrator from the American Contract Compliance Association through the University of Minnesota and Morgan State University in Maryland.

Payne’s office is located on the 7th floor of CO. He can be reached at ashanti.payne@state.mn.us and 651-366-3071.

By Gary Andrist, Video Services

Have you ever wondered where those videos on MnDOT’s YouTube site come from, or who provides the audio visual support for the various conferences and meetings held each year?

It’s no surprise to some of you. The Video Services Group, part of the Office of Human Resources, Workforce Development Unit, and located in Central Office in St. Paul, has offered these services for more than 30 years.

The group’s primary responsibilities include video production and audio visual support in the areas of highway safety and training for employees and the motoring public. The Video Services Group consists of an experienced team: Gary Andrist, Joel Wenz and Clay Ebeling, with Carol Hennekens as their supervisor.

“The team’s high service standards and quality work products show their commitment and dedication to their customers,” said Carol Hennekens, Workforce Development supervisor.

Many are familiar with the products and services Video Services offers, but things are always changing. In 2013, for example, MnDOT purchased a new system called Edit Share, which allows the team to store, retrieve and archive video footage in a digital format. This system is a state-of-the art program that allows the team to provide quality videos more efficiently to customers.

The video production process has three phases: pre-production, production and post-production. Pre-production consists of defining the objective of the video and working with the client to create the script. The production phase involves filming and recording voice overs. Post-production entails taking all of the media and editing it together into a final video.

The team handles a variety of video-related requests, but also provides audio visual service and support, including an inventory of AV equipment available for offices to check out, such as cameras, projectors, microphones, speakers, projector screens and even GoPro cameras. The team also is available to provide set-up of equipment for MnDOT events and conferences.

Employees should make their requests for video production, AV and conference support and equipment checkout by going to the Video Services iHUB page. Watch for a new Remedy system to be implemented soon that will make the request process easier.  

For more information, contact any of the team members or check out the Video Services website at http://ihub/video-services/.

By Becky Niyukuri

MnDOT governance

Have you ever wondered how MnDOT governs itself? Turns out there are several types of governance that affect different departments to varying degrees, and now you can find more information on iHUB on the new governance site.

Learn about MnDOT policies and technical memoranda and how they’re defined and their relationship to each other. You can also suggest changes to existing types of governance or propose new governance using an online form. For more information, contact Nancy Melvin, Administrative Policy Manager at nancy.melvin@state.mn.us, or Nancy Yoo, Design Support Director, at nancy.yoo@state.mn.us.

Outlook distribution lists – manage your own list

Good news - employees who serve as an “owner” for MnDOT Outlook distribution lists, or would like to be an owner, are now once again able to add and remove members at their convenience instead of submitting a ticket to the IT Service Desk to make a change to the list. This new system, implemented by Mn.IT Services, will allow access similar to the functionality list owners had in MnDOT’s previous mail system and will help ensure more effective communication management.

How do I tell if I’m a list owner?

To see current ownership information for a distribution list, look up the list in the Outlook address book. Open the properties of the list by double-clicking the name in the address book. The primary owner will be listed in the Owner field. Previously, all owner information was contained in the Notes field. With the new system, once a distribution list is claimed, the primary owner will replace “Manager, Service Desk DG (DOT)” in the Owner field, and additional owners, as well as a description of the purpose of the list, will be shown in the Notes field.

How do I claim a list?

Please do not assume that if you are currently listed as an owner in the Notes field of a distribution list that you can manage the list – enrollment is not automatic. In order to claim a distribution list and be granted access to the new system, owners can use Remedy Self-Service or click on the gold surfer icon on their desktop. Once logged in to Remedy, click on the Distribution Owner Listing Review Offering icon and provide the following information:

• Distribution list name
• Primary owner
• Alternate owner
• Distribution list purpose/description

Once the ticket is submitted, MN.IT@DOT will grant access and send a simple how-to guide to the Primary owner showing how to access the new distribution list management site, make changes to lists, and add additional owners. The IT Service Desk will manage any unclaimed distribution lists.

Sign up for email updates

Employees may sign up for “IT for Business” email updates to get important announcements and keep up with new developments by visiting the new IT for Business iHUB site at ihub/itbusiness/ and clicking on “sign up for email updates.”

Contact Mn.IT@DOT at *DOT_ITServiceDesk or the MnDOT Technology Investment Management section at *DOT_TIM with any questions about distribution lists.