Director Francis Ziegler North Dakota Department of Transportation Sunday, October 25, 2009

North Dakota’s Economy is Growing and Diversifying

 Overriding trends facing North Dakota  Possible cuts in federal funding  Relatively stable state funding  Increasing demands on state & local infrastructure  Increasing demands for transit services  Sharply rising maintenance costs  Sharply rising transit operating costs

 Spring 2007 NDDOT partnered with Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI), which is associated with North Dakota State University, to form an Advisory Council.  Created a Steering Committee to develop a Grassroots Effort to generate public involvement in transportation policy and funding.  The Advisory Council members felt there was a ―perfect storm brewing in the state—growing demand for transportation services for personal mobility and freight movement, increasing needs for transportation system maintenance, and declining revenues for transportation infrastructure (a result of more fuel-efficient vehicles on the road, which results in lower amounts of fuel taxes collected at the pump).  An effective, sustainable, and cost-efficient transportation system must be based on the mobility needs of the individuals and entities it serves.

 Steering Committee Plan Eight regional workshops throughout state One statewide wrap-up session  Purpose of the workshops Educate participants Solicit input Encourage involvement Funding for the study: NDDOT, Transportation Association and AASHTO.

Theme :  Is Transportation Important to YOU?  Workshops (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.)  Panel discussions  Working lunch  Open microphone session  Survey participants

Agenda:  Importance of transportation to State residents  Inventory of transportation system  Condition of system  Funding sources  Local perspective - panel discussion  Effecting change

Workshops had three key goals:  To inform the public about the state’s transportation and mobility needs  To explain how public policy affects how those needs are accommodated  To solicit input on mobility issues and concerns.  At each workshop, it was stressed that we were not trying to tell the participants what to think; rather, we wanted to give them something to think about—to provide information that would be helpful in forming their own conclusions and recommendations.

 A public that is more informed and aware of how personal and freight mobility is affected by public policy will be more likely to discuss transportation planning and financing issues with elected officials, public officials, and community leaders.  Those discussions will help shape public policies and determine the future of transportation and mobility in North Dakota.

What was the outcome:  A constituency was built  Commitment to go legislative  Governor buy-in for transportation funding  Revised transportation formula to address everyone’s funding needs.

Results for North Dakota:  State residents ranging from county commissioners to city residents had a “Transportation Day”at the Capitol during legislative session.  Transportation funding in North Dakota was increased by $140 million for biennium.

If you have any questions or would like more information contact:  Scott Zainhofsky, NDDOT Planning and Programming Director at  Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute at website: or call