1. Complete Streets in Minnesota
Julie Skallman
State Aid Division Director
Minnesota Department of Transportation
Pre-conference Intensive
2013 Age & Disabilities Odyssey Conference
Monday, June 17, 2013

2. MnDOT Major role in statewide planning
Legal authority for many standards
Bridges, interstates, interchanges and freeways … many Main Streets
State Aid for Local Transportation:
- Administers State Aid funding to counties and cities
The goals of the state aid program are to provide users of secondary highways and streets with:
Safe highways and streets
Adequate mobility and structural capacity on highways and streets
An integrated transportation network
SALT administers funding that supports more than 120,000 miles of roadway and almost 14,700 bridges.

3. Complete Streets 2008 Legislation
Required MnDOT to do a study on the feasibility of a statewide Complete Streets policy
Delivered to the Legislature in January 2009
Provided a forum for discussion in the Legislative process

4. Complete Streets 2010 Legislation
Defines Complete Streets for Minnesota
Directs general MnDOT implementation
Clarifies local encouragement, but no mandate
Directs some tweaks to the State Aid variance process
Requires a series of legislative reports

5. Goals
Develop a balanced transportation system that integrates all modes via planning
Include users of all types, ages and abilities
Collaborate with partners to
developing policy

6. It does not mean “all modes on all roads”
Definition
It does not mean “all modes on all roads”

7. What roads are included in the State Supported System?
State Highways (Trunk Highways)
County State Aid Highways (CSAH)
- in all 87 counties
Municipal State Aid Streets (MSAS)
- in 142 cities with over population 5,000 or more
Town Roads & Bridges
Why is State Aid also included in the development of Complete Streets? The state aid system includes roads or streets, designated in accordance with Minnesota Statutes Chapter 162 for local agencies
(TH under Chapter 161)
The state aid system is comprised of
Trunk highways, County State Aid Highways (referred to as CSAHs), Municipal State Aid Streets (referred to as MSASs) and town roads and bridges.
Minnesota Rule Chapter 8820
Standards for Rural & Urban designs
Complete Streets
Natural Preservation Routes (NPR), Forest Highway (FH)
Variance Procedures
Federal Aid Projects
Stewardship Plan
Mileage values were set in 1959 and do not change.
No later than February 1st of each year, the Commissioner certifies the apportionment to each county or urban municipality. 7

8. State Highways (trunk highways) = 11,878 miles
This map shows the 11,878 miles of trunk highways in Minnesota. Trunk highways are also known as state highways and are managed by MnDOT. 8

9. CSAH = 30,609 miles MSAS = 3,597 miles
Trunk Highways – 11,897 miles
State Aid Routes:
CSAH = 30,609 miles MSAS = 3,597 miles
This map shows the CSAH and MSAS state aid routes 9

10. Total Miles = 137,586 State highways = 11,878 miles
Trunk Highways – 11,897 miles
State aid routes: CSAH = 30,609 miles MSAS = 3,597 miles
This map adds the 91,502 miles of local roads.
Local roads are also opportunities for Complete Streets
** Note: these are current numbers
Local Roads = 91,502 miles
Total Miles = 137,586 10

11. Complete Streets and MnDOT
Snelling Avenue (Highway 51), St. Paul
Highway 22 south of St. Peter
I-694 Bike/walk Underpass, Fridley
Minnesota Avenue (Highway 169), St. Peter

12. Aging Minnesotans
Safe and accessible pedestrian and transit facilities, parking lots, parking spaces, and rest areas
Stay in homes longer
Stay active in communities
Match travel options to budgets
Maintain social/family connections

14. Young Adults Driving cars less Delaying driving license
Choosing locations with more transportation options such as bus, bike and walk
Avoiding cost of fuel impacts $$$$

15. Pedestrian travel Goal: Make pedestrian travel efficient,
safe and convenient
Every trip starts and ends with a pedestrian trip
Many Minnesotans do not drive car
Involves civil rights
Quality transit service
Door-to-door planning

16. Complete Streets in Minnesota
Over 40 communities have CS or related policies or resolutions
MnDOT tracks progress:
Please contact us if your community is working on a policy or resolution
Complete Streets
Duluth

17. Understanding Complete Streets
Complete Streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users … motorists, transit users, freight, pedestrians and bicyclists of all ages and abilities are able to move safely along and across complete streets.

