Active Transportation Program

These sections are reviewed by the selection committee but not scored.
Applicants are asked to indicate which type of project they are applying for assistance to complete.

Streetside Activation Assistance

Streetside activation projects change non-travel lane parts of the street. This work could happen on sidewalks, boulevards, parking spaces, or plazas. Ideas include parklets, landscaping, art exhibits, outdoor dining/seating, and bicycle parking.

Open Street Event Project Assistance

Open street event projects close the street to cars and trucks for a short time. While cars and trucks are away the street becomes a place for experimenting with new ideas. Ideas include play streets, school zones, markets, festivals, plazas, art installations, and other community uses.

A. Equity Scoring – 30 Points

MnDOT’s Active Transportation Program aims to achieve equitable outcomes by funding initiatives that prioritize communities who are more likely to rely on active transportation, are more vulnerable to unsafe traffic conditions, or have experienced historic disinvestment.
The Active Transportation Equity Score uses 15 indicators to identify locations in Minnesota that likely have a greater need for Active Transportation investment. Points will be awarded to applicants proportionally based on equity scores as part of the program’s goals to advance transportation equity in Minnesota.

To assess your application’s equity score, visit MnDOT’s Active Transportation Program Equity Map, locate the location of your proposed demonstration project, and enter the score of the hexagon where the project is located. If the project includes more than one hexagon, please include the scores of all hexagons that cover the area of the demonstration project, separated by commas (e.g. 8, 4, 12).

Your equity score will be weighted to a 30 point scale during the scoring process. See the examples below for how these calculations will be conducted.

Example 1: Score of hexagon (8) / maximum awarded score (13) x 30 = 18.5, rounded to 19 points

Example 2: Average score of hexagons (4, 11 = avg of 7.5) / maximum awarded score (13) x 30 = 17.3 rounded to 17 pts

B. Narrative Response – 10 Points

Provide information about how the proposed plan will address equity in ways not shown by the Active Transportation Program Equity Map. This could include reducing barriers within the community, addressing historic disinvestment, or investing in communities that have been historically marginalized.

Describe background work that has prepared the community for a demonstration project. Information about how the idea was generated, who has been involved, and any related efforts in the past should be referenced here.

0–10 points: Some thought has gone into the pursuit of a demonstration project. The project’s background work may be lacking Equity or Engagement approaches.

10-20 points: There is clear community work that has led up to the pursuit of a demonstration project, including Equity and Engagement strategies.

A. Local Planning Work – 5 Points

Identify if the barrier or challenge being addressed is identified in a local planning document. If so, a link to the plan should be provided.

B. Project Location – 0 Points

Indicate the location of the proposed project.

C. Justification for Project Location – 5 Points

Supply information about how the location was selected. This may include safety impacts or other contextual factors.

Provide the name of the team leader and additional members of the planning team for this project. The following stakeholder groups are required:

• Local road authority (public works, county engineer, MnDOT)
• City staff (planners, elected officials, city manager)
• Community Member(s)

This section focuses on the ultimate vision for a completed project, along with information/data collection and community capability to support installation.

A. Vision for Success – 2 Points

Describe your team’s vision for a successful implementation of the quick-build/demonstration project. What do you hope you will achieve through this work? What will change as a result of the installation? Describe both the anticipated short- and long-term impacts of the work.

B. Data Collection – 3 Points

Describe the ways that you intend to collect data and/or feedback about how the demonstration project is performing, and how it will be used to advance this work going forward.

C. Installation Plans – 5 Points

Share how you intend to install the project. This could include support from a local public works department, or from community volunteers looking to be part of the process.

Applications must include a letter of support from the local road authority. Your local road authority is the unit of government who is responsible for the roadway where the project is happening. This may be either the city, county, township, or state (MnDOT). Applications submitted without a letter of support from the roadway authority will not be considered.

Submitted letters of support will be scored based on the level of understanding shown by the supporting partners.

MnDOT evaluates applicants by League of Minnesota Cities classifications (PDF) to accurately compare similarly sized communities.
Cities are classified by population under Minnesota Statutes, section 410.01. Cities are divided, for legislative purposes, into four classes.

1. First class: Cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Once a city is in the first class, it is not reclassified unless its population decreases by 25 percent from the census figures that last qualified the city as first class.
2. Second class: Cities with a population between 20,001 and 100,000
3. Third class: Cities with a population between 10,001 and 20,000
4. Fourth class: Cities with not more than 10,000 inhabitants

Population by Type of Local Government and Class As of the state demographer’s 2018 estimates, the state’s total population is 5,629,416 and is distributed among these classifications of cities, and in towns or unorganized areas.

Pursuant to Minn. Stat. 13.03, subd. 1, all government data collected, created, received, maintained or disseminated by a government entity shall be public unless classified by statute, or temporary classification pursuant to section 13.06, or federal law, as nonpublic or protected nonpublic, or with respect to data on individuals, as private or confidential. The responsible authority in every government entity shall keep records containing government data in such an arrangement and condition as to make them easily accessible for convenient use. Photographic, photostatic, microphotographic, or microfilmed records shall be considered as accessible for convenient use regardless of the size of such records.

Monthly progress reports will be submitted by the consultant team to the MnDOT Project Manager for each community receiving technical assistance. Progress reports begin at the start of the planning process through installation. Monthly progress reports will provide updates on opportunities and challenges encountered through the duration of the project to MnDOT. Selected communities and the consultant will be expected to work together to submit accurate, timely progress reports.