MnDOT Metro District partnerships
Area Transportation Partnership
MnDOT created Area Transportation Partnerships (ATPs) more than two decades ago in response to changes in federal law that increased state flexibility and the need for public involvement in transportation planning and program decision-making. ATPs were established by each district specifically to facilitate broader input to the federal project selection process for the development of the State Transportation Improvement Program, the four-year program of state and local projects with federal highway and transit funding, projects with state funding.
The Metro District’s Area Transportation Partnership is different than other districts in that it operates within the Metro’s MPO, the Metropolitan Council and is the Transportation Advisory Board.
The Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) is a key participant in the region's transportation planning process. TAB was created by the state legislature in 1974 to perform transportation planning and programming for the Twin Cities metropolitan area, as designated by state and federal law. It is a 33-member body, composed of 17 elected city and county officials, 4 representatives of government agencies involved in transportation issues, including the Council, 8 citizen members, and 4 members who represent transportation modes, such as transit, freight and non-motorized modes. There are three subcommittees that support the work of TAB.
The transportation planning process is based on Minnesota statutes and federal rules and regulations on urban transportation planning. As the region's federally-designated Metropolitan Planning Organization the Council and the TAB are responsible for the continuing, cooperative and comprehensive transportation planning process in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. This qualifies the region for federal transportation planning, operating and construction funds which are primarily distributed through the Regional Solicitation.
Chisago County
Another unique feature of the Metro District is that one county, Chisago County, is outside of the Metropolitan Council and TAB’s jurisdiction. The ATP process for Chisago County is held within the East Central Regional Development Commission. Federal funds for planning, construction and transit are distributed with help of a Transportation Advisory Committee made up of local, state, and federal government representatives.
Tribal Governments
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux (Dakota) Community is located in Metro. MnDOT staff consults with tribal governments annually to discuss transportation issues and projects in other areas of the state.
Toward Zero Deaths
Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) is a multi-agency partnership led by the Minnesota Departments of Transportation, Public Safety and Health in cooperation with the FHWA, Minnesota county engineers, the Center for Transportation Studies and other traffic safety organizations. The Metro Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths program began in 2008 and includes all the counties in the Metro District.