Innovation Focus
 Innovation Hour: Research Implementation
NOTE: Webinar is not available for external users outside of the State of Minnesota network.
 Join MnDOT's Office of Research & Innovation on April 3 from 12 - 1 p.m. for an Innovation Hour focusing on Research Implementation. The following projects will be featured:
- Human Factors: Optimizing Crosswalks and Aesthetic Surface Treatments, Ethan Peterson
- Debris Removal Devices and Whelan Core Lighting Systems on Freeway Incident Response Safety Team (FIRST) Trucks, Tony Kasella and John McClellan
- Innovative Contracting/Response from Communities, Glenn Gadbois
Developing and maintaining a culture of innovation within DOTS
 Have you heard about the National Cooperative Highway Research Program’s U.S. Domestic Scan Program? Each year, NCHRP selects two to three new topics for information sharing and technology exchange among states, how cool is that? This past spring, MnDOT joined eight other transportation agencies in a U.S. Domestic Scan on the topic of “Developing and Maintaining a Culture of Innovation within DOTs”. From April 15-19, each agency shared details and insights into the organizational structure and programmatic strategies that contribute to its successful culture of innovation. The scan resulted in a list of recommendations for DOTs and identified six building blocks of innovation.
Pushing our understanding of collaboration, process improvement, and customer service
 By Glenn Gadbois, Transit Consulting Planning Program Coordinator
The Office of Transit and Active Transportation initiated a pilot that became a significant departure from the traditional use of consultants by state DOTs. MnDOT is paying consultants to respond to transit agency’s requests for technical support. Recognizing a critical gap, we ended up leveraging consultants as strategic partners, capable of supporting delivery of targeted administrative, operational, and financial assistance to local transit agencies.
Our pilot program officially launched in June 2023, beginning with a comprehensive survey to identify the specific areas where agencies needed assistance. We got 118 responses and selected 26 high priority projects to start. The program rapidly gained momentum. In just over a year, we’ve initiated more than 70 projects and successfully completed over 30, each with an average cost of approximately $18,000. While these numbers reflect significant early success, the real value lies in the innovative lessons we’ve learned.
While the office has used consultants for planning, we have never used consultants for this range of tasks. Thus, we had to build agreements on how to deploy consultants. This pilot offered a unique opportunity to rethink decision-making processes, balancing local partner (agency) needs with internal capabilities. Building a culture of collaborative problem-solving has been essential to the project’s success.
As consultants began delivering their work, it became clear that the scope of their contributions could be expanded into more structured guidance. We are now developing a series of playbooks designed to empower both the Office staff and transit agencies to independently tackle challenges. These playbooks cover areas like Labor Market Analysis, Service Planning, Technology, Facilities, Financial Management, Policy Evaluation, and Marketing. For example, when agencies highlighted driver shortages as a critical issue, consultants partnered with the American Public Transit Association (APTA) to create a playbook that aids agencies in effectively communicating these challenges to decision-makers.
Though still in its early stages, this new way of doing business has already garnered interest from several state DOTs. We’ve made formal presentations to CalTrans and Michigan DOT and are working closely with MnDOT Consultant Services to streamline pre-work administrative processes, paving the way for future program evolution.
Whose sidewalk is that? New mapping tool clarifies maintenance responsibility
 By Mike Kowski, Metro District Maintenance Operations Resource Engineer
Public amenities in MnDOT’s right of way, like ramps, sidewalks, and trails, require partnership with local agencies for maintenance. While this collaboration is mutually beneficial, it can be challenging to know “who” is responsible for “what” when it comes time to preserve and repair these assets. To save Metro maintenance staff time sorting through paperwork to determine ownership, Metro District Office of Maintenance Operations developed a new spreadsheet and mapping tool, to clarify where MnDOT is responsible for maintenance.
Does this innovation sound like it could be a fit for your district? Connect with Mike Kowski to learn more. Questions about Maintenance and Operations Innovative Solutions? Contact Clark Moe.
"Every Day Counts," innovation for a nation on the move
 Internal curing increases concrete’s resistance to early cracking, allowing the production of higher-performance concretes that may last more than 75 years. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycounts/edc_7/enhancing_epic.cfm
Every Day Counts is a state-based model that identifies and rapidly deploys proven, yet underutilized innovations that make our transportation system adaptable, sustainable, equitable and safer for all. Proven innovations promoted through EDC facilitate greater efficiency at the State, Local and Tribal levels, saving time, money and resources to ensure our infrastructure is built better, faster, and smarter.
FHWA works with State transportation departments, local governments, tribes, private industry and other stakeholders to identify a new collection of innovations to champion every two years that merit accelerated deployment.
MnDOT is participating in six Every Day Counts initiatives:
- EPDs for Sustainable Project Delivery
- Enhanced Performance with Internally Cured Concrete
- Rethinking DBE for Design-Build
- Integrating GHG Assessment and Reduction Targets in Transportation Planning
- Nighttime Visibility for Safety
- Next Generation TIM: Technology for Saving Lives
- Strategic Workforce Development
MnDOT innovation in the news
 Right-of-way robots could mow along Minnesota highways, Star Tribune, February 15, 2025
Innovation resources
Hot of the press! Federal Highway Administration’s latest issue of Innovator.
Hit play: Tune into recordings and stroll the virtual exhibit hall from Caltrans’ 3rd annual Innovation Expo.
Bookmark: “How Innovation Works,” by Matt Ridley, available in MnDOT’s Cloud Library.
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