MnDOT District 3 partnerships
Central Minnesota Area Transportation Partnership
MnDOT created Area Transportation Partnerships (ATPs) more than two decades ago in response to changes in federal law that increased state flexibility and the need for public involvement in transportation planning and program decision-making. ATPs were established by each district specifically to facilitate broader input to the federal project selection process for the development of the State Transportation Improvement Program, the four-year program of state and local projects with federal highway and transit funding, projects with state funding.
The Central Minnesota Area Transportation Partnership is organized along the District 3 boundary and includes all the counties in the district. In addition to MnDOT District 3 staff, representatives from cities, counties, tribal governments, other agencies and industry are included in the ATP. Through the ATP, these organizations are responsible for reviewing the district’s proposed construction program and recommend local transportation priorities for federal funding.
Tribal Governments
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and a portion of Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe are located in District 3. MnDOT consults with the tribes annually to discuss transportation issues and project. A member from both tribes sits on the ATP.
St. Cloud Area Planning Organization
The St. Cloud Area Planning Organization is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the planning area encompassing the cities of St. Cloud, St. Joseph, Sartell, Sauk Rapids, Waite Park, and Township of LeSauk. The MPO leads the development of area transportation plans and coordinates the transportation planning process. All urban areas with populations greater than 50,000 are required to have an MPO if the agencies spend federal funds on transportation improvements.
Regional development organizations
There are nine regional development commissions established by Minnesota statute in 1969 to provide technical assistance to local units of government in their region. They perform a variety of unique services based on the needs of their region and partner with numerous state and federal agencies. District 3 is served by the Region Five Development Commission, Region 7W Transportation Policy Board, and East Central Regional Development Commission.
Toward Zero Deaths
Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) is a multi-agency partnership led by the Minnesota Departments of Transportation, Public Safety and Health in cooperation with the FHWA, Minnesota county engineers, the Center for Transportation Studies and other traffic safety organizations. The East Central Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths program began in 2008 and includes all the counties in D3.