Truckers invited to inform southeast Minnesota transport officials of needs

Professional drivers who travel in and through southeast Minnesota have an opportunity to shape the District 6 freight plan.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is seeking input from the public regarding the District 6 freight plan. Comments are due March 21 and can be submitted at District6FreightPlan.com.

The freight plan affects the following counties: Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha and Winona. Rochester, Minnesota’s third largest city after the Twin Cities, is in District 6.

A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis conducted for the District 6 freight plan has identified some issues specific to trucking:

• Significant unmet truck parking demand.
• Conflicts between trucks/active transportation users.
• Speed differentials in communities.
• Overweight trucks accelerating the deterioration of road and bridges.

Like the public comment period for proposed rules in the Federal Register, this gives truckers the opportunity to have their issues addressed. Many trucking issues, including truck parking, come down to the state and local governments, not the federal government. MnDOT does not know what they do not know, so inform them of the problems drivers face in the region.

Among the key findings so far is an issue with truck parking.

Specifically, the draft District 6 freight plan identifies Albert Lea as having the highest concentration of truck parking activity and capacity in the state.

Conversely, truck parking needs are greatest in the area between Faribault and Northfield.

MnDOT District 6 plans, designs, constructs and maintains the state and federal highway systems within district boundaries. It also manages the aid and assistance given to county and city systems that qualify for state and federal dollars. If that does not jibe with some truckers’ experience, they should submit their input so that decision makers are aware of other potential problematic areas.

According to the District 6 freight plan traffic analysis, nearly two-thirds of the district’s truck trips are “in-district” trips. Key connecting areas for District 6 truck trips include Sioux Falls, S.D.; Lincoln, Neb.; Des Moines, Iowa; Kansas City, Mo.; and Madison, Wis. LL