Transportation Policy and Economic Competitiveness FY22

Project summary:

In its 2013 session, the Minnesota Legislature directed the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to fund research at the University of Minnesota's Center for Transportation Studies on "transportation policy and economic competitiveness, including, but not limited to, innovative transportation finance options and economic development, transportation impacts of industry clusters and freight, and transportation technology impacts on economic competitiveness."

This work continues, governed under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding, and this workplan outlines how the work will be implemented in FY22. The project engages in research, outreach, and other related activities that investigate how innovative transportation finance, industry clusters, and transportation technologies affect economic competitiveness.

As in previous years, the overall focus continued to be on investigating how innovations in transportation can contribute to economic competitiveness, with an emphasis this year on how transportation policy can impact Minnesota's return to a "new normal" following the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's project synthesized University of Minnesota research on the importance of multimodal transportation in sustaining the medical device industry cluster, incorporating perspectives from industry leaders, state policymakers, and other stakeholders. It also looked at challenges and opportunities stemming from the pandemic and offered recommendations for policymakers.