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MnDOT officials, industry and advocates press for framework on connected and automated vehicles
Summary
MnDOT staff and members of the governor’s Connected and Automated Vehicles advisory council briefed the Senate committee on testing, pilots and the potential benefits and risks of automated vehicle technology, urging state regulatory clarity to preserve economic and accessibility opportunities.
Minnesota Department of Transportation officials and advisory‑council members told the Senate Transportation Committee that Minnesota should adopt a clear policy framework for connected and automated vehicles (CAV) to capture safety, accessibility and economic benefits while managing risk.
Tara Olds, director of MnDOT’s Connected and Automated Vehicles unit, summarized the council’s purpose and said Minnesota remains among a minority of states without specific CAV regulations. “Currently, Minnesota is 1 of 17 states in The United States that does not have specific state regulations or rules referring automated view referring to automated vehicles, which has created uncertainty for industry partners and the potential loss of opportunity for our state,” Olds said.
Testimony highlighted three themes: safety, accessibility and economic opportunity. Heidi St. Clair, director of supply chain automation and analytics for CHS and co‑chair of the council’s safety committee, described a CHS autonomous trucking pilot that has logged more than 20,000 miles with a safety driver and carried repeated commercial loads between company facilities. She said industry testing has emphasized safety benchmarks across diverse weather conditions.
Tammy Meehan Russell, founder of the Plum Catalyst and co‑chair of the council committee on safe testing, described GoMarty, a Grand Rapids pilot that began in October 2022 and has provided nearly 20,000 rides (about 1,200 rides per month) and more than 1,100 wheelchair‑accessible rides to date. Meehan Russell urged policymakers to ensure accessibility is part of any regulatory framework: she recounted riders who face high costs and scheduling barriers for accessible trips and said automated shuttles can expand mobility in rural and tribal areas.
Brett Weiss, CEO of WSB, framed CAV policy as economic development. He said Minnesota risks falling behind states with clearer rules and that firms weigh regulatory certainty when deciding where to test and locate operations. MnDOT staff and council members said they would compile model state approaches for legislators; Olds said California and Texas represent contrasting regulatory approaches and that Washington, D.C., is pursuing proposed rulemaking.
Committee members asked about technical barriers—winter weather, temporary construction signage and infrastructure consistency—and about federal coordination. MnDOT staff said the federal role is limited at present, noting NHTSA reporting requirements for certain automated systems but no comprehensive federal regulatory framework. The committee received a written and oral update; no committee action followed.
MnDOT said it will continue pilots and produce reports to inform any prospective legislation or rulemaking.
