Tag Archives: Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Bridges and Structures, Materials and Construction, Policy and Planning, research

Report examines condition of Minnesota’s roads and bridges to inform future investments

October 16, 2026 Lea Burdette Leave a comment

Reprinted from CTS News October 6, 2026

From freight, commercial, and public transit to personal commuters, delivery drivers, and emergency services, millions of vehicles travel Minnesota roadways each year. As the number of drivers on the roads grows, ensuring safe and reliable transportation infrastructure is crucial. A recent analysis performed by the Transportation Policy and Economic Competitiveness (TPEC) Program examined the performance and condition of Minnesota’s roadways at the county level from 2018–2024.

Using data regularly collected and maintained by the state, the TPEC team — led by Camila Fonseca-Sarmiento, director of fiscal research at the Institute for Urban and Regional Infrastructure Finance at the UMN’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs and a CTS scholar — assessed condition, safety, and performance trends of Minnesota transportation infrastructure and how these measures have changed over time. Bridge and pavement conditions were categorized as being in good condition, fair condition, or poor condition.

Pavement conditions and trends

The data examined focused on two roadway networks in Minnesota — the National Highway System (NHS) and the County State-Aid Highway (CSAH) system. The NHS, which includes interstates and local and national highways, makes up just 10 percent of statewide lane miles but carries a majority of vehicle traffic. The CSAH system carries significantly less traffic but is more than double the length of the NHS. Pavement types across these roadway networks were evaluated by surface distress or visible defects, ride quality or pavement smoothness, the overall condition of pavement, and the estimated time until the end of the pavement’s service life. Among the analysis’s key insights:

More than 80 percent of NHS roads and more than 60 percent of CSAH system roads are in good condition.
The CSAH system has more than double the number of roads in poor condition than the NHS.
Interstates consistently have the highest pavement quality.
Counties with an interstate highway tend to have the most vehicle traffic and pavement in good condition.
Counties in northwest Minnesota have the most CSAH roads in good condition while the metro area has the fewest.

Bridge conditions and trends

The team’s research found that the bridge network across Minnesota, comprising 13,500 bridges, remains generally well maintained. Some key trends identified:

Bridge conditions have been slowly declining since 2019, with the number of bridges in fair condition increasing.
As the population grows, the share of bridges in good condition declines.
Counties in northwest Minnesota have a higher rate of bridges in poor condition.

These insights indicate that more bridges will require greater levels of maintenance and preservation efforts in the years to come.

Crash trends

The COVID-19 pandemic altered the driving habits of many — as more people stayed home, fewer vehicles traveled the roads. While the total number of crashes across Minnesota has declined since 2020, the severity of crashes has risen slightly. Among the key crash trends from the report:

Minnesota counties average 929 crashes per 100,000 people.
Counties in southwest Minnesota have higher rates of property damage, injury, and fatal crashes.
Counties in northwest Minnesota have lower rates of property damage, injury, and fatal crashes.
Between 2019 and 2023, crashes statewide causing property damage decreased by 22 percent and fatal and injury crashes decreased by 13 percent.
Severe weather or wildlife encounters may be contributing to increased crashes in some counties.
As the population grows, crash rates increase.

Minnesota county map shaded by rates per 100,000, ranging from 0–500 to 1501+, with some areas marked NA

“The findings emphasize the importance of continued monitoring and investment in Minnesota’s transportation infrastructure,” Fonseca-Sarmiento says. “Understanding how roadway and bridge conditions vary throughout the state is essential for prioritizing resources when investing in the transportation network and improving safety. As transportation demands continue to evolve, data-driven decision-making will remain crucial to ensure a reliable and resilient transportation network for Minnesotans.”

— Krysta Rzeszutek, CTS digital editor

Related MnDOT Research from 2026

Policy and Planning, research

Addressing disparities through more equitable transportation planning

May 4, 2026 Christine Anderson Leave a comment

Reprinted from CTS Catalyst April 16, 2026

Transportation capital investment planning plays a vital role in shaping the future of infrastructure—but often leaves people with disabilities, youth, older adults, people of color, and disadvantaged communities underserved. A recent UMN research project aimed to gain a better understanding of how to include equity in planning and decision making.

To gain a better understanding of how to include equity in planning and decision making, a recent research project explored this complex topic through a literature review, statewide survey, and analysis of case studies. This research, sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and the Minnesota Local Road Research Board, resulted in considerations and strategies, including a toolkit, to increase community engagement and guide future transportation development for Minnesota localities and Native nations.

Camila Fonseca-Sarmiento, director of fiscal research for the Institute for Urban & Regional Infrastructure Finance at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs and a CTS scholar, led a team of researchers through a review of case studies for which equity was included in capital investment planning. As in other states and localities across the United States, the team found that the definition of equity and the goals of equity-related funding ranged widely across Minnesota’s counties, cities, and Native nations.

Incorporating equity factors in transportation investment planning in Minnesota has occurred through small, incremental changes. A few jurisdictions have already integrated equity into their planning efforts, while some others are in the process of doing so. Jurisdictions with a more comprehensive equity framework are those in which equity is part of a local initiative, compared to those who mentioned equity efforts as a response to federal funding requirements, such as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disability Act.+6

Minnesota brings an additional set of equity considerations through the inclusion of the state’s 11 Native nations. These Ojibwe and Dakota communities and reservations share many of the same needs and challenges as other localities but also possess unique cultural considerations, including sovereignty, sacred sites, and environmental protection. For example, on a practical level equity for Native nations means fair employment—equitable job opportunities, wages, and hiring preferences for tribal members to ensure benefits stay within the tribal nations on or near reservations. On a cultural level it means dual language signage for English and Ojibwe or Dakota on roads and highways that traverse Native lands.

“Equity is not a one-size-fits-all approach,” Fonseca-Sarmiento says. Engaging community members early in the planning process helps planners understand transportation needs beyond roadway investments—such as a community’s historical experience, culturally specific needs, and current gaps. The research findings offer guidance on how to gather local input through surveys and in-person meetings guided by trained staff.

The transportation capital investment planning and decision-making process consists of several phases where equity could be integrated: identifying projects, prioritizing capital investment projects through multi-step processes, and selecting projects for funding through community advisory committees.

A toolkit developed by the researchers could help improve communication and engagement with underserved communities. Its two key tenets are that agencies need to proactively reach out to the community, and trust-building is essential for effective relationships.

In addition, Dillon Dombrovski, deputy public works director/city engineer with the City of Rochester and the project’s technical liaison, says the community engagement toolkit “provides effective guidance to combine community input with supporting data to invest in more equitable transportation projects.”

Fonseca-Sarmiento says it’s also critical to listen and then include diverse perspectives in the final transportation plan. “Engaging local stakeholders in the planning process but then leaving them out of the finished project decreases trust and limits future engagement,” she says. “Overall, having regular community engagement for identifying transportation capital investment projects can also help prevent perpetuating past inequities.”

—Amy Goetzman, contributing writer

Beyond traffic: Transportation as a social construct

November 10, 2025 Christine Anderson Leave a comment

Reprinted from CTS News, September 8, 2025

Urban transportation is more than roads and bridges: it’s a powerful social force that shapes our lives and influences our opportunities, well-being, and even power dynamics. Consider the everyday experience of commuting to work—the route you take, the cost of the ride, and the people you encounter are all shaped by social forces. By looking at transportation through this social lens, University of Minnesota researchers are moving beyond physical infrastructure to understand its deeper impact on society.

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