Statement of Goals

Background

Rethinking I-94 is guided by the Purpose and Need Statement, Evaluation Criteria, and a Statement of Goals.

The Purpose and Need Statement explains why the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is undertaking a project and its objectives. It provides the basis for developing evaluation criteria, identifying a range of alternatives, and later selecting the preferred alternative.

Evaluation Criteria are used to measure whether an alternative meets the project purpose and need and to measure social, economic, and environmental (SEE) impacts of an alternative.

The Statement of Goals is an avenue for MnDOT to incorporate its Livability Framework in the evaluation of alternatives. The Statement of Goals were created through our engagement with the community and are not mandated by law. Nonetheless, the goals are important factors in developing and screening alternatives.

Identified goals

Beyond addressing identified transportation needs, the improvements will support broader community goals identified in Rethinking I-94 Phase 1, which include:

• Incorporate the Livability Framework through the process to identify opportunities for establishing the following for the communities that live, work, gather, and play around the corridor:
  1. a sense of place,
  2. connectivity,
  3. economic vitality,
  4. equity,
  5. safety/security, and
  6. public health and the environment
• Develop and execute a community-based approach focused on reconnecting neighborhoods, revitalizing communities, and ensuring residents have a meaningful voice in transportation decisions that affect their lives.

The statement of goals serves as a guiding document in developing and evaluating alternatives. They play an important role in helping advance the vision developed by the surrounding communities. They also help identify additional interests beyond transportation that may not be able to be achieved through improvements to the transportation system but can be advanced through collaboration with partner agencies such as the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and Hennepin and Ramsey Counties.

It is anticipated that some transportation improvements will address items within the Livability Framework. Transportation improvements will enhance community connections for all modes, making it easier and safer for people and goods to travel on, along, and across the corridor. Transportation projects may also present opportunities for aesthetics or treatments that enhance sense of place for the area. These activities and refinements will primarily occur later in the process. Currently, MnDOT is developing a high-level corridor vision with very limited design detail. MnDOT will provide more detail once a design is selected.

In addition to leading I-94 transportation improvements, MnDOT will support efforts being led by community and agency partners to fully realize broader livability goals related to Connectivity, Economics/Economic Vitality, Equity, Public Health and the Environment, Safety, Sense of Place, and Trust.

Learn more about the Livability Framework developed in the Rethinking I-94 Phase 1 Report (PDF).