How Does MnDOT Select Projects? Project Selection Policy Initial - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

How Does MnDOT Select Projects?

Project Selection Policy Initial Input October 4, 2017 ATP-8

Many have tried to explain it…

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MnDOT has tried long explanations…

We’ve tried elevator speeches…

How MnDOT Selects Projects in Less Than 100 words Transportation investments should improve the quality of life and support economic development. To meet Minnesota’s goals, MnDOT evaluates physical factors like smoothness for pavement or state-of-good-repair for bridges combined with qualitative factors like Minnesota’s quality of life or economic development potential. There are never enough resources to meet every worthy goal completely. So with the aid of citizen and transportation partner input, MnDOT chooses a mix

• f projects that represent the best compromise of asset preservation, system

expansion, enhancements, local needs, legal obligations, and public opinion. Learn more in the Minnesota State Highway Investment Plan.

We’ve tried pictures…

We’ve tried video…

We’ve tried presentations…

We welcomed an audit…

• How does MnDOT select

projects?

• How transparent is MnDOT’s

process?

• Who makes decisions?
• What criteria are used?
• How do special programs

compare to the standard project selection process?

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http://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/ped/pedrep/mndotprojects.pdf

OLA Audit Findings

“In our interviews with MnDOT staff, it was clear that standard programming decisions were carefully thought

• ut and took into consideration a wide variety of important
• factors. Further, we found that when we asked specific

questions, MnDOT staff could generally provide cogent explanations for the reasons behind specific programming

• decisions. We do not have significant concerns about the

decisions themselves.”

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OLA Audit Findings

“MnDOT does not provide sufficient information about its project-selection decisions to the public or interested stakeholders.” “MnDOT publishes lists of the projects it plans to construct, but it does not publish information about how these decisions were reached or what alternatives were

• considered. Without that basis for comparison, it is difficult

for those outside of MnDOT to understand or assess its decisions.”

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OLA Recommendation #1

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The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) should take steps to improve the transparency of its standard project selection process.

Chapter 3

The commissioner of transportation, after consultation with the Federal Highway Administration, metropolitan planning

• rganizations, regional development

commissions, area transportation partnerships, local governments, the Metropolitan Council, and transportation stakeholders, must develop, adopt, and implement a policy ...

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https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/?year=2017&type=1&doctype=Chapter&id=3

Chapter 3

For each selection process, the policy adopted under this section must…establish a process that identifies criteria, the weight of each criterion, and a process to score each project based on the weighted criteria;

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https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/?year=2017&type=1&doctype=Chapter&id=3

Chapter 3

The commissioner must submit a report… concerning the adopted policy and how the policy is anticipated to improve the consistency, objectivity, and transparency of the selection process. The report must include information on input from members of the public and the [other]organizations…

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https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/?year=2017&type=1&doctype=Chapter&id=3

Chapter 3

• MnDOT has until November of 2018 to adopt a policy for

project selection.

• It is expected that the 2020 to 2024 STIP will be the first

STIP that is governed by the new policy.

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We Need Your Input…

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Discussion Areas

• Project Selection Information
• Transparency
• Involvement of ATPs in the Selection Process

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Area #1: Project Selection Information

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Discussion Questions:

• Do you know how project selection decisions are made at

MnDOT and who does them?

• From where do you get your information or

understanding about MnDOT’s project selection?

• Is the information provided by MnDOT for project

selection understandable and helpful to you and/or your constituents? Is it adequate for your needs?

• If you could have more information on project selection,

what would you want?

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Discussion

20

Area #2: Transparency

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Discussion Questions:

• Over the past 5-years, would you say that MnDOT has

been more transparent, less transparent, or stayed about the same in the level of transparency it provides on how it selects projects?

• Can you give some examples of why you would say that?

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Scoring Based Project Selections

• Are you familiar with scoring-based project selection

methods at MnDOT?

• Transportation Economic Development (TED) program
• Transportation Alternative Program (TAP)
• Do you think these methods are more transparent to you

(see next slide)?

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Corridor Investment Management Strategy (CIMS)

Project Name Location CIMS Request % Non- MnDOT Pts B/C Ratio Pts Local Econ System Multimodal Health Context Total Score Mainstreet TH 61 Downtown Improvements Red Wing 2,445,000 $ 34% 5.9 10.7 60.0 90.9 Multimodal for TH 23 w/o Bridge Duluth 3,035,000 $ 10% 0.0 15.0 60.0 90.0 TH 10/TH 75 Safety/Operational Improvements Moorhead 3,404,000 $ 31% 5.5 10.7 60.0 89.5 TH 25-CSAH 75 Intersection Improvements Monticello 506,000 $ 84% 9.7 25.0 60.0 85.9 US 52-CSAH 9 Interchange Goodhue County 250,000 $ 20% 4.0 19.8 60.0 83.3 TH 23 J-Turn & Ped Overpass Marshall 4,500,170 $ 21% 4.1 4.2 49.5 71.1 OPTION: Buffalo TH25 Phase 1 only Buffalo 2,100,000 $ 33% 5.7 2.0 36.0 69.8 TH 25 Corridor Improvements Buffalo 3,503,000 $ 35% 6.0 1.8 34.8 68.9 Hwy 71 Complete Streets Jackson 1,260,000 $ 54% 8.2 1.2 31.3 62.7 Gateway Corridor Improvements International Falls 776,180 $ 48% 7.7 1.7 34.2 60.6 TH 29 Reconstruction Parkers Prairie 1,800,000 $ 33% 5.7 1.0 30.0 58.7 Veterans Memorial Bridge Mankato 565,000 $ 23% 4.4 1.4 32.4 58.6 Broadway Streetscaping & Pedestrian Improvements Albert Lea 794,089 $ 33% 5.7 1.4 32.7 55.7 TH 220 Reconstruction East Grand Forks 2,318,070 $ 17% 3.5 1.5 32.8 51.5 TH10/59 Trail Detroit Lakes 200,000 $ 10% 0.0 1.1 30.3 46.6 18th Ave. S Waite Park 1,067,000 $ 83% 9.6 0.5 10.0 44.6 Old Hwy 61 Trail Dresbach 450,000 $ 40% 6.6 0.0 0.4 28.8 10/4/2017 24

Discussion Questions - Transparency

• Do you have any concerns about how these types of methods

may be used or their results?

• Are there types of projects or programs where a numeric score

approach would be more helpful than the regular programs?

• Do you have any other advice on how MnDOT can “improve

the consistency, objectivity, and transparency of the selection process?”

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Area #3: ATP Involvement in Project Selection

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Chapter 3 Law

“For each selection process, the policy adopted under this section must: … involve area transportation partnerships and other local authorities, as appropriate, in the process.”

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Involvement of ATPs and Other Local Agencies in the Project Selection

• What type of involvement do you feel you, the ATP, and
• ther local agencies should have in the selection of

MnDOT projects?

• How many and what type of projects do you think

MnDOT selects annually for its program?

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MnDOT’s Actual 2017-2020 STIP Projects

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ATP Total # of Projects in STIP Total # of Major Projects in STIP Percent of Total Projects that are Major 1 119 25 21.0% 2 101 6 5.9% 3 100 15 15.0% 4 77 7 9.1% 6 118 19 16.1% 7 84 27 32.1% 8 96 8 8.3% Metro 225 17 7.6% Central 46 11 23.9% Total 966 135 14.0%

* Major projects are projects with a cost greater than $5.0 M in Greater Mn and $15.0 M in Metro.

Involvement of ATPs and Other Local Agencies in the Project Selection Now that you have a seen a summary of MnDOT’s 2017-2020 project selection breakdown…

• Does it change you opinion on what type of ATP

involvement should be in MnDOT project selection?

• Why or why not?

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Final Thoughts

• Do you have any other thoughts or ideas about how

MnDOT can improve its project selection process?

• We will be back in the future to provide you an
• pportunity to provide more input as we start to develop

some draft policies around the project selection process at MnDOT.

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Contact Us

Philip Schaffner Philip.Schaffner@state.mn.us 651-366-3743 Patrick Weidemann Pat.Weidemann@state.mn.us 651-366-3758 Brian Gage Brian.gage@state.mn.us 651-366-3748 Sheila Kauppe Sheila.kauppe@state.mn.us 651-366-3794 Mark Gieseke Mark.Gieseke@state.mn.us 651-366-3770

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Thank you!

Patrick Weidemann MnDOT Office of Transportation System Management 651-366-3758

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