Laserfiche WebLink
<br />> The Elk River area has been under-represented ln <br />transportation planning since the 7W Regional Development <br />Commission was dissolved in 1982. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />> There is a loose confederation of Sherburne, Wright, <br />Stearns and Benton counties that meets periodically on <br />economic development mattters. This group could be <br />included in the transportation planning process. <br /> <br />> Areawide Transportation Partnerships have been formed as <br />required by ISTEA for planning purposes. These <br />partnerships include individuals from transit, rail, <br />highway, and air transportation specialities, as well <br />as interested citizens. As also required by ISTEA, <br />community leaders will rank projects on a point system in <br />which local input carries a lot of weight. While the <br />emphasis on public input is a change, the basic elements <br />of planning remain the same. <br /> <br />> By fall of 1993, the Statewide Transportation Improvement <br />Program (STIP) should be completed. Only projects <br />included in the STIP will receive funding. <br /> <br />> The major criteria for highway planning is moving traffic <br />quickly and safely. The number and severity of accidents, . <br />not necessarily the number of deaths, influences highway <br />widening and signalizations. For example, the high <br />traffic volumes and high accident rates on Highway 101 <br />dictated its major reconstruction. <br /> <br />Analvsis <br /> <br />> The Citizens League's interest in transportation is very <br />timely because of the federal Intermodal Surface <br />Transportation Efficiency Act which is changing how the <br />public will be involved in transportation planning. <br /> <br />> Historically, input for transportation planning has come <br />from regional agencies, which hurt this area because of <br />the dissolution of the 7W Regional Development Commission. <br />City and county officials had little input into the <br />ranking process of highway construction projects because <br />they lacked a regional organizing mechanism. <br /> <br />> Mn/DOT plans and constructs highways to move volumes of <br />traffic quickly and safely. Local businesses are <br />interested in diverting travelers from the main highways <br />into their cities and towns. These interests seem to be <br />fundamentally opposed. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />10 <br />