Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Family of Plans model describes a framework to coordinate all statewide planning efforts, including freight. The framework helps different modal agencies break down silos and incorporate important statewide strategies across multiple modes. For instance, the Freight Systems Plan leverages useful information learned about freight and bicycle interactions during public engagement for the Bicycle State Systems plan and vice-versa. In 2011, the State defined its broad vision for the transportation network in the Minnesota GO visioning document. This document describes the high-level goals Minnesota will work toward over a 50-year period, answering the question “What are we trying to achieve?”

The System Investment Plans—the State’s various statewide planning documents, including its State Freight Plan—then answer the question “How will we do it?” These documents describe mode-specific strategies Minnesota will use to achieve the vision set forth in Minnesota GO, describe investment tradeoffs, and identify system priorities. The State then works to coordinate the strategies and investments across the eight System Investment Plans to develop the State Transportation Improvement Program. Metropolitan, Regional, Tribal, and Local transportation Plans and investment plans are also considered within the larger Family of Plans. This framework helps freight staff in Minnesota consider how to incorporate other statewide plans’ strategies and analyses that may influence the freight program (and vice-versa). This approach helps de-silos the plans allowing MnDOT to understand how all programs can influence broader, cross-modal topics such as Complete Streets, social equity, and many others.

MnDOT freight staff note that the Family of Plans approach has an advantage over developing one large, multi-modal Statewide comprehensive transportation plan in that it allows each mode to develop more in-depth analysis and strategic planning.

Takeaways for other agencies:

• Develop a formal Statewide framework describing how the various Statewide transportation planning documents will work together to meet achieve the larger vision of the State’s transportation future.
• Provide explicit opportunities for the various agencies and offices leading each statewide effort to discuss, harmonize, and coordinate development and/or implementation of strategies and investments.

For more information: https://www.dot.state.mn.us/minnesotago/contacts.html

To support national defense, the U.S. military utilizes land, air, and water to transport freight to and from locations across the nation. It is vital to consider military program needs in the development of a State Freight Plan because doing so helps build a more complete picture of freight movement in your State. Consisting of the Interstate Highway System, non-interstate routes, and connectors, the military’s approximately 64,200-mile Strategic Highway Network, known as STRAHNET, is essential infrastructure supporting emergency mobilization and peacetime movement of heavy armor, fuel, ammunition, repair, parts, food, and other commodities in support of U.S. military operations. Additionally, safely moving oversized/overweight vehicles can be a unique need and challenge for some military bases. With over 36,000 miles of track, the Department of Defense’s Strategic Rail Corridor Network known as STRACNET, also serves military transportation and logistics needs on the railroad. Both STRAHNET and STRACNET are important parts of multimodal transportation network development and investment strategy in North Carolina.

North Carolina recognizes the significant industrial and economic importance of U.S. military bases across the state. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) considers the military and its supporting supply chain to be vital strategic stakeholders in the multimodal transportation planning and investment process. With seven U.S. military bases in North Carolina and a significant supporting supply chain ecosystem, key military stakeholders were interviewed, engaged, and considered during the development of North Carolina’s Statewide Freight Plan. Through NCDOT’s Statewide Freight Advisory Committee, Regional Freight Advisory Councils, and other engagements, NCDOT considers coordination with public agencies, industry groups, the U.S. military, and local business organizations to be a foundational objective in statewide freight planning and infrastructure investment.

NCDOT’s Statewide Freight Plan specifically highlights the multimodal nature of freight, especially as a part of readiness, deployment, and the supporting military supply chain. The plan identifies several key elements vital to ensuring that the U.S. military can move freight and cargo safely, effectively, and efficiently across the North Carolina, across the nation, and across the world.

Takeaways for other agencies:

• Identify and engage military installations in your state to understand their use of and impact to the transportation network across all modes.
• Understand the network and supply chain ecosystem supporting the military in your state and consider this in your planning.
• Include military installations as stakeholders on Freight Advisory Committees (FAC) or other stakeholder engagement activities statewide, regionally, and locally.
• Understand how the Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET) and Strategic Rail Corridor Network (STRACNET), specially designated road and rail networks, support U.S. military operations in your state.

Check out the North Carolina Statewide Freight Plan: https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/Statewide-Freight-Plan/Pages/default.aspx

Interstate 80 (I-80) is a 402-mile stretch of highway in Wyoming that provides a critical east-west connection through the state and averages more than 32 million tons of freight deliveries a year. The impacts of Wyoming’s extreme weather create difficult driving conditions and limited capacity along this critical corridor throughout the year. There is no nearby alternate route for I-80. WYDOT identified that implementing a Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) solution would be a more effective for these weather issues than infrastructure improvements, and pursued grant funding to help them implement an operations-based solution. WYDOT noted that the Department does perform TSMO functions, however they do not have a formal TSMO program.

In 2015, the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) applied for and was selected to be included in the Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program, a US DOT-funded effort to use innovation for improved travel. WYDOT is using the program funding to build intelligent transportation systems infrastructure on I-80 with dedicated short-range communication technology to improve safety and mobility. This technology will include vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure, and infrastructure-to-vehicle connectivity to improve monitoring and reporting of road conditions and provide alerts for drivers. Communicating information to drivers such as congestion, severe weather, work zones, and other hazards will help drivers make better decisions and improve situational awareness resulting in less congestion and improved safety on I-80.

Takeaways for other agencies:

• Pursue USDOT and other grant opportunities to more quickly develop live pilots and roadway improvements that improve freight mobility.
• Identify and pursue innovative solutions and funding to improve freight travel.
• Work with partners in Transportation Systems Management and Operations to find comprehensive solutions to improve freight travel with more efficient use of resources.

Find out more about WYDOT’s Connected Vehicle Pilot: https://www.dot.state.wy.us/news/wydot-receives-grant-for-connected-vehicle-program-on-i-80