Thursday, June 13
8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
McNamara Alumni Center
University of Minnesota
200 Oak Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55413

As part of an effort to update the Minnesota statewide freight plan in 2013, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is hosting a future freight scenario planning workshop to gather input from freight stakeholders.

The six-hour event will begin with opening remarks from MnDOT Commissioner Charles Zelle and former Congressman James Oberstar. Then, attendees will be asked to look ahead 25 years to explore policies and projects that can help Minnesota grow jobs and expand its economy in the future.

The first Minnesota statewide freight plan was developed in 2005. The 2013 update is being conducted in response to the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) legislation passed in summer 2012. With the new legislation, which emphasizes freight planning, freight projects identified by state DOT plans can receive federal match funding for the first time in U.S. history.

For detailed program information, please download the draft workshop agenda. There is no cost to attend the workshop, but space is limited and registration is required.

To register, please complete the online registration form by Monday, June 3.

For additional information, please contact John Tompkins, MnDOT Freight Project Manager, at 651-366-3724 or john.tompkins@state.mn.us, or Patrick Phenow, Freight Planner, at 651-366-3672 or patrick.phenow@state.mn.us.

Public Input Session
May 29, 2013
US DOT Headquarters
12:30-4:30pm EDT

The US DOT is holding a public input session for the Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Study (CTSW) that is required by MAP-21 (section 32801).

The Study will evaluate and compare the differences between trucks loaded at or below current federal truck size and weight limits to those operating in excess of those limits. The CTSW Study will produce findings on highway safety and truck crash frequency and severity, pavement and bridge infrastructure service life impacts, the cost and effectiveness of enforcement and implications for the national transportation system including the modal share of freight movements that would result if Federal truck size and weight limits were to change.

The first Public Outreach Session will provide stakeholders an opportunity to share feedback on the approach and methods USDOT intends to use to complete the Study. The USDOT will also solicit comments on “alternative truck configurations” to be evaluated in the Study. The meeting, which is free and open to the public, will be held as an in-person workshop. Webinar access is available for those unable to attend in person. Three additional Public Outreach Sessions will be held over the next year and a half.

Register for the webinar or contact the US DOT to attend in person.

Before the public input session, US DOT will provide worksheet on the alternative truck configurations at the FHWA CTSW study website, which will also include webinar transcripts and stakeholder comments.

The National Governors Association has released a statement of principles and a Letter to Congress regarding the reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act (S. 601).

The US Department of Transportation is holding a series of webinars that focus on the FY2013 TIGER application process. These webinars are available free of charge, but space is limited and advance registration is required.

• TIGER 2013 Application Preparation Guidance Seminar (May 3, 2013, 2:00–3:00pm EDT)
• TIGER 2013 Benefit Cost Analysis Guidance Seminar (May 6, 2013, 1:00-2:00pm EDT)

For more information, visit the TIGER program page and consult the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). Prospective applicants should make use of the FAQs, webinars, and other guidance at the Application Resources page.

We’ve expanded the MAFC MAP-21 Resources page with more than a dozen new documents and resources from the USDOT, FHWA, and state DOTs.

The Iowa DOT has just unveiled its new freight planning website, which includes information about the Iowa Freight Advisory Council, freight projects and plans, maps, data and tools, freight links, a freight glossary and acronyms, and Iowa DOT freight contacts.

The US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing on April 10, 2013 entitled Expanding the Panama Canal: What Does it Mean for American Freight and Infrastructure?

The hearing explored how the Panama Canal expansion will change the movement of freight into and throughout the United States, and considered what public and private infrastructure investment will be needed to meet these changing freight patterns.

For more information about this hearing, consult the testimonies and video recordings.

The US Department of Transportation has released its Budget Highlights for Fiscal Year 2014.

The President’s FY 2014 budget request for the Department of Transportation is $77 billion – 6% above the FY 2012 enacted levels. The President’s Budget also includes a $50 billion program to provide immediate transportation investments in key areas. These resources will fund needed investments in our vital transportation systems while at the same time creating jobs and strengthening our Nation’s economy.

For more, download the Budget Highlights.

A draft of a whitepaper entitled Transportation Impacts of Frac Sand Mining in the MAFC Region: Chippewa County Case Study is now available for download.

This case study outlines frac sand mining in the upper Midwest and considers the implications of this new industry on the transportation system in mining areas. It will also form part of the MAFC Regional Freight Study and it’s discussion of emerging trends in freight transportation in the Midwest.

The presentations from the 2013 MAFC/ITTS/KYTC Joint Annual Freight Meeting are now available. We’ve also posted two photo galleries, one for conference sessions and one for the tours.

For more information about this conference and for links to photos, videos, and presentations, visit the conference page.