News Release

Bemidji, MN. --- The Northwest District of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) is in the process of updating it's Long-Range Transportation Plan and is inviting the public to comment on your transportation concerns.

The District Long Range Transportation Plan is the Northwest District's 23-year investment plan for maintaining and improving transportation systems within its eleven-county service area. Transportation systems are defined as corridors and include state roadways, transit, bike/pedestrians, freight, rail, and airports. The Long Range Transportation Plan identifies performance target levels and measures for transportation system needs such as pavement condition, safety, access, rail crossings, adequacy of transit services to name a few. The plan will culminate with investment priorities to address gaps between current levels of performance and target levels of performance based on revenue forecasts for each year from 2008 up to and including 2030.

Future investments identified in the District Long Range Transportation Plan will be consistent with policies set forth in the Minnesota Statewide Transportation Plan, "Moving People and Freight", and the Strategic Directions identified in Mn/DOT's Strategic Plan.

The Northwest District's District Plan Development Process outlines the updating process of the Long Range Transportation Plan commencing in October 2003 and concluding in November 2004.

Mn/DOT is requesting comments and input from its transportation partners and customers concerning what they feel to be priorities for transportation improvements along the corridors they travel. Issues could be congestion, safety, access, transit, freight movement, rail, airports, bike/pedestrian, etc. This information will help the Northwest District determine investment priorities for the 20+ years.

For additional details contact Mike Kamnikar, Mn/DOT District Planning Engineer at 218-755-4521 or e-mail him at Michael.kamnikar@dot.state.mn.us. Comments can also be taken by Joe Czapiewski, Transportation Planner at Headwaters Regional Development Commission at 218-444-4732; Troy Schroeder, Transportation Planner at Northwest Regional Development Commission at 218-745-6733 or Earl Haugen, Executive Director at Grand Forks/East Grand Forks Metropolitan Planning Organization at 701-746-2657.