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Project update — Alternatives recommendations
MnDOT has shared draft recommendations regarding which alternatives should move forward for further study in the environmental review process known as the Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). These recommendations are not final. MnDOT continues to work with project partners to evaluate and review the alternatives.
Visit the Rethinking I-94 StoryMap to explore the recommendations. Select the “Evaluation and Recommendations” tab on the top of the page and scroll down to “Alternatives Moving Forward/Alternatives Not Moving Forward.”
The StoryMap has information to help you understand the project and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). You will find details about the different options being studied, how they are being evaluated, MnDOT’s recommendations, and next steps for the project.
Rethinking I-94 is a long-term effort to engage communities that live, work, commute and play along the corridor to promote effective movement of people and goods and a high quality of life for neighboring communities. In addition to enhancing mobility, safety, and connectivity, MnDOT is responsible for preserving and repairing bridges, walls, and pavement.
Rethinking I-94 improvements will support the broader community goals established for the project. Those goals include:
Incorporating MnDOT's livability framework and identifying opportunities for establishing a sense of place, community connections, economic opportunities, equity, safety, and a healthy environment for the communities that live, work, and play there.
Developing and executing a community-based approach focused on reconnecting neighborhoods, revitalizing communities, and ensuring residents have a meaningful voice in transportation decisions that affect their lives.
We recognize the actions 60 years ago devastated communities, and those impacts are still felt today. This is the first comprehensive review of I-94 since its construction in the 1960s and is jointly conducted by MnDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Get involved
Interested in getting involved or providing feedback?
Visit the StoryMap to learn more about the alternatives recommendations
MnDOT has shared draft recommendations regarding which alternatives should move forward for further study in the environmental review process known as the Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). These recommendations are not final. MnDOT continues to work with project partners to evaluate and review the alternatives.
Visit the Rethinking I-94 StoryMap to explore the recommendations. Select the “Evaluation and Recommendations” tab on the top of the page and scroll down to “Alternatives Moving Forward/Alternatives Not Moving Forward.”
The StoryMap has information to help you understand the project and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). You will find details about the different options being studied, how they are being evaluated, MnDOT’s recommendations, and next steps for the project.
Rethinking I-94 is a long-term effort to engage communities that live, work, commute and play along the corridor to promote effective movement of people and goods and a high quality of life for neighboring communities. In addition to enhancing mobility, safety, and connectivity, MnDOT is responsible for preserving and repairing bridges, walls, and pavement.
Rethinking I-94 improvements will support the broader community goals established for the project. Those goals include:
Incorporating MnDOT's livability framework and identifying opportunities for establishing a sense of place, community connections, economic opportunities, equity, safety, and a healthy environment for the communities that live, work, and play there.
Developing and executing a community-based approach focused on reconnecting neighborhoods, revitalizing communities, and ensuring residents have a meaningful voice in transportation decisions that affect their lives.
We recognize the actions 60 years ago devastated communities, and those impacts are still felt today. This is the first comprehensive review of I-94 since its construction in the 1960s and is jointly conducted by MnDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Get involved
Interested in getting involved or providing feedback?
Visit the StoryMap to learn more about the alternatives recommendations
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Committee process
Technical documents that form the basis of the Scoping Decision Document are developed by project staff then reviewed by committee before review by the broader public.
Share existing, background and reference information: MnDOT staff and consultant project team members review background and reference information collected during Phase 1 or provided by city and county project partners.
Data collection and analysis: Project team members identify what new data is needed. For example, new traffic data can be collected on the interstate, entrance or exits ramps, or adjacent street network. The team collects and analyzes the data.
Discuss assumptions and rough framework: The project team discusses any assumptions made in the analysis and starts to develop a rough framework of the technical document.
Draft for Technical Advisory Committee: A draft is shared with the Technical Advisory Committee for review and comment. Engineering and planning staff from MnDOT, Federal Highway Administration, Ramsey County, Hennepin County, City of Minneapolis, City of St. Paul, and other government entities serve on the Technical Advisory Committee. The committee provides technical advice to the project team.
