All posts by Lea Burdette

Publishing and Technology Coordinator | MnDOT Office of Research & Innovation
research

Innovation at work: Minnesota Mousetrap award winners

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Originally published by the Center for Transportation Studies, July 6, 20205 as Minnesota Mousetrap award winners: Crack Wagon De-Tack Sprayer and Curb Stop Wrench Truck Storage Solution | Minnesota LTAP

Congratulations to the recipients of Minnesota’s 2026 Build a Better Mousetrap awards! All Minnesota submissions were forwarded to the national mousetrap program in June. Awardees from across the country will be chosen by the National LTAP & TTAP Association in four categories.

Minnesota Pioneer Award

The City of St. Cloud’s Crack Wagon De-Tack Sprayer was recognized with the Minnesota Pioneer Award, given to a locally relevant product or tool that is among the first to solve a maintenance problem with a homegrown solution.

Problem: Spraying crack filler typically requires the work of multiple laborers and creates an unsightly mess of toilet paper, which is used for absorbing the sticky residue.

Solution: For $360, City of St. Cloud staff members created a 25-gallon flat-bottom tank that holds water and Dawn dish soap, complete with an attached hose and wand that can be used by one person to apply the solution. This eliminates the need for a follow truck to spray soapy water over the cracks, reducing the number of laborers on the road and amount of toilet paper clean-up. It’s an environmentally friendly solution that benefits both workers and residents.

SMART Transformation Award

The City of Waite Park received the SMART Transformation Award for its Curb Stop Wrench Truck Storage Solution. This recognition is awarded for a locally relevant significant change to any transportation activity or process that is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound) and results in improved efficiencies. 

Problem: City of Waite Park staff members prefer to use crew cab pickup trucks for their work because of the interior storage capacity. But there’s an issue: longer truck cabs mean shorter beds. When storing and transporting materials such as curb stop wrenches, which are around 10 feet long, creative solutions are required.

Solution: The agency constructed a storage apparatus and installed it onto a ladder rack that sits above the truck bed. The device consists of exhaust tubing secured to front and rear plates with u-bolts and is equipped with a locking mechanism built from common gate hardware. The wrenches slide right into the tubes and are secured for transport — a convenient storage solution for just $175.

Honorable mention: City of St. Paul’s Improved No Parking Stake

Problem: City of St. Paul workers were frequently injured while hammering wooden “No Parking” signs into the ground.

Solution: By affixing a metal spike to the bottom of each sign, the signs can easily be pushed into the ground, removing the hazard of hammering entirely. This solution also decreases the sign installation time — an added bonus for staff members.

Learn more about award-winning projects from previous years.

The Minnesota Build a Better Mousetrap Competition is sponsored by the Minnesota Local Road Research Board and administered by MnLTAP.

Multi-modal, Policy and Planning, research

Integrating travel demand management into transportation planning

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Reprinted from Catalyst, June 22, 2026

Minnesota’s transportation landscape is rich with options designed to get travelers to their destinations safely and quickly. These modes, ranging from commuter bike trails and public transit to rideshares, buses, rail, roads, streets, and highways, are strategically interlinked; improvements or disruptions in one place reverberate across the greater transportation network.

Travel demand management (TDM) is an approach to transportation planning that encourages more efficient travel through a combination of mode choice and infrastructure design. This “big picture” approach centers the specific needs of local communities to create viable options for people to shift away from single-occupancy vehicles for at least some trips. Among the benefits of more efficient road use are improved congestion and air quality and reduced costs for road maintenance and construction.

A UMN research study led by Kaitlyn Denten, infrastructure policy researcher at the Institute for Urban and Regional Infrastructure Finance within the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and a CTS scholar, aimed to investigate how TDM strategies can best be integrated into highway construction projects.

In Minnesota, two factors are bringing the TDM approach to the forefront. The Transportation Greenhouse Gas Emissions Impact Assessment (Minn. Stat. §161.178 [2025]) is now part of highway construction and reconstruction projects. This statute requires projects to meet state greenhouse gas (GHG) and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) goals by either modifying the project, halting the project, or offsetting the GHG and VMT created by the project. 