18. Flexibility and Options
Streets and roads have different features and different uses. There are different strategies to use to improve travel for everyone. Adding bike racks to buses, striping bike lanes when a street is repaved, adding a turn lane, or adding a midblock crossing along with other road features to make a safe pedestrian crossing. These all can improve travel options and are just a few of the examples.

19. More of a Complete Street
Rural Application
Complete Streets can be applied in rural areas, too. The road design options may be different, for example, adding a paved shoulder for biking and other purposes.
Not a Complete Street
More of a Complete Street

20. Rural application
Note shoulder in use by bicyclists and pedestrian with lower posted speed limit.

21. As in rural areas, there are challenges to urban streets and roads
As in rural areas, there are challenges to urban streets and roads. What do you think? What road is better? Hard to say, depends on the context. Destinations, traffic, transit service, schools, speed.
Note speed limit change, adding marked crosswalk, with signing, other changes that could be made?

22. Space Allocation & Flexibility in Design
Is this a Complete Street?
See what other changes can be made.
Is this more of a Complete Street?

23. Common Features Sidewalks Buffer zones Paved shoulders
Speed management
Accessible pedestrian
signals
Accessible curb ramps
Sidewalk “bump-outs” at intersections

24. Common Features Pedestrian refuges in medians
Bus stops with accessible sidewalk connections
Bike lanes
Paths linking to state trails
Car and bike parking
Countdown timers
Adjusting signal timing for walk phase

25. Before
10th avenue SE Minneapolis, 4 to 3 conversion (near U of M area)

26. After
4 to 3 conversion which is converting a four lane road to three lanes and center lanes is turn lane.
This can work for roads to allow for bike lanes and allow for turning in center lane

29. The cities are building many great streets that provide access to all even though they don’t have a complete streets policy or ordinance.
This example is in Osseo which has not adopted a formal policy yet is making progress.
OSSEO, MN

30. This segment was actually built so that it can be closed off for civic celebrations.
Clearly this is not a trunk highway or a state aid route, but it does show what nice things can happen if we just think a little broader.

31. MnDOT Actions so far
Work plan in place to integrate Complete Streets into MnDOT processes and practices
Clarified the State Aid variance process for transparency
Modified State Aid and Trunk Highway standards to cooperatively design with local governments

32. MnDOT Actions so far
Developing performance indicators this summer and fall
Meeting with MnDOT districts to discuss CS and ADA opportunities
Updating MnDOT Complete Streets website with training, resources
Developed CS work plan
…. Releasing Complete Streets policy tech memo soon.
Working with Active Living groups
Mobility for Minnesota’s Aging Population (MMAP)
Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Engineer
Complete Streets research and training (June 24, 25)

33. MnDOT actions you can influence
We are looking for ways to work with external groups interested in complementary activities
Participate in MnDOT Investment Plan public outreach now … contact
Sign up for MnDOT Complete Streets updates
Participate in MnDOT Bicycle System Planning public outreach: See …

34. MnDOT Complete Streets Website
Place screen capture here once website has been updated with photos, new template and latest information.
See “ updates” … that is what you can click to sign up for Complete Streets updates.

35. Challenges Cost participation policies
Trucks use roads to move freight and need space to turn, unload freight
Maintenance year round
Emergency vehicles
need access

36. Our weather always creates maintenance challenges in winter.
We need to consider that cost in anything we build as well as the first cost.

37. It takes a team. Other state agencies Local governments
Federal government
Public Health agencies
Medical and health industry
Schools, colleges, universities
Businesses
Freight and Rail
You!

38. Parting thoughts
Biggest impact: working with our partners to apply CS in a region
If we try to implement one construction project at a time without a overall vision we will not optimize our work or money
We can make a difference working together cooperatively

39. Thank you www.mndot.gov/completestreets Julie Skallman
State Aid Division Director
Minnesota Department of Transportation
Phone: