Central Minnesota Area Transportation Partnership
What is the ATP?
Area Transportation Partnerships (ATPs) were created by MnDOT in the early 1990’s to emphasize greater public involvement, enhance regional planning and increase cooperation development of Minnesota’s State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). There are eight ATPs throughout Minnesota.
Each year, the Central Minnesota ATP develops an Area Transportation Improvement Program (ATIP). The ATIP lists the state, regional and local transportation priorities for most of the area encompassed by MnDOT District 3. The regional priorities listed in the ATIP are then recommended for inclusion in Minnesota’s STIP.
Voting Members (18) | |
MnDOT District 3 | 2 |
Region 5 Development Commission | 2 |
East Central Regional Development Commission | 2 |
Region 7W Transportation Policy Board | 2 |
St. Cloud Area Planning Organization | 2 |
County Engineer - northern half of District 3 | 1 |
County Engineer - southern half of District 3 | 1 |
City Engineer - northern half of District 3 | 1 |
City Engineer - southern half of District 3 | 1 |
Leech Lake Band | 1 |
Mille Lacs Band | 1 |
Rural Transit | 1 |
St. Cloud Metropolitan Transit Commission | 1 |
Non-Voting Members (6) | |
MnDOT District 3 Staff – ATP-3 Facilitator | 3 |
RDC 5 Staff | 1 |
RDC 7E Staff | 1 |
Tribal Nation Advisor | 1 |
When developing the program, the Central Minnesota ATP considers the transportation priorities of the area's the Region Five Development Commission, Region 7W Transportation Policy Board, East Central Regional Development Commission, St. Cloud Area Planning Organization (APO) and the MnDOT District 3 Office.
Who is represented?
ATP 3 membership consists of 18 voting and six non-voting members comprised of individuals representing counties, cities, regional planning agencies, tribal nations, transit, MnDOT, and other transportation interests.
What is the STIP?
The Statewide Improvement Program (STIP) is a comprehensive four-year schedule of state and local transportation projects eligible for federal highway and transit funding. The STIP must list all transportation projects that seek federal funding under Title 23 (highway) of the U.S. Code and Title 49 (transit) under the U.S. Code and all regionally significant projects requiring action by the federal transportation authorities.
MnDOT updates the STIP annually. MnDOT also prepares guidance to assist each region’s ATP members when producing its annual Draft ATIP.
Projects eligible for federal funding |
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New alignment, expansion, reconstruction, reclamation, recondition, and resurfacing |
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Replacement and rehabilitation |
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improvements designed to reduce the number and severity of crashes |
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bike trails/paths, sidewalks, pedestrian facilities, scenic byway corridor enhancements, safe routes to school improvements, etc. |
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Replacement and refurbishment of public transit buses |
The Central Minnesota ATP has an Operations and Policy Manual to guide its governance and operations, including the development and management of its ATIP.
State agencies; state aid eligible counties and cities with a population greater than 5,000; and tribal governments may apply directly for federal funding. Cities under 5,000 population, townships, and quasi-government/non-profit agencies may be eligible for some federal programs but will require sponsorship of their application and project by a qualifying state aid county or city.
How are improvements categorized?
MnDOT has established several investment programs for the ATPs and MnDOT District Offices to help support statewide planning goals and objectives. The individual programs are tailored to attain declared national and state transportation system performance targets, while ensuring sufficient investment in local transportation needs.
Each investment program has its own unique focus and set of criteria. Generally speaking, programs intended to invest in local road systems are administered by the ATPs while programs that are intended for improvements on the State trunk highway system are administered by MnDOT.
Primary investment program categories used to develop the Draft ATIP
Program | Source | Applicant | System eligibility |
Statewide Performance Program |
Federal National Highway Performance Program (NHPP) and State Trunk Highway matching funds Federal National Highway Performance Program (NHPP) and State Trunk Highway matching funds |
MnDOT District Offices
Distribution - Performance based |
Principal Arterial roadways
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District Risk Management Program
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Federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) and State Trunk Highway funds |
MnDOT District Offices
Distribution - System needs, size and use formula |
Principal and Non-Principal Arterial roadways
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ATP Managed Program |
Federal STP Funds |
City, county, and tribal governments and public transit providers |
Any Federal aid eligible route or public transit system |
Federal TAP funds |
City, county, and tribal governments and select non-profits |
Transportation enhancements, Safe Routes to School, and Scenic Byways |
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Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) |
Federal HSIP funds |
MnDOT District Offices and City, County, and Tribal governments |
Any Federal Aid eligible route |
How does the investment process work?
The ATP works with the area’s regional planning partners when developing the Draft ATIP’s locally-sponsored projects, and with MnDOT District 3 when developing projects for the trunk highway system.
Regional planning partners, including the Region 5 Development Commission, East Central Regional Development Commission, Region 7W Transportation Policy Board and St. Cloud Area Planning Organization, play a key role in the solicitation, review, and selection of projects recommended for the ATP Managed Program. These regional partners also provide technical assistance to applicants seeking federal TAP funding, and assist the ATP when scoring projects and ranking project applications.
Developing the Trunk Highway system project list for the Central Minnesota Draft ATIP is closely linked to the annual development of MnDOT District 3’s 10-year Capital Highway Investment Plan (CHIP).
Projects in years 1-4 of District 3’s CHIP are considered to be “committed” and are recommended for funding and inclusion in the ATIP. Projects in years 5-10 of District 3’s CHIP have more uncertainty and are considered “planned.”
The Central Minnesota Draft ATIP begins to take form after the local transportation priorities of the regions within District 3 are merged and integrated with MnDOT District 3’s recommended priorities. The ATP then takes action to approve the Draft ATIP and forwards the project recommendations to MnDOT District 3’s District Engineer. The District Engineer then reviews the document and submits it, along with any changes or comments, to MnDOT Central Office in St. Paul.
MnDOT Central Office then integrates the Central Minnesota ATP’s Draft ATIP with the seven other regional ATP’s Draft ATIPs to produce the draft Minnesota STIP. After it is finalized, the MnDOT Commissioner forwards the Minnesota Draft STIP to the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration for formal approval.
Schedule of activities
- September- January: Solicit projects
- February: Develop regional lists
- March- April: Develop Draft ATIP
- May: Public Review and Comment
- June: Submit Final ATIP to MnDOT Central Office
- July- August: STIP Approval by Commissioner
- September – October: STIP Approval by Federal Transportation Authorities