This update is an effort by the Minnesota Council on Transportation Access (MCOTA) to provide periodic updates about its initiatives to the public and to interested stakeholders. Please let us know what you think by contacting Arlene Mathison at mathi032@umn.edu or Noel Shughart at Noel.Shughart@state.mn.us.
Register for May 9 Volunteer Driver Program Forum
This daylong event, convened by the Minnesota Council on Transportation Access, will bring together individuals running volunteer driver programs and other stakeholders. The forum will provide attendees with the opportunity to share information to help maintain and strengthen these programs.
Topics covered include:
- Current state of volunteer drivers in Minnesota
- How to handle insurance and tax issues
- MN2030 Looking Forward
- Potential 2019 legislative priorities & solutions
- Mobility management organizations
- Emerging topics & technologies
Complete event details, including online registration, accommodations, and the draft agenda are available on the MCOTA Volunteer Driver Program Forum event page.
Greater Minnesota RTCC Organizational Planning Grant applications due March 31
As Minnesota’s state-level coordinating council, MCOTA addresses transportation coordination topics from a statewide perspective. Transportation coordination actually happens at the local level, and MCOTA member agencies are developing Regional Transportation Coordinating Councils (RTCCs) to serve as the primary local drivers for transportation coordination with guidance from MCOTA. RTCCs consist of local stakeholders interested in improving mobility for transportation-disadvantaged people—older adults, individuals with disabilities, individuals with low incomes, and military veterans.
The application for RTCC Organizational Planning Grants is available on the MnDOT Office of Transit and Active Transportation website. Eleven letters of intent to apply for Phase 1 grants were received by the February 15 deadline. Two regions have multiple applicants, and MnDOT Office of Transit and Active Transportation staff are meeting with applicants to encourage collaboration. Phase 1 applications are due March 31, 2018.
Key dates
- March 31, 2018: Phase 1 applications due
- July 1, 2018: Phase 1 grants awarded
- July 1, 2019: Phase 2 grant application period begins
If you have any questions regarding the RTCC grant application, please contact Sue Siemers at 320-223-6556 or susan.siemers@state.mn.us.
Metro Mobility Task Force recommendations
Christine Kuennen of the Metropolitan Council gave a presentation on the Metro Mobility Task Force process and report at the February 28 MCOTA meeting. The goals of the task force: identify options and methods to increase program effectiveness and efficiency, minimize program costs, and improve service including through potential partnerships with taxi service providers and transportation network companies.
The task force made separate recommendations for the Met Council and the Minnesota Legislature in three areas:
- A system that includes more service options.
- A system that maximizes all potential funding sources.
- A system that complies with federal and state requirements and meets the needs of people with disabilities.
More information
- Metro Mobility Task Force Presentation (PDF)
- Metro Mobility Task Force Report
Upcoming MCOTA meetings
MCOTA usually meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month at the MnDOT Central Office, from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. The meetings are open, and members of the public are welcome to attend in person or to call in; each meeting includes time for public comments. See the MCOTA website for more details.
- April 25, 2018, 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.
- May 23, 2018, 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.
- June 27, 2018, 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.
About MCOTA
The Minnesota Council on Transportation Access was established by the Minnesota Legislature in 2010 to “study, evaluate, oversee, and make recommendations to improve the coordination, availability, accessibility, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and safety of transportation services provided to the transit public.”