Coordination with Policy and Planning Committee Working Group: Coordination of technical information with the Livability Framework occurs at the Policy and Planning Committee (PPC). The PPC focuses on potential strategies for implementing the Livability Framework developed during Phase 1 (sense of place, community connections, economic opportunities, equity, safety, and a healthy environment for the communities that live, work, and play there). Professional planning staff from MnDOT, Federal Highway Administration, Ramsey County, Hennepin County, City of Minneapolis, City of St. Paul, and other government entities serve on the PPC.
Revisions: At each step in the process the project team is taking in feedback and revising the draft.
Engagement with Cooperating and Participating Agencies: The draft is shared with the Cooperating and Participating Agencies. This is a process requirement under the National Environmental Policy Act. Cooperating agencies are Federal agencies, other than the lead agency, with jurisdiction. Participating agencies are those with an interest in the project. Their roles are defined by the Council on Environmental Quality which oversees the NEPA implementation.
Revisions: The project team presents information, receives feedback, and revises the draft.
Engagement with Community Leaders: The draft and/or staff developed education materials and questions are shared with community leaders to gather initial feedback on the information, the presentation of the information, and the plan for gathering broader public feedback. The Community Leaders, formerly Community Advisors, includes leaders from community organizations representing neighborhoods, business interests, and cultural associations.
Revisions: The project team presents information, receives feedback, and revises the draft.
Recommendations to Policy Advisory Committee: The project team presents the draft to the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC). The PAC consists of elected and appointed officials who provide decision direction. Current PAC members include; MnDOT Commissioner, Federal Highway Administration Minnesota Division, Metropolitan Council (Committee Co-Chair), County Commissioners, Mayor and City Council Members, and State Senators and Representatives.
Revisions: The project team presents information, receives feedback, and revises the draft.
Engagement with broader public: The project team presents the technical information to the public in both it’s technical document form and in plain language format. Technical information and format is available on request. Engagement opportunities will be online and in-person using various tools. These will be opportunities for the project team to learn from the community’s lived experiences.
Revisions: The project team presents information, receives feedback, and revises the draft.
Report back to PAC; Continuing analysis and engagement as needed: The project team reports back to the PAC following the broader public engagement. Analysis, revision, and further engagement continue. The technical information becomes a base for the Scoping Decision Document that also flows through the committee and public review cycles.
Community Leaders
About
Community Leaders help to identify opportunities for information sharing and two-way communication related to the Rethinking I-94 project. As a liaison to the community on behalf of the project, Community Leaders serve as an information resource and connection point between lead agencies and the community-at-large. As such, Community Leaders also serve the project as a resource in sharing their community insights and experiences as it relates to I-94.
In addition, Community Leaders assist with the following activities:
Provide community insight on communications and engagement strategies related to the project
Engage community members and stakeholders that are not currently engaged, but should be
Report what is being said on the ground and share community concerns with MnDOT
Provide factual and current project information to community members
Help identify potential issues and strategies to mitigate the impact of Rethinking I-94 on residents and businesses
Contribute to establishing a shared vision for the corridor and to the implementation of the vision
Membership of the Community Leaders group requires that an individual from the community or a group of individuals from an organization (limit two):
Provide information back to MnDOT regarding the community members in which you have engaged, and the issues discussed on a regular basis
Attend quarterly Community Leader meetings hosted by MnDOT
Engage and participate in other project-related meetings and updates
Help with sharing accurate information regarding the project
Members of the Community Leaders group are not responsible for:
Serving as an official decision-maker regarding the project
Acting as the primary contact for project outreach or presentations
Serving as a spokesperson or media contact
Community Leaders must be affiliated with a community organization or business that interfaces with community members or serves community needs. There is a limit of two individuals from the same community organization or business. The insight Community Leaders provide is invaluable to the Rethinking I-94 project, but no Community Leader is expected to serve as a sole voice on behalf of any one community. MnDOT recognizes that within any one community or organization, members share different perspectives. To ensure a diverse set of community voices, interests, and stakeholders are represented, membership to the Community Leaders group is subject to review and approval by MnDOT. Completion and maintenance of a Membership Profile Form is required.
Membership
If you or a member of your organization meet the criteria above and wish to participate in the Community Leaders program, please complete the membership profile form and a representative of MnDOT will follow up with you.
