As connected and automated vehicle technology continues to advance, local agencies are seeking guidance on how to prepare and answer questions from elected officials and the public. The Local Road Research Board developed this interactive resource guide to help local agencies prepare for and respond to Connected Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) changes. Note: Please download the PDF file and open in Adobe Acrobat to use the guide's navigation features.

If you need technical assistance with a transportation project, the state transportation library is available to local agencies and consultants working on local projects, thanks to support from the LRRB. The MnDOT-operated library offers comprehensive research services and resources focused on transportation and civil engineering, as well as business needs such as finance, planning, management, statistics, leadership, innovation, HR/training, demographic research, professional exam prep, and more. Even today, with instant data availability at your fingertips, MnDOT Library professionals can apply expertise in identifying, locating, acquiring, and synthesizing specific information that goes far beyond general internet searches, including resources that are difficult to find or obtain. 

New guidance from the Local Road Research Board will help Minnesota city and county engineers struggling to preserve their transportation networks. The Federal Highway Administration estimates that each dollar spent on road, highway and bridge improvements results in an average benefit of $5.20, including reduced vehicle maintenance and fuel consumption, reduced road and bridge maintenance costs, and improved safety. Despite these benefits, funding gaps loom and investments in transportation suffer. The Resource Guide for Analysis and Investment Decision Making provides guidance, tools and methods suitable for local agencies to break down the process of planning and implementing transportation investments. 

The Minnesota Guide for Stream Connectivity and Aquatic Organism Passage Through Culverts is a comprehensive guide for designing culverts that support stream connectivity and the passage of aquatic organisms.  A research team assessed 50 culverts across the state to identify current connectivity challenges and then used modeling software and historic data to simulate possible drought and flood scenarios. The results showed that culverts built according to the design guidance will likely continue to allow fish and other aquatic wildlife to pass through despite changing environmental conditions. 

Congratulations to this year's Build a Better Mousetrap award recipients who devised creative innovations to solve everyday transportation challenges. This year's winners include:

• The City of Rochester (first place) for its plow truck pre-wet nurse tank, which enables drivers to apply salt through an entire plow event by using all brine carried on the truck. Photo at right.
• Crow Wing County (tie for second place) for its Snow Removal Status app, which lets residents check plows' locations and see which roads have been cleared.
• Lake of the Woods County (tie for second place) for a shear attachment that makes it safer and faster for staff to remove trees or open rights-of-way.

Crow Wing County and Lake of the Woods County also were recognized for runner-up submissions. First- and second-place winners were awarded $450 and $350 Visa gift cards for their departments. All submissions advance to the national Build a Better Mousetrap recognition program—hosted by the Federal Highway Administration—where they compete against departments from across the country.

The Minnesota competition is sponsored by the Minnesota Local Road Research Board and administered by Minnesota LTAP.

As COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in 2020 kept people at home, reduced travel and, therefore, traffic congestion were to be expected. But how much of an impact did the restrictions have on traffic congestion? After analyzing changes in traffic levels due to the travel restrictions, researchers identified how incremental changes in vehicle miles traveled impact regional congestion. These results will inform efforts by MnDOT and its partners on the outcomes of reduced travel demand. Check out this webinar to learn more about the research.

Recent flooding events have demonstrated the threat extreme flooding poses to Minnesota’s transportation infrastructure. Additionally, climate change could exacerbate the threat of flooding in coming decades. To better predict the threat posed by flooding, MnDOT developed and tested a methodology for characterizing the vulnerability of the state’s bridges, large culverts, and pipes, which may be increasingly called upon to convey higher, more frequent flood flows than that for which they were designed. The Extreme Flood Vulnerability Analysis Study enhances vulnerability scoring techniques presented in the previously completed Flash Flood Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment Pilot Project (2014). and builds on other research from MnDOT and the LRRB. Check out this webinar to learn more about the study.

Check out the cover story on the MnROAD Research Facility in the November/December 2021 issue of TR News. The article offers an in-depth look at the facility, from the original concept to create a cold regions pavement test facility in the 1980s to its launch in 1994. It details how MnROAD has benefited Minnesota and its partners, highlighting technical accomplishments, innovations, and cost savings. It also gives a nice shout out to the Minnesota Local Road Research Board, which sponsors low-volume road research at MnROAD! 

The Local Road Resource Board (LRRB) and Research Implementation Committee (RIC) are hard at work developing and implementing new research projects that will help improve the quality of Minnesota’s transportation systems. At the joint LRRB and RIC summer meeting held June 21-23, they conducted final reviews of need statements and selected projects that will be funded for research and implementation. They also reviewed strategic plan and marketing plan activities for the coming year. LRRB Board Members: Top row (l-r): Paul Ohme, City of Lakeville; Brian Giese, Pope County; Wayne Sandberg, Washington County. Middle row (l-r): Kent Exner, City of Hutchinson; Lon Aune, Marshall County; Duane Hill, MnDOT; Bottom row (l-r): Jim Foldesi, St. Louis County; Katie Walker, MnDOT Office of Research and Innovation; and Kyle Shelton, Center for Transportation Studies. Not pictured: Kristine Elwood, MnDOT State Aid.