Long Range Transportation Plan

Project Overview and Background

Since 2007, Minnesota, including Sherburne County, has experienced significant economic swings and inconsistent investment in transportation and other infrastructure that have impacted growth. Funding for transportation at the federal and state levels has been erratic for years, and there has been little indication that this will change. Changes in demographics and lifestyles have resulted in new and different types of transportation demands than previous generations. These factors have, over the past decade, made it challenging for local officials to properly plan for long-term investments and to prioritize more immediate needs.

To address the changing conditions and the varying interests of different generations of transportation users, Sherburne County is developing a new long-range plan that will serve as the framework for transportation infrastructure and service investments for the next 20 plus years. The study began in Fall 2017 and is now nearing completion.

The county intends for the plan to include the following:

• Updated/new goals and objectives
• Existing conditions
• Future system plan that addresses multiple modes – highways, transit, bicycle/pedestrian, freight, and rail
• Roads: functional class, jurisdiction, system connectivity, capacity, safety
• Transit: modes, coordination with other agencies, potential extensions/new service area
• Bicycle/Pedestrian:  connectivity, continuity, potential future improvements
• Freight: trends, improvements by mode
• Rail: freight rail and commuter rail systems and potential improvements
• Financial evaluation of costs and revenue streams and the gaps between the two
• Implementation policies, strategies, and timeframes

Project Goals and Objectives

The County has several goals and objectives for the study and the plan that is created as a result of the planning process. Goals and objectives to be achieved include the following:

• Establish a transportation vision for Sherburne County that includes multiple modes which contribute to quality of life and economic growth.
• Incorporate policies that encourage mutual support between land use and transportation.
• Incorporate policies that address cost sharing among project partners.
• Establish an implementation strategy that will keep the networks in a “state of good repair.”
• Establish a program that prioritizes projects into short-, medium-, and long-term.
• Provide a plan that will be utilized by staff at the County, elected officials, and communities within the county.
• Maintain collaborative planning process that will incorporate a broad spectrum of input.

Schedule

In the near term (Fall 2018), development of the plan will be concentrating on the following activities:

• Second set of public open house meetings
• Finalize implementation policies and implementation program list
• Prepare the plan for agency and public review

Public Input

Sherburne County recognizes that establishing a long-range transportation plan for the county will involve not only public agencies within the county, but the stakeholders who are invested in the county transportation system as residents, commuters, transit users, business owners, etc. As such, the plan includes a robust public engagement process. Input from members of the public and environmental and transportation agencies will be sought out through:

• Agency (cities and townships) charrette
• Focus group meetings
• Public open house meetings
• Agency meetings
• Project website
• Social media updates via official County accounts