Transportation Planning in MnDOT District 7
MnDOT created area transportation partnerships (ATPs) to emphasize greater public involvement in the preparation of transportation plans and programs. There are eight ATPs in Minnesota (one for each MnDOT District area).
The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) gave the states more flexibility in determining transportation solutions and required the development of a Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) continued this flexibility.
MnDOT responded by decentralizing the program decision-making process to a more regional level (i.e. the districts). The Area Transportation Partnerships were established by each district to facilitate broader input to the project selection process. ATP-7 covers the 13 counties of Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, Le Sueur, Martin, Nicollet, Nobles, Rock, Sibley, Waseca and Watonwan.
The 2012 MAP-21 federal transportation bill introduced a more performance based approach, especially in regards to the National Highway System (NHS). Performance of the NHS has remained priority in subsequent federal transportation bills of FAST Act (2015), and the Infrastructure and investment Jobs Act (IIJA), also referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), passed in 2021. The IIJA extends federal funding for roads through 2026 and also includes a number of new programs, many of which are competitive.
Members of ATP-7 include:
MnDOT is responsible for staff support of the ATP-7.
Each year, ATPs develop an Area Transportation Improvement Program (ATIP) to incorporate into the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). ATIPs, which span a minimum of four years, include all projects that seek federal aid highway, state trunk highway, and federal transit sources of funding.
To distribute the funds, a Statewide Performance Program allows Minnesota to meet performance targets on the National Highway System (PDF).
ATP-7 solicits projects for:
These projects are ranked by categories with set investment targets, and then integrated into the four-year ATIP. Project categories include:
