Metro COG outlines regional projects, TMA designation and Heartland Trail details

Ben, Metro COG executive director, told the Clay County Board of Commissioners on May 6 that the regional Metropolitan Planning Organization is managing several multi‑jurisdiction projects and has new responsibilities after being designated a Transportation Management Area (TMA).

Nut graf: Metro COG’s update emphasized regional coordination—covering both Minnesota and North Dakota jurisdictions—on major items the county will see in the coming years: a Heartland Trail corridor study, transit development and consolidation issues for MATBUS, a regional rail‑crossings study and a four‑year fiscally constrained Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

At the meeting Ben said the MPO serves a 178‑square‑mile urbanized area and had a 2023 population of about 262,620. He described the TMA designation (effective June 5, 2023) as raising Metro COG’s direct responsibility for dedicated federal funding and local project prioritization. “The bigger plus of being a TMA is that not only do we receive dedicated funding, but we also have direct control of that funding and how it’s spent,” he said.

Ben reviewed local projects that affect Clay County: the Heartland Trail corridor study (focusing on alignments through the county), the Matt Bus transit development plan (including micro‑transit and demand‑response pilots), the Moorhead I‑94/20th Street interchange study, and a metro railroad crossings needs study coordinated with BNSF. He said the Heartland Trail work is refining corridor options and that some segments may need to follow U.S. 10 where alternatives are limited; property owner opposition has been a recurring concern.

On transit, Ben said consolidation work is under way as MATBUS moves to a “large urban” classification after the TMA designation, which carries different funding rules: “On the one hand, that opens up some funding potential. But on the other hand, it kind of limits them,” he said, noting the agency has lost some dedicated local funding in the transition and is pursuing other state support.

Ben also described Metro COG’s planning and funding process: a regional four‑year TIP that must reconcile statutes and programs across two states and both departments of transportation, and upcoming budget/work program work for 2026–27. He told commissioners he would provide an estimate of Clay County’s contribution soon; Clay County’s 2024 share was $18,258.04.

Commissioners asked about specific corridors; the board chair flagged the study for the 12th–15th Avenue bridge and asked to keep Clay County engaged because the bridge is an important economic corridor crossing the Red River. Ben said the Heartland Trail draft will likely appear to the Metro COG policy board next month for approval and submittal to MnDOT when ready.

Ending: Metro COG’s staff will return with budget figures and project submittals; county commissioners asked that the county remain active on corridor, bridge and transit discussions as Metro COG and member cities advance design and funding decisions.