Additionally, the Metropolitan Council, through its 2023 Regional Travel Demand Management Study Action Plan, recommended that a study be conducted to identify how TDM strategies could be incorporated into all phases of highway construction. The Met Council’s goal is to improve commuting, meet climate objectives, and reduce or delay the need for costly highway expansion projects.

In response to the Met Council’s recommendation, the UMN research team first conducted a nationwide scan to identify best practices for integrating TDM into highway projects. Examples in Colorado, California, New Jersey, Delaware, and Washington show how local, state, and federal transportation agencies and other entities coordinated to better understand local travel patterns and solve complex challenges. The scan revealed how TDM has been used to inform planning and policy, improve design and construction, encourage mode choice, and manage demand or emergency situations.

The researchers also studied Minnesota examples. The 2007 collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis diverted 140,000 daily commuter trips. MnDOT, the Met Council, and regional stakeholders created travel alternatives from the time just after the collapse through the bridge’s reconstruction, which was completed in September 2008. TDM strategies included new transit services, fare subsidization, teleworking programs, and expanded park-and ride facilities.

In Duluth, a more northern expanse of Interstate 35W became a “mega project” between 2010 and 2012. During this time, 3 bridges and 12 miles of roadway pavement were replaced, shoulders and safety features were added, and intelligent transportation systems components were installed for emergency communications. TDM strategies helped facilitate communications between local and state entities, transit services, and the MnDOT construction teams to improve travel alternatives and ease the flow of traffic during this prolonged disruption.

TDM is becoming a more defined and important part of future transportation planning. “Ultimately, integrating TDM into highway projects enhances travel options and creates modal choices for travelers,” Denten says. “This reduces delay during peak times and improves safety and efficiency for construction crews. It can also remove the need for travel and push travel to non-peak times. Further, holistic TDM approaches for highway construction projects could lead to more efficient transportation systems and perhaps delay or remove the need for a highway project in the first place.”

The study offers best practices to help policymakers, planners, engineers, and local officials within the Metropolitan Council and beyond incorporate TDM into their projects. These strategies provide opportunities to shape policies and projects that respond to unexpected and intermittent challenges while supporting Minnesota’s long-term goals of reducing highway construction costs, climate impacts, and travel disruptions.

This research project was sponsored by the Applied Research in Transportation (ART) Program, which addresses time-sensitive research questions in a 6- to 12-month timeframe. CTS and the Minnesota Department of Transportation contributed initial funding to launch this pilot program in 2024, with the Metropolitan Council joining in 2025. To reinforce the applied nature of the program, ART projects must directly address a current process, document, or policy need with an initial focus on sustainability in transportation and climate change impacts. 

—Amy Goetzman, contributing writer

Automated Vehicle Technology, Policy and Planning, research

Webinar shares industry and international perspectives on AI integration

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May 26, 2026

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping how transportation and infrastructure projects are planned and delivered—and how information about them is shared with the public and stakeholders. A recent CTS webinar highlighted examples in these areas, from a large-scale urban development in Finland to communications and public engagement practices among U.S. agencies. 

Some transportation agencies and project teams have reported that they value AI for its ability to manage and make sense of large, complex data. Large infrastructure efforts generate massive amounts of information across design, construction, finance, safety, and public input. AI can connect and interpret this data and improve efficiency in routine tasks.

AI can also support more consistent and informed decision making. AI tools, such as project-specific knowledge networks, can make sense of scheduling risks, sustainability gaps, or recurring public concerns that might otherwise go unnoticed. These tools can improve service to the public by enabling faster responses through chatbots and translation.

Nicole Moon, strategic communications lead for engineering consultant HDR’s highways and roads division, described how AI supports transportation industry professionals in their day-to-day work. Rather than replacing human judgment, communications and public relations professionals use AI tools to draft content and streamline workflows, often improving efficiency, she said.