Current members: Last updated August 2024
Organization
Representative(s)
Arc of Minnesota
JoAnn Leppink
Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA Greater Minneapolis)
Sarah Anderson
Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church
Anita Alexander, Theresa Neal
Capitol River Council
John Fure
East Metro Strong
Will Schroeer
Elliot Park Neighborhood
Glen Johnson, Abdulrahman Wako
Hallie Q. Brown Community Center
Brianna Joyner, Jennifer McMurray
Hamline Midway Coalition
Jenne Nelson
Jonathan Palmer - Nonprofit Management Consultant and DEI Strategy Expert
Jonathan Palmer
Lexington-Hamline Community Council
Alison Schaub
Macalester-Groveland Community Council
Hugo Bruggeman
Macalester-Groveland Community Council
Spencer Ludtke
Minneapolis Downtown Council & Downtown Improvement District
The Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) is made up of elected and appointed officials from the cities, counties, Metropolitan Council, MnDOT, and FHWA. The committee:
Advises MnDOT and FHWA in the environmental processes and project decision making.
Advises MnDOT and Metropolitan Council high-level policies, solutions, and additional decision directions. Discussions are focused on political or policy risk with broad governmental implications.
Members partner and collaborate with MnDOT on issues the cross-agency disciplines or missions, and lead on issues outside of MnDOT’s transportation mission.
The PAC publicly meets quarterly, or more frequently as determined by the MnDOT Commissioner of Transportation. Meetings include an opportunity for the public to address committee members. Those comments are documented and responded to as appropriate in the meeting summaries.[RE1]
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Rethinking I-94 is a long-term process to engage communities that live, work, commute, and play along the corridor to promote effective movement of people and goods and a high quality of life for neighboring communities. MnDOT’s goal is to listen to a wide variety of voices as it considers the future of the corridor. This is the first comprehensive review of I-94 since its construction in the 1960s and is jointly conducted by MnDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Rethinking I-94 looks to address identified transportation needs and to enhance connectivity. In doing so, Rethinking I-94 works to ensure residents have a meaningful voice in transportation decisions that affect their lives.
What is connectivity?
Connectivity is a component of mobility. Connectivity describes how the number and quality of connections in a transportation network allow people to travel from place to place. In the context of Rethinking I-94, connectivity describes the number of opportunities to access I-94 via interchange ramps, as well as travel over/under I-94 via crossings.
The I-94 corridor
Communities along the Rethinking I-94 project corridor play a critical role in the institutional and cultural fabric of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. These diverse and vibrant neighborhoods are home to 35,000 residents, 1,300 businesses, and 24,000 employees, and dozens of ethnicities and languages. The corridor also is home to The University of Minnesota, six other colleges, numerous primary and secondary schools, hospitals, entertainment venues, and sports stadiums.
The I-94 corridor is one of Minnesota’s most frequently traveled corridors and supports a variety of multimodal transportation needs.
I-94 plays a critical role in the movement of freight and goods for the Twin Cities metropolitan area with 7.5 miles of road infrastructure and 4,650 – 6,500 heavy commercial trucks per day.
I-94 supports 130 express bus stops and 38 limited-stop bus per day as well as between 114,000 and 167,000 vehicles per day.
I-94 is used by many emergency response organizations such as law enforcement agencies, emergency medical response teams and hospitals.
The sidewalks, pedestrian bridges, and roadway along and across I-94 support multimodal transportation
While the corridor currently supports multimodal transportation, Rethinking I-94 will be addressing opportunities to make improvements
Phase 1 (2016-2018)
A two-year technical research study and supporting engagement activities performed to establish the foundation for future planning and project work.
MnDOT divided the corridor into six zones based on anticipated future design and construction projects. These Rethinking I-94 Zone Profiles (PDF) include information about demographics, survey responses, community organizations, events, local media and elected officials.
Community culture and history overviews
Rethinking I-94 community culture and overviews (PDF) provide historical and cultural background about stakeholders along the I-94 corridor, as well as provides information about broader cultural characteristics and their history of engagement with transportation and planning issues in the Twin Cities.
Rethinking I-94 Phase 1 reports
Rethinking I-94 Phase 1 report (PDF) details two years of technical research and engagement activity on the corridor that established the foundation for future planning and project work.
Community summary (PDF): Outlines current highway conditions, learnings from the community, and next steps.
