An NDDOT staff member, presenter for the North Dakota Department of Transportation, outlined the Transportation Connection update for 2025–2050 at a public input meeting and asked residents to submit feedback by Aug. 22, 2025.

The presentation framed the update as a federally required long-range transportation plan that will serve as a 25-year roadmap for state investments across highway, rail, air and bicyclist and pedestrian facilities. “The department's mission is simple but critical, to safely move people and goods,” the presenter said.

Why it matters: The plan guides NDDOT priorities, program decisions and investments over a quarter-century and will shape how the state responds to demographic, economic and technological change. The presenter said the update combines data analysis, scenario planning and public input to produce an implementation plan to guide future actions.

Key details from the presentation:
- Timeframe and schedule: The update covers 2025–2050. The process kicked off in February and is expected to wrap in mid-2026. The presenter said there will be multiple public-input opportunities through early next year.
- Public comment instructions: The presenter invited written comments through Aug. 22, 2025, and asked submitters to include “public input meeting, Transportation Connection, PCN 24421” in the subject line and to send comments to DOTplanning@nd.gov. The project website is www.dot.nd.gov/transportationconnection.
- Scope: The plan addresses all travel modes, including highways, rail, air service and facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians, and includes an implementation plan to carry priorities into action.
- Scenario planning: The presenter described four plausible future scenarios the project will examine—"bridal renaissance," "cities and centers," "smart and connected," and "ghost towns"—and said the team is not endorsing any scenario but seeking input on opportunities and challenges each could present.
- Engagement tools: Attendees were directed to on-site informational boards and interactive stations, online dashboards, a scenario-planning survey accessible via QR code, comment cards, and a short demographic survey.
- Context and continuity: The presenter said the 2020 plan was informed by statewide feedback and that the 2025–2050 update revisits that vision to account for changing conditions, including emerging technologies such as automated agricultural equipment and vehicle-to-infrastructure systems.

Discussion versus decisions: The meeting was a presentation and public-input session; the transcript shows no formal motions or policy decisions. The presenter described the schedule and engagement process and solicited public comment; no board or commission votes were recorded.

Next steps: The presenter encouraged participants to use the project website and future pop-up events to stay engaged and to watch for additional opportunities to provide input before the mid-2026 conclusion of the update.