“Whatever day-to-day problems you have, you could probably find a way to use AI to solve it, but I would challenge people to consider whether that’s the right approach,” Moon said. “There are risks. As a communicator, I don’t want to lose the human side of what we do—that connection piece.”

To offer an international perspective, Tomi Kotala of the City of Helsinki’s public works department and Pieti Marjavaara of consulting and design firm AINS Group presented on the Infrastructure Programme Helsinki, an initiative focused on building a more sustainable city through light-rail expansion and transit-oriented development. The nearly decade-long project is set to run from 2025 through 2033.

Marjavaara introduced “Project AI,” a structured framework for integrating AI into the Infrastructure Programme Helsinki. 

“First we teach people what AI is, and then we teach AI how to build in Helsinki,” Marjavaara said. He emphasized the importance of training staff in both the ethical use of AI and the practical adaptation of tools to fit project goals.

Kotala and Marjavaara both stressed that AI should be understood as part of a broader commitment to sustainable and ethical development.

“We want to be carbon aware, nature positive, and resource wise,” Kotala said. “We want to be harm-free for people and the environment, both during construction and in the final product.”

In their daily work, staff interact with a project-specific AI chatbot embedded within a broader “context sphere,” also known as a knowledge network, that draws from live Slack conversations, formal documents, task logs, and other project data. The chatbot, nicknamed “Bob,” uses this shared context to generate informed responses in its conversations with staff.

“We want to take the next step. So that’s why we are bringing AI, and, of course, we want to be responsible … [and use] it in a sustainable way and an ethical way I,” Marjavaara said. “We want everybody to be part of our AI journey.” 

This webinar’s discussion built on CTS’s December 2025 webinar, Preparing Transportation Professionals for AI Integration.

Watch the recording.

—Olivia Hanson, CTS associate editor

Policy and Planning, research

Preparing the Transportation Workforce for Emerging Technologies: A Guide

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Transportation agencies are facing rapid technological change—from artificial intelligence and machine learning to connected and automated vehicles, data governance, cybersecurity, advanced communications, and emerging analytical tools. These technologies are transforming how transportation systems are planned, operated, and maintained, while simultaneously reshaping workforce needs. This guide from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program offers practical strategies and resources to recruit, develop, and retain a workforce capable of adopting and leveraging emerging technologies.

Industry Challenges

As new technologies proliferate, agencies struggle with a number of overlapping challenges.

  • Outdated organizational structures and siloed departments
  • Skill gaps in advanced technical areas
  • Difficulty competing with private-sector salaries
  • Limited awareness of transportation tech careers among students
  • Pipeline shortages due to retirements and evolving skill demands

The guide categorizes these challenges into three core areas: Institutional Agility, Staffing Adaptability, and Workforce Pipeline.

1. Institutional Agility

Agencies must evolve organizational flexibility to integrate new technologies into their existing practices. There are a number of steps they can take to help with this.

  • Build multidisciplinary teams to break down silos and improve collaboration across planning, operations, IT, and field staff.
  • Modernize organizational structures and culture, including job rotations, co-location, communities of practice, refreshed licensure requirements, and skills-based management.
  • Develop business cases for new positions, such as data analysts, AI specialists, cybersecurity roles, and system engineers.
  • Enhance benefits packages beyond salary—highlight flexibility, professional development, hybrid schedules, innovation opportunities, and mentorship.

2. Staffing Adaptability

While the agency must modernize its processes, it must also provide a way for staff to develop the required skills to navigate new requirements. Should they hire, contract, or provide development channels for existing staff? The report has some suggestions.

  • Identify and formalize emerging positions across traffic operations, data analysis, IT/OT, hardware maintenance, policy/innovation, and design/construction.
  • Use a decision tool to determine whether to upskill current staff, hire new staff, or outsource work based on urgency, core function, and internal capacity.
  • Develop and promote new career paths that incorporate technical and soft skills, including leadership, communication, and innovation.
  • Leverage vendor contracts to include staff training, system handoff support, and access to vendor training sessions.
  • Recruit from adjacent industries with transferable skills—IT, telecommunications, military, emergency management, gaming, and manufacturing.
  • Connect staff to professional organizations and national training programs to keep technology skills current.

