Highway improvement projects in metropolitan areas can offer a variety of benefits, including greater safety for travelers and increased activity for businesses near the roadway. However, improved roads may also negatively impact long-standing businesses as new retailers and chain stores displace them.
A greater understanding of the effects of highway improvements on businesses in the Twin Cities’ commercial corridors will help MnDOT deliver projects more successfully.
“If we can predict how a project will affect nearby businesses, we’ll be in a better position to work with those at-risk businesses and mitigate any negative effects,” said Jason Junge, transit advantages coordinator, MnDOT Team Transit.
Objectives
As part of a new study, researchers will:
- Identify the economic, demographic and business-related factors that have traditionally influenced whether a highway is considered for improvement.
- Estimate the effects of highway improvements on nearby businesses.
- Develop an interactive mapping tool to visualize the likely negative impacts of improvements on at-risk businesses.
Project Details
- Estimated Start Date: 06/04/2021
- Estimated Completion Date: 12/31/2022
- Funding: MnDOT
- Principal Investigator: Yingling Fan
- Co-Principal Investigators: Noah Wexler
- Technical Liaison: Jason Junge
Details of the research study work plan and timeline are subject to change.
To receive email updates about this project, visit MnDOT’s Office of Research & Innovation to subscribe.
Crossroads 