[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6562495,"mediaKeyId","3275420-c8b2398985790585e96b6c1f4cb2793f","parentId",3275420,"title","Advisory Council on Traffic Safety Seeks Clear Grant Authority and Study of Lane‑Filtering","audioSeconds",266,"startMs",7850000,"endMs",8116000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3275420-c8b2398985790585e96b6c1f4cb2793f&start=7850&end=8116","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3275420-c8b2398985790585e96b6c1f4cb2793f/thumbnail_7850000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6562495/Minnesota/Advisory-Council-on-Traffic-Safety-Seeks-Clear-Grant-Authority-and-Study-of-LaneFiltering","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562495-020ac933d08ab810861a08bfc64b6174/orig.mp4?Expires=1770578133&Signature=VcW2DZ7pl9lI6zKEKwrp96P1iPSh~c9d7GeKezYHRwcSEsVWvtbW0xrXrQKCcK8r8BqVbz2YX~D5uCnzUzB6GMwT5Jy0VvYYxEPaQb4v6lm4QeM9E7g1o6AVMH7aDz3DEYhkxnC9FVzlKwHGWixf-kUFZPQMW~fhQIe9aAUTeifDnsdVodjp-pUGNDkgWHeGljjcedYPlJ5lbkAY08Qn9BcQrzCeYLGYXV3rEAtzgJh2ttC4Yxf110vTJ5c1XwZ-XyM6fKJmHAoIeSowJJ-hsvRzanywPtzqlAA2gMw3yxP3i5X7hfvWCrXrKvG268quh2-HmP9p6RbNlgDfcM4Y3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Legislature","date","2025-05-13T09:02:51Z","article","The advisory council on traffic safety, created in 2023, told the conference committee it needs clearer statutory authority and funding language to administer grants and continue statewide traffic‑safety work, including a study of lane‑filtering practices and targeted grants for rural high‑risk roads and enforcement.

Mike Hansen, director of the Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety, said the advisory council brings state and local agencies, nonprofits and other stakeholders together to advise on traffic‑safety strategy. Paul Austin of the Minnesota Safety Council, who also serves on the advisory council, said both House and Senate drafts attempt to clarify grant‑making mechanics and eligible uses but differ on which applicants should receive priority and on appropriation timing.

The Senate language enumerates eligible grant purposes that echo the council’s 2023 priorities: improvements to rural high‑risk roads, traffic safety training for law enforcement, sober‑ride programming, work‑zone safety and redesign, and safe‑route designations. The Senate draft also requires the council to give priority to local traffic safety coalitions when awarding contracts or grants; the House draft uses slightly different language around prioritization and effective dates.

Lawmakers asked about lane‑filtering (also called lane‑splitting) and inserted a study item in the Senate list to analyze the practice and related safety outcomes. Committee counsel and witnesses said the advisory council and DPS should continue to refine grant rules so the 2023 appropriations can be distributed; committee fiscal staff noted that the House draft cancels a portion of carryforward funds while the Senate would extend the availability of the remaining appropriation from the current biennium.

What’s next: The advisory council asked the committee to finalize statutory grant authority and appropriate funding so that remaining 2023‑era appropriations can be used. Lawmakers signaled intent to reconcile House and Senate language and to clarify priorities and reporting requirements; they did not adopt final grant language during the hearing.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Conference Committee on H.F. 2438 - Transportation Omnibus - 05/12/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Department of Public Safety and members of the advisory council on traffic safety asked the conference committee for clear statutory authority and consistent funding so the council can award grants to local traffic safety coalitions and research issues such as lane‑filtering.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6562499,"MnDOT Warns Asset‑Sustainability Targets Would Shift Billions; Lawmakers Debate Timing and Scope",512,6287000,6799000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3275420-c8b2398985790585e96b6c1f4cb2793f&start=6287&end=6799","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3275420-c8b2398985790585e96b6c1f4cb2793f/thumbnail_6287000.jpg","/articles/6562499/Minnesota/MnDOT-Warns-AssetSustainability-Targets-Would-Shift-Billions-Lawmakers-Debate-Timing-and-Scope","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562499-b54324ffd41c828988481b3b4e7b1b57/orig.mp4?Expires=1770578133&Signature=QBryAt7LTPnrbzKXkXwmU5P5u1S6vpYKz4Sz9FsgOF54sWFhPp7n6twDpzD~165bnbLxFvcMEGVl368Va4PYbZjFBHUkFE3jb5z0XQETvIs0eoGkAaVqX4qAXm-X8PrEQm-UvN~jh7JkJ7DqYe~GZHsX8M4X4ZnYiL~W9ID7St7LKQl2OU5DwazY84dDNpTxFkHt4sXXU1~AkOhOYwl6iaJWQ22cAyA~FeCOsOQS47buFD61tENyG8IaMEWIoWLGdlQhlfYgl9nF7HNGLMf9EUv3xVeRIUsm6B3Csws9THs0NFe-nJN2CXTb2QBzraXx6rEDeXXDZGvaxPJ4CJuwOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Legislative language in the House and Senate would establish an asset‑sustainability ratio (ASR) target to measure how well capital renewal spending replaces asset depreciation across MnDOT’s system. Committee counsel and MnDOT officials told lawmakers the difference between the House and Senate drafting is primarily timing: the House would begin reporting and meeting targets earlier (first requirements in 2027), while the Senate delays implementation until 2031.

