Area Transportation Partnerships

The Central Minnesota Area Transportation Partnership (Partnership) was formed in 1993 following passage of landmark federal surface transportation legislation in 1991 requiring states to emphasize greater planning, multi-modal decision making, and local and public involvement in the development of transportation plans and programs. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) established Area Transportation Partnerships (ATPs) in response to this new legislation as a way of providing a substate geographic focus on transportation decisions that involve the programming of federal highway funding included in the Minnesota State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

The Partnership values the role that the regional planning partners play in identifying transportation needs and priorities. Regions are responsible for participating in the regional solicitation and selection of local projects seeking federal transportation funding and for recommending a prioritized list of transportation needs to the Partnership in the preparation of the Draft ATIP. Eligible projects include all projects requesting funding under Title 23 of the United States Code (USC) (highway) and Title 49 USC (transit). MnDOT District 3 is responsible for overseeing the ATIP development process and ensuring its completion (via the use of the Partnership) in the ATP-3 programming area.

Federal Highway Administration requires a non-federal match of at least 20 percent of project costs. Regions reserve the right to limit the amount of federal funds being recommended on any local project. Applicants may be requested to exceed the minimum 20 percent matching requirements to maximize and leverage available federal funds targeted to the region. MnDOT permits overmatching of federal funds but limits this type of matching option to only locally-sponsored projects. In these instances, federal participation should not be less than 30 percent as a rule unless approved first by MnDOT and the Federal Highway Administration. State projects seeking federal funds generally are funded at the maximum federal level allowed pursuant to the particular federal program being pursued and programmed.

Federal Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBGP) funds provided to local agencies under the ATP Managed Program provide a flexible source of funding that may be used by cities and counties for projects on any Federal-aid eligible highway or street. They may also be used for bridge projects on any public road and for transit capital requests. Federal and state trunk highway funds provided under the SPP and DRMP are targeted to the MnDOT Districts to ensure attainment toward federal and state performance requirements and district goals.

Amendments to the STIP are needed for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to the following examples:

• A project is not listed in the current, approved STIP and must be added to the current (1st) year.
• There is an increase in the total cost of the project warranting an amendment.
• A phase of work (preliminary engineering, right of way, construction, etc.) is added to the project and increases the project cost.
• The project scope is changed (e.g., for a bridge project, changing rehab to replace; or for a highway projects, changing from resurface to reconstruct; etc.).
• There is a major change in the project termini/length warranting amendment.

The Partnership has worked to clarify its amendment requirements, streamline the decision-making process, and minimize potential delays to projects that would otherwise require formal action by the Partnership. The policy provides guidance on when formal action by the Partnership is required to amend the STIP and when such action is not warranted.

Central Minnesota ