Statewide Pedestrian System Plan
What the plan is for
Pedestrian safety is a priority for MnDOT. MnDOT’s Statewide Pedestrian System Plan was completed in 2021. The plan expands on the work of Minnesota Walks and define MnDOT’s role in improving places for people to walk along and across the state highway system. The Statewide Pedestrian System Plan guides MnDOT’s investments to improve places for people walking along and across the state’s highway system. It helps prioritize and create spaces that are safe and convenient for people to walk along and across state highways. It also helps MnDOT understand the role that the trunk highway system plays for residents and visitors. This plan guides future investment to continue to make walking more desirable and accessible.
- Statewide Pedestrian System Plan (PDF)
- Executive Summary (PDF)
Goals
- Promote walking as a universal need
- Create healthy and equitable communities
- Create safer places to walk
- Create enjoyable places to walk
- Build internal capacity to advance walking
What do we mean when we say “walking”?
Walking is a term often used as part of this plan. MnDOT uses the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability definition of walking in their #HowIWalk campaign. The campaign defines walking as an inclusive physical activity term that is individualized based on how a person moves. When this plan and its activities say walking, it includes the use of assistive devices, such as wheelchairs or walkers.
MnDOT Priority Areas for Walking Study (PAWS) Score
Prioritizing the needs of people walking is critical. Every transportation investment decision that is made has impacts on people walking, and people walking are the most vulnerable users of the system. The Priority Areas for Walking Study (PAWS) Score is meant as a starting point for considering walking in MnDOT decision-making. The analysis highlights areas that are important for walking. The PAWS Score map is consulted in the initial phases of project planning for any transportation project and is used in other MnDOT programs. While all projects should consider the needs of people walking, projects in higher ranked areas especially should prioritize comfort and safety for people walking over convenience of people using other modes of transportation.
Implementation Studies
Three implementation studies were completed to advance the goals, strategies, and actions of the Statewide Pedestrian System Plan.
High Priority Pedestrian Safety Improvements (HiPPS) Action Plan
Nearly 50% of pedestrian crashes from 2016‐2018 occurred in 0.2% of Minnesota's geographic area (6.5% of the TH system). This finding from MnDOT's Statewide Pedestrian System Plan
highlights both the need for action in areas designated as high‐priority for investment by the plan, and the immense benefit that investment can have. The HiPPS Action Plan applies the guidance from the Statewide Pedestrian System Plan and utilizes a context sensitive approach to identify implementable pedestrian safety improvements that will reduce the likelihood of crashes involving people walking in PAWS Tier 1 areas within the next 10 years. The plan includes two types of actions:
- Pedestrian safety improvements at 24 specific high priority locations on the trunk highway system
- 54 recommended actions to streamline the implementation pathway for pedestrian safety projects on MnDOT trunk highways
Contact:
Jesse Thornsen
Active Transportation Systems Designer
651-366-5622
Mitigating the Effects of Climate Change on Pedestrians Study
Climate change will significantly impact the transportation system's most vulnerable users through increased high heat events, more frequent heavy precipitation events, and more freeze/thaw cycles. This project builds on the Statewide Pedestrian System Plan to better understand the types of investments (including vegetation, landscaping, and tree canopies) that can be made on the TH system to protect people walking from the impacts of climate change.
Contact:
Caroline Ketcham
Active Transportation Planner
Active Transportation Maintenance Study
Pedestrian and Bicycle facilities serve transportation purposes year round, and maintenance of these facilities continues to pose challenges to both MnDOT and local partners. This study identifies ped/bike facilities that have unclear maintenance responsibilities within MnDOT's Right of Way. The study develops an understanding of the potential costs of seasonal maintenance on these facilities after construction is complete, including three potential maintenance options: state‐led, local‐led, and through private contracts. The project identifies next steps to address existing maintenance pain points with the aim to establish an approach for future new construction.
Contacts:
Hannah Pritchard
Principal Pedestrian & Bicycle Engineer
651-366-4168
Mitch Kiecker
Senior Pedestrian & Bicycle Engineer
651-366-3827