MnDOT District 8 partnerships
Southwest Minnesota Area Transportation Partnership
MnDOT created Area Transportation Partnerships (ATPs) more than two decades ago in response to changes in federal law that increased state flexibility and the need for public involvement in transportation planning and program decision-making. ATPs were established by each district specifically to facilitate broader input to the federal project selection process for the development of the State Transportation Improvement Program, the four-year program of state and local projects with federal highway and transit funding, projects with state funding.
The Southwest Minnesota Area Transportation Partnership is organized along the District 8 boundary and includes all the counties in the district. In addition to MnDOT District 8 staff, representatives from cities, counties, tribal governments, other agencies and industry are included in the ATP. Through the ATP, these organizations are responsible for reviewing the district’s proposed four construction program and recommend local transportation priorities for federal funding.
Tribal Governments
The Lower Sioux Indian Community and the Upper Sioux Community are located in District 8. MnDOT staff consult with tribes annually to discuss transportation issues and projects in other areas of the state.
Regional development organizations
There are nine regional development commissions established by Minnesota statute in 1969 to provide technical assistance to local units of government in their region. They perform a variety of unique services based on the needs of their region and partner with numerous state and federal agencies. District 8 is served by the Mid-Minnesota Development Commission, Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission, and the Southwest Regional Development Commission.
Toward Zero Deaths
Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) is a multi-agency partnership led by the Minnesota Departments of Transportation, Public Safety and Health in cooperation with the FHWA, Minnesota county engineers, the Center for Transportation Studies and other traffic safety organizations. The Southwest Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths program began in 2008 and includes all the counties in District 8.