Minnesota Department of Transportation

511 Travel Info

Alternative Transportation Finance

Innovative ways to fund and finance transportation projects

office desk

Alternative finance efforts revisiting public-private partnerships at safety rest areas

By ATF Staff

Working in tandem with MnDOT’s Rest Area Program manager and project consultants from Minnesota Management and Budget, MnDOT’s Alternative Transportation Finance unit has developed a request for proposals (RFP) that would identify opportunities to implement a safety rest area sponsorship and advertising program for Minnesota’s Class 1 rest areas. The RFP is intended to solicit interest from a private-sector partner or partners to sponsor rest areas and/or promote their products through on-site advertising. MnDOT’s interest in the initiative is to generate resources that would offset some of the costs associated with maintaining and operating the state’s rest areas.

MnDOT would retain a firm to develop, market, implement and manage the program. The firm would solicit proposals from prospective private or public parties for sponsorship and advertising rights of state Class 1 safety rest areas. It would not include safety rest area partnership facilities, but such facilities could be added if so desired by MnDOT and MnDOT partners after a contract is awarded.

This effort is not MnDOT’s first foray into partnerships to improve rest area services. Past successful partnerships have varied based on the objectives of the partners. MnDOT has sought and will continue to seek partnerships that effectively reduce overall costs to MnDOT, or that improve the quality and cost effectiveness of services offered at rest areas.

Posted 11/1/2013

(more news)