Phase 2
The environmental process for Rethinking I-94 Phase 2 involves three main steps. At each step, the public will have chances to provide feedback and comments. Initially, overarching questions need to be addressed to understand what is achievable and to ensure that all concerns are considered before moving on to more specific design details.
Step one: Scoping (Rethinking I-94 is currently in this step.)
This process identifies the basic alternatives that will move forward into the next stage of environmental review. We anticipate being in Scoping for the next year. Little detail on alternatives will be developed at this step. For example, the alternatives will have different roadway types, number and type of lanes, and transit service types, but limited details on potential changes to frontage roads, interchanges, or pedestrian and bicycle crossings. The Scoping Document also proposes evaluation criteria for alternatives in the Tier 1 EIS and outlines the level of detail to which each potential social, economic, and environmental issue will be addressed.
This step will choose a preferred alternative and determine the footprint, including roadway type (freeway or non-freeway), the number and type of travel lanes, and type of transit and associated stops. This step will also identify potential improvements to interchanges/intersections (multiple concepts will be developed) in the project area and general locations for pedestrian and bicycle facilities. A corridor visualization will be completed to help identify unique elements of the surrounding communities that could be incorporated into future projects, such as landscaping, bridge treatments and more. The Tier 1 EIS follows Scoping and is anticipated to take three to four years to complete.
Step three: Tier 2 environmental documents
The final step in the process is for individual projects that are to be constructed. Greater detail will be provided about interchanges, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, transit stops, landscaping, lighting, noise walls, parking, and other roadway elements. Each project included in the program of projects will require a deeper level of design and the preparation of an individual environmental document. The Tier 2 environmental documents will focus on addressing specific project impacts at individual project locations within the corridor. At this stage, all design details necessary to prepare the projects for construction will be addressed. As designs become more detailed, potential opportunities for improved streetscaping (trees/vegetation, lighting, etc.), public art, and other uses of right of way will be better understood.
Project documents
The documents below were created to help project staff, partners, and the public learn more about the environmental process.
A two-part documentary about I-94 aired on a local Twin Cities television station in April 2017.
Part One - Interstate 94: A History and Its Impact
This video focuses on the construction of I-94 in the middle of the 20th Century and the affect it had on the communities it bisected.
Part Two - Interstate 94: Today and Tomorrow
This video focuses on the here and now as it relates to I-94 through the Twin Cities, as well as continuing work to engage with communities along the interstate to develop a comprehensive, community-based vision for the corridor.
Rethinking I-94 video tour
Gloria Jeff, MnDOT Livability Director, presented a video tour of the project for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Peer Exchange on Public Engagement in October 2020.
Livability Framework
Gloria Jeff presents an introduction to the Livability Framework.
Existing I-94 Traffic Conditions
This video is a presentation from Jaimie Sloboden (Michael Baker International) which analyzes existing traffic conditions and data for the Rethinking I-94 study region. Jaimie presented this information at the November 8, 2024, Rethinking I-94 Policy Advisory Committee meeting.
Air Quality Considerations for Rethinking I-94
This video is a presentation from Natalie Ries (MnDOT), which shares information on how air quality is being analyzed in the Rethinking I-94 process. Natalie presented this information at the November 8, 2024, Rethinking I-94 Policy Advisory Committee meeting.
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All MnDOT projects - both new construction and rehabilitation projects - must include evaluation to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Components can include, but are not limited to adding curb cuts, truncated domes and accessible pedestrian signals. Read about MnDOT's transition plan to comply with the ADA.
Specifics for this project
Rethinking I-94, between Minneapolis and St. Paul aims to enhance facilities for all modes of transportation and improve connectivity leading to and across the I-94 corridor. This includes building new and enhancing existing pedestrian and bike facilities in the I-94 corridor.
Improvements will also focus on existing ADA facilities and providing for additional accessible facilities where they are needed. The input of all I-94 community members, organizations, stakeholders and leaders will be vital.
I-94 between Marion St. in St. Paul and Hwy 55/Hiawatha Ave. in Minneapolis
Schedule
Phase 1 (2016-2018)
Rethinking I-94 — Minneapolis to St. Paul has finished this stage
A two-year technical research study and engagement activities, centered on the corridor, to establish the foundation for future planning and project work.
Phase 2 (2018-2028)
Rethinking I-94 — Minneapolis to St. Paul is currently at this stage
