NS735: Equity in MnDOT Programming
Problem
While MnDOT prioritizes equity in individual policies and projects, a gap exists in understanding how our program of projects contributes to advancing transportation equity. MnDOT's recently adopted mission emphasizes connecting and serving all people through a safe, equitable, and sustainable transportation system. In addition, the 2022 Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan reflects this shift with ambitious safety, equity, and sustainability targets. We are not able to determine our progress in meeting these targets with the current programming approach.
Objective
This research project proposes to address this gap by:
- Defining program equity. What is equity in the context of a Transportation Improvement Program MnDOT submission, Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, Comprehensive Transportation Improvement Program (10-year program) or any modal plans or programs.
- Evaluating the current programming approach compared to our safety, equity, and sustainability targets. This should identify gaps in terms of what the long-range program and policies are setting as targets and what progress will propose CHIP or STIP programs make in achieving the targets.
- Recommending programming processes or improvements to the current processes that advance transportation equity.
Expected outcomes
- New or improved policy, rules, or regulations
- New or improved business practices, procedure, or process
- New or improved decision support tool, simulation, or model/algorithm (software)
Expected benefits
The numbers 1 and 2 indicate whether the source of the benefit measurement is from:
- A specific research task in your project that supports measuring this particular benefit, or
- Implementation of the research findings (anticipating positive results)
- Construction Saving: (2 )
- Savings will be measured in the opportunity costs of delays due to legal actions or late scope adjustments resulting from community and stakeholder concerns. The focus of Justice40 and other federal requirements will raise the risk not only for individual projects but for the overall program. This could result in delays associated with essential projects contained within the program.
- Decrease Engineering/Administrative Cost: (2)
- The reduction could be seen in the lower cost associated with legal challenges or in opportunity cost associated with project delays.
- Environmental Aspect: (2)
- The social and economic environments will assess at the program level enabling MnDOT to adjust the individual project’s purpose and need, as well as identifying the factors to consider early in the assessment process for the projects within the program to assure that the program is balanced in its impacts.
- User Benefits: (2)
- The economic benefits will be analyzed and assessed for the program as a whole. The analysis will activate earlier than the project level and enable the scheduling within the programming to minimize the burdens and increase the benefits to the communities and the occupants impacted by the transportation investment. By defining and assessing program equity, this project will equip MnDOT to strategically design its program of projects, ensuring we deliver an equitable and accessible transportation system for all Minnesotans.
- Risk Management: (2)
- Will provide the opportunity to identify, analyze and address the benefits and burdens to neighborhoods and community members early in the process reducing risks associated with project and program approvals. These approvals will impact not only program components that address equity but those that do not due to the type of project.
Technical advisory panel
- Aaron Tag
- Molly McCartney
- William Goff
- Lindsey Bruer
- Intermediate Planner – Livability Office
- Kadence Kushnir – OTSM
- Angela Piltaver, District 7