3. Long-term Workforce Pipeline

In addition to responding to immediate needs in the organization, the agency should look at strengthening the long-term talent pipeline with education partners.

  • Build partnerships with K–12, community colleges, trade programs, and universities through advisory committees, career fairs, mentorship, and public awareness campaigns.
  • Expand internships, apprenticeships, faculty exchanges, and hands-on training opportunities in emerging technology areas.
  • Collaborate on curriculum modernization, integrating interdisciplinary programs that blend engineering, IT, data science, and policy.
  • Invest in or share technology labs, equipment, and research opportunities to expose learners to real-world systems.
  • Support research initiatives that incorporate workforce development, outreach, and student engagement.

Conclusion

Emerging technologies offer transformative benefits for transportation systems but realizing those benefits hinges on the workforce. Agencies must take proactive, structured steps to evolve their organizations, strengthen recruitment and retention strategies, and build sustainable talent pipelines. This guide provides a flexible, practical framework to help you look at your organization and think about how some of these ideas apply to it, and how they may help you develop your own strategy for improving how you prepare for emerging technologies.

Read the complete report:

NCHRP Research Report 1174 (website or PDF)

Additional resources

research

Research Partnership Award honors mobility planning app

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Reprinted from CTS News May 6, 2026

The limited public transit infrastructure often found in rural areas can make it difficult for residents to access essential services such as healthcare, education, and grocery shopping—especially those without personal vehicles or who are unable to drive. Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) is a platform that integrates multiple transportation options and booking/e-ticketing with a smartphone app. While MaaS has primarily been developed and deployed in urban areas, it also offers potential benefits for rural area residents, such as improving transportation access, reducing social isolation, and simplifying the passenger experience.

A study sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) assessing the benefits of deploying its MaaS app in southern Minnesota was honored with this year’s CTS Robert C. Johns Research Partnership Award.

MnDOT’s MaaS platform was implemented in southern Minnesota in March 2023 to streamline and promote transit use, incorporating features such as interactive trip planning and mobile payment. The study area is served by seven different transit agencies, covering seven small cities and the surrounding rural areas.  

Led by University of Minnesota Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering associate professor and CTS scholar Alireza Khani, the research team aimed to learn how residents benefited from having access to a variety of mobility options through the MaaS platform, as well as if the platform increased transit ridership and how it could be improved. 

“This work represents a collaborative effort to better understand how people, especially those in rural Minnesota without many transportation options, might engage with emerging transportation technologies, mainly mobility-as-a-service,” Khani said when accepting the award. “This project is about people, their mobility options, their choices, and how technology can support more efficient, equitable, and sustainable transportation.”

The research team worked closely with MnDOT’s project management team and the platform development team to address the unique challenges of rural MaaS. Recognizing that existing data was insufficient to capture rural transit nuances, the team developed specialized data-collection spreadsheets and protocols. By training local transit service providers to use these tools for one week for both pre- and post- MaaS deployment phases, the team obtained primary data to analyze rider behavior across both fixed-route and demand-responsive transit (DRT). They also used the data to evaluate equity and service quality for disadvantaged populations. This collaboration between the University and the providers ensured that the MaaS implementation was not only technically sound but also tailored to the specific operational realities of southern Minnesota’s transit landscape.

Analysis of booking and ride data provided a clearer picture of how people use transit and how both riders and providers felt about their experiences, informing areas for improvement by deploying MaaS. Results showed a notable ridership increase of 4.2 percent for DRT and paratransit services following MaaS deployment, compared to a marginal 0.2 percent increase in the control group. In addition, a before-and-after study of trip location data showed MaaS’s ability to boost transit service rates in areas with lower-income residents.