Fiscal staff summarized both sides: both drafts would increase a reported ASR from current levels toward a long‑term target (House and Senate texts scale a target up to about 0.85 over time), but they differ on when the statutory requirements begin. MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger described the likely fiscal tradeoffs if the House timeline were adopted immediately: meeting the House targets would require shifting resources away from non‑pavement priorities and could force reductions in bridge condition investments, roadside infrastructure, safety, mobility and freight projects.

MnDOT quantified potential impacts using its programming models. The department estimated the 8‑year total impact to be between $1.4 billion and $1.9 billion in additional pavement investment required to meet the House schedule; under the Senate delayed timeline, MnDOT estimated an increase of $260 million to $320 million for pavements — roughly $65 million to $80 million per year over a four‑year implementation window. MnDOT said it has not yet identified specific projects that would be canceled or delayed but offered example annual reductions in other investment categories to illustrate tradeoffs (for example, bridge‑condition funding reductions under the Senate scenario and larger reductions under the House scenario as described in testimony).

Industry and stakeholder witnesses supported having an ASR metric. Glenn Engstrom, who formerly worked in MnDOT pavement management and now represents the Aggregate and Ready‑Mix Association, said asset‑sustainability targets provide a clear system‑level measure for planning and that the targets in committee were based on MnDOT’s own program data. MnDOT technical staff cautioned that the ASR calculation excludes some low‑cost preservation activities (chip seals and crack sealing) that extend life without reconstruction and that statutory targets could encourage reallocation from preservation to reconstruction in ways that do not maximize miles preserved per dollar. Curt Turgeon, MnDOT’s pavement research director, warned that a single mandatory numerical target can produce unintended incentives because engineers will respond to meet the metric.

What’s next: Lawmakers discussed staged implementation and the Senate’s delayed effective date as a compromise to avoid sudden programmatic disruptions. Members asked MnDOT for data supporting the timeline and requested continued work on reporting and on how preservation activities are treated in the ratio calculation. No statutory change was adopted in committee; negotiators said they would continue to work on timing and on technical definitions in the ratio calculation.

","A proposed asset‑sustainability ratio (ASR) target would require MnDOT to raise pavement investments; MnDOT told the committee meeting the House timeline and targets would force large reallocations across bridges, freight and safety programs and estimated multihundred‑million to billion‑dollar impacts over the coming years.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6562503,"Lawmakers Debate 'Resilient Pavement' Proposal as MnDOT Points to Existing Long‑Term Program",414,4251000,4665000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3275420-c8b2398985790585e96b6c1f4cb2793f&start=4251&end=4665","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3275420-c8b2398985790585e96b6c1f4cb2793f/thumbnail_4251000.jpg","/articles/6562503/Minnesota/Lawmakers-Debate-Resilient-Pavement-Proposal-as-MnDOT-Points-to-Existing-LongTerm-Program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562503-a1e4bd5b71b23d422884ad6f1aa7efcb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770578133&Signature=CZL3y4n~XvWnyndgOuBMEHEOIFP3vie0VY2i8LVjJzAA0WzJT6HbsFScBwLA8dBGQ1wsXRb11Wp6TyCXWNCjaRBkN4N1FI0uwNoJce~BRQvLgQ9uD-YsJ4gY6EOpU2eK69xqbWbyuw~ac1RFfOiVX9SwWsTdfIcHSxlIQxTcsivc~fuNcpP-uV8ASrwkhGNt7zjPvj3c4V5rIsQjCQo~xDUchxymtHv6wfCEOvMk9XbONqYqSe3Xfky9r4pNfwK7CvnhhyCrX3WZkYTYLFT~mSN8s~RjeI-Tz18-cun2a3tedgZaxNK7N2dsReBDTjMpFZYrsHRdpT6YD5GdQxXM5Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lawmakers, MnDOT staff and pavement industry representatives debated whether to create a new statutory “resilient pavement” program to incentivize longer‑life pavements or to rely on MnDOT’s existing long‑term pavement performance supplement.

Supporters — including the Concrete Paving Association of Minnesota and the Minnesota Asphalt Pavement Association — argued a program that rewards longer service life (for example, designs that target 50 years rather than typical design lives of 20–35 years) could reduce the frequency of disruptive reconstruction, produce better value over time and reduce business and traffic impacts. Dan LeBeau of the Concrete Paving Association told the committee the proposed resilient‑pavement approach focuses on “longer life fixes” and said the bill seeks to build on MnDOT’s existing work.

But MnDOT witnesses and technical staff urged caution. Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger and Curt Turgeon, MnDOT’s director of materials and road research, said MnDOT already runs a Long‑Term Pavement Performance Supplement program, which the department programs with about $35 million in 2028 and $39 million in 2029 (approximately $74 million across those two years). MnDOT said that program upscales certain projects to longer‑term fixes where practical and that about $55 million of the two‑year total was currently directed to concrete projects in the plan. The Senate language would direct an additional $10 million to the long‑term program; the House draft creates a separate program with a different set of technical definitions and a cost‑effectiveness ratio threshold.

One technical point of contention was a cost‑effectiveness or “asset” ratio in the House bill that supporters originally proposed at about 2.0 (i.e., twice the service life or cost effectiveness), while the Senate changed that threshold to 1.0 after MnDOT raised operational concerns. MnDOT’s Turgeon told the committee that formulaic ratios can be difficult to operationalize and warned the agency uses a broader project‑scoring approach in its existing program that includes ride quality, service life, maintenance history, truck volumes and corridor continuity.

Industry witnesses said the House language aims to encourage longer‑lasting solutions in high‑value corridors and to better account for business impacts and public disruption caused by repeated construction. MnDOT and some lawmakers urged that coding an overly prescriptive statutory ratio before stakeholders complete technical consensus could favor one material type or unintentionally divert funds from other preservation activities such as chip seals and crack sealing, which extend pavement life cost‑effectively.

What’s next: Committee members and witnesses recommended more cross‑sector discussion and potential codification of MnDOT’s existing long‑term pavement program rather than creating a new statutory program with prescriptive ratios. Conferees said they would consider reconciling House and Senate language, adjusting scoring and eligibility, and directing additional study or rulemaking rather than final statutory formulas.

","House and Senate drafts diverge on a proposed resilient pavement program that would fund longer‑life pavement fixes; industry groups pushed for incentives for 50‑year designs while MnDOT said it already administers a long‑term pavement performance supplement and warned against codifying technical ratios without more study.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6562507,"Metropolitan Council Loan Proposal Would Advance F‑Line Transit by Coordinating Highway Work with MnDOT",278,2271000,2549000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3275420-c8b2398985790585e96b6c1f4cb2793f&start=2271&end=2549","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3275420-c8b2398985790585e96b6c1f4cb2793f/thumbnail_2271000.jpg","/articles/6562507/Minnesota/Metropolitan-Council-Loan-Proposal-Would-Advance-FLine-Transit-by-Coordinating-Highway-Work-with-MnDOT","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562507-3ac06c970367f462e02aa73bfea4fba4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770578133&Signature=mbZVdGtpLE7QEa93y~bgtGwMPsvBxQgiVKmLfP7v6kCB1p5H0vISiCvVvTE3m~0gJvw5LHm1uF1o-GPyiVVPVNA2JgB4W9UE8bXZjGVmfiJr2kw38k-~SQUSz2~zc2naXlWQEwnFsOA6uhqJ8bpJ58Gp8LuEC4fL1Esri6pc87BXWMsWyXYMWvB~U5YhC2l6JbZeH60mK1KhYOyxQZE3cn0jGuLBa~49aqb9guEGfHfOomLm4KcYNSrer3vrcpb7-xr63F~FR9NCf9BbUc3NMrfGkWqhc-3JunKWLFOCtnQ5S8oblTo~3o5OxYSWV1y-diRAZANLsvkNoUTxdsyDXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lawmakers and agency officials described a proposal that would let the Metropolitan Council provide a one‑time loan of up to $250 million to the Minnesota Department of Transportation to coordinate highway reconstruction with construction of the F‑Line arterial Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project on Central Avenue (Trunk Highway 65), Highway 47 and parts of 50th Avenue.

MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger said concurrent construction would minimize disruption, reduce duplication and lower overall costs. MnDOT estimated that delaying the highway portion until 2030 could add at least $10,000,000 in direct cost increases and another roughly $8,000,000 in duplicated project‑delivery costs for design, right‑of‑way, outreach and construction administration. She said concurrent work would reduce additional years of corridor disruption and speed delivery of safety, multimodal accessibility and state‑of‑good‑repair benefits.

Metropolitan Council Government Affairs Director Judd Sheden and MnDOT staff said a loan would be repaid by the MnDOT metro district over about 10 years. The House drafting is silent on interest while the Senate position requires a 0% interest loan. An amendment under discussion (A42) would require a loan agreement and a separate project agreement that specifies coordinated design, programmatic compatibility and a repayment schedule; A42 also would require public disclosure of the loan and project agreements and set a legislative notification before construction funds are used. The amendment named the project and set an authorization cutoff of June 30, 2027, for entering the loan agreement.

Met Council officials said the funding would come from regional sales‑tax reserves (the council’s regional sales tax dedicated to transit and active transportation) and not from the general fund. Members of the committee and Met Council witnesses discussed whether a 0% interest requirement would create a loss of investment income to the council and whether contract language should ensure neither public entity receives disproportionate financial benefit. Met Council said it would work to negotiate fair loan terms and that if legislative comfort required a clause preventing one government from financially benefiting from another, the council could accept it as part of the contractual terms.

MnDOT Metro District planning director Molly McCartney said district estimates for roadway work accompanying the F‑Line total about $120,000,000; district funds would be used in part but borrowing from Met Council would accelerate additional work and allow construction to start with the F‑Line timeframe. Committee members discussed whether the loan could be broadened to other transit‑adjacent projects if language permitted, and Met Council said any expansion should preserve the regional‑transit focus of council revenues.

What’s next: Committee counsel walked the A42 draft with members, which would require submittal of a joint project agreement and loan agreement to the legislature, limit use of early‑phase funds to predesign/design/environmental work until the project agreement is accepted, and set reporting requirements when repayments begin. No loan was authorized in the hearing; conferees said they would continue negotiations on interest terms, project scope (Highway 65 and 47 plus 50th Avenue), and statutory notification and transparency requirements.

","Conference committee discussed language authorizing Met Council to loan up to $250 million to MnDOT to align F‑Line bus rapid transit construction with reconstruction of Trunk Highways 65 and 47; debate focused on loan terms, repayment, and whether a 0% interest requirement or other safeguards should apply.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6562511,"University and Hennepin County Seek Funding for Washington Avenue Bridge Suicide Barriers",1941,547000,2488000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3275420-c8b2398985790585e96b6c1f4cb2793f&start=547&end=2488","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3275420-c8b2398985790585e96b6c1f4cb2793f/thumbnail_547000.jpg","/articles/6562511/Minnesota/University-and-Hennepin-County-Seek-Funding-for-Washington-Avenue-Bridge-Suicide-Barriers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6562511-d29935e10d34e48bd5d5f93bb3aba0cd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770578133&Signature=KPjAmNtgZMmPUs~LATPxCIHdyILjq4sBAnM8nnhTBWPMHEXsh7kiup6FAI01ZI7KKzdPXZQGfRjrByYC72C1YVsV7wGG4nGNaPAQQbV6QHyv8~cqaEqEoCbw-X2Bw6p0hD2nvWJqLnXMWFssl90Bw24knaWT3aOGmrJjzHVL9INTnzlApHEWomYqZmsyKb6pBEEIGUZ7UK5UjhpAJ3uXQ3DAGEU7SptHoGe2mVyPOyvhDmz6I~QBjnxEWUqTlzZS07Wxxt0AjfXlYhczCXzFjHiNQe750Ol5B4CBWYHUy6ewjUnoQ2tstZ~YzaEATH07o9WwO86Oc1q96ZGmmKdFxQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The University of Minnesota and Hennepin County urged the conference committee to provide state funding for permanent suicide‑deterrent barriers, higher railings and integrated lighting on the Washington Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis, citing recent deaths and daily pedestrian volumes.

The bridge, a double‑deck structure that carries light rail and vehicles below and an upper deck used by pedestrians and cyclists, sees about 20,000 pedestrians and 7,000 cyclists each day, Alice Roberts Davis, vice president for university services at the University of Minnesota, told the committee. The university said it has spent about $78,000 on temporary fencing and signed a $25,000 contract to keep fencing for another 12 months while it seeks a permanent design. The university estimated full design and construction of permanent railings, lighting, surveillance and related site work at about $8,000,000.

Why this matters: the bridge connects the university’s East and West Bank campuses, carries high foot and bicycle traffic, and has been the site of recent mental‑health crises including two deaths last fall. Lawmakers and local agencies told the committee the question before them is not whether to install permanent barriers but which funding source is appropriate and how to avoid jeopardizing other local projects.

Hennepin County’s public‑works representative, Lisa Cerny, told the committee that Hennepin County engineers support the project technically but oppose using $9,000,000 from the county’s active‑transportation allocation as proposed in the House bill. That pot of money, she said, is already committed in the county’s five‑year capital improvement program for pedestrian ramps, accessible signals and other mobility projects in Minneapolis and surrounding cities; using the funds for Washington Avenue would “significantly delay and potentially cancel” other projects and could jeopardize previously awarded federal matching funds. County staff estimated federal match jeopardy of roughly $4,000,000 to $7,000,000 per affected project, depending on the project.

Senate counsel and fiscal staff explained the Senate approach would direct funds from the Metropolitan Council’s share of the regional transportation sales tax — specifically the portion dedicated to active transportation — rather than Hennepin County’s share. Committee members and witnesses noted the Metropolitan Council funds would come from the regional sales tax reserves or active‑transportation pass‑through and that the council’s reserves are primarily regional sales‑tax revenue.

County and university witnesses described engineering constraints for interim fixes. Roberts Davis said the university has designs for railings that would attach to the existing railing to increase height and reduce climbability, but the university must secure Hennepin County approvals because county engineers control the structure. Cerny said county engineers have not approved attaching additional railings to the existing structure because of structural and safety standards and cautioned that some attachments could create new hazards. Both parties said they have worked with suicide‑prevention advocates and that signage and on‑site diversion resources are part of at least one bill draft.

Committee members discussed several practical points: whether the University could secure the funding through HEAPR (the university’s capital preservation pot) — the university said the bridge is not a university asset and HEAPR eligibility is unclear without an MMB waiver — whether Hennepin County could accelerate its own funds without legislative direction (county officials said they can, but the county has other commitments), and whether a bonding line item would be preferable. Several lawmakers signaled support for moving funding this year and disagreed over which pot would least disrupt other projects.

What’s next: conference committee negotiators said they will weigh the House and Senate drafting options (House: using Hennepin County active‑transportation allocation; Senate: using Metropolitan Council active‑transportation shares or other state sources), incorporate requirements for lighting and railings together, and consider statutory language on on‑site suicide‑diversion information. No formal action or vote was taken during the hearing.

","University of Minnesota and Hennepin County described a multi‑jurisdictional need to install permanent suicide‑prevention barriers and lighting on the Washington Avenue Bridge; lawmakers debated whether to use Hennepin County active‑transportation funds, Metropolitan Council active‑transportation shares, or other state funding sources.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Advisory Council on Traffic Safety Seeks Clear Grant Authority and Study of Lane‑Filtering

MnDOT Warns Asset‑Sustainability Targets Would Shift Billions; Lawmakers Debate Timing and Scope

Lawmakers Debate 'Resilient Pavement' Proposal as MnDOT Points to Existing Long‑Term Program

Metropolitan Council Loan Proposal Would Advance F‑Line Transit by Coordinating Highway Work with MnDOT

University and Hennepin County Seek Funding for Washington Avenue Bridge Suicide Barriers