“This is a great example of academic partnership with the public and private sector in a really practical way,” McFadden said during the awards ceremony. “We have brought rural transit up to parity with a lot of the technology that has been common in urban settings for about the last decade. This project has been a leader and driven both the public and private sector to bring along our rural transit systems. And so everybody is getting access to the same information.”

The research results provided a thorough evaluation of the pilot and have been key in shaping future rural transit projects. The evaluation served as a proof-of-concept for MnDOT, directly informing the decision to expand the MaaS system to the entire state. Additionally, the methods and findings have been widely shared with the professional community and received national attention, “highlighting the broader relevance of what started here in Minnesota,” Khani added. By bridging the gap between a regional pilot and a statewide initiative, this research serves as a strategic roadmap for modernizing rural transit in Minnesota and beyond.

The Research Partnership Award is named in honor of former CTS director Robert Johns. The award is presented annually to a team of individuals who have collaboratively drawn on their diverse expertise to achieve significant impacts on transportation.

Clockwise, from left: Robert C. Johns with research team members Alireza Khani, Elliott McFadden, Kwangho Baek, and Hannah DeBruin

Project team

  • University of Minnesota: Alireza Khani, Kwangho Baek, Hannah DeBruin
  • MnDOT: Elliott McFadden
  • Federal Transit Administration: Steve Mortensen
  • Cambridge Systematics: Raphael Barcham

—Amy Friebe, CTS senior editorial manager

Additional reading

Environment, Maintenance Operations, research

Goats can play a role in multi-pronged restoration of buckthorn-invaded woodlands

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Reprinted from MnLTAP News, May 4, 2026

Goats are increasingly being used in efforts to manage invasive common buckthorn in Midwestern woodlands. New research demonstrates when and how they are best used.

Continue reading Goats can play a role in multi-pronged restoration of buckthorn-invaded woodlands →
Pedestrian, research, Traffic and Safety

CTS Webinar: How Infrastructure Shapes Driver Behavior and Pedestrian Safety

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Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 12:00–1:30 pm Virtual

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About the Event 

Improving pedestrian safety requires a deeper understanding of how people interact with roadway design and infrastructure. This webinar will highlight two recent research efforts examining how transportation infrastructure influences driver behavior and pedestrian safety outcomes.

Curtis Craig, a research associate in the Human Factors Safety Laboratory, will present findings from two complementary studies examining infrastructure at intersections. The first study explored how right turn lane configurations affect pedestrian safety using a combination of behavioral analysis and multiple research methods. The second project examined how drivers and pedestrians respond to different infrastructure treatments and how those designs influence behavior in real-world environments.

These study findings offer transportation agencies, planners, and engineers practical considerations as they work to create safer and more accessible pedestrian environments.

Registration and More

This webinar is free, but registration is required. Visit the event web page to register and for more information. 

Related Reading

Active Research by Curtis Craig

Analysis and Risk Management of Motorcycle, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Crashes in Minnesota

Policy and Planning, Public Transit, research

TRB Webinar: Improving Mobility in Rural and Tribal Communities

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February 25, 2025, 10-11 AM CST

More information and Registration

TRB is offering a free webinar tomorrow on rural mobility, which has been a focus of a number of MnDOT studies in the last few years. For a review of research on rural mobility in Minnesota, see the following lists of completed and active projects. To register for the webinar, follow the link above.

Continue reading TRB Webinar: Improving Mobility in Rural and Tribal Communities →
Maintenance Operations, research

Comparing Salt Brine and Granular Salt for Safety and Performance

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While studies have shown that salt brine can be less expensive and better for the environment than granular salt, public perception maintains that salt brine is less efficient and less safe for travelers.

In this Clear Roads project, researchers developed metrics for comparing the two different forms of salt and conducted a variety of tests to measure their performance in the field.

Now, agencies have data and infographics they can use to support their decision to use salt brine in place of granular salt.

Download the final report and two-page brief: CR 22-04 – Evaluation of Direct Liquid Application of Salt Brine vs Granular Salt as Measured through Various Performance and Safety Metrics, December 2025.

Reprinted from Clear Roads news, January 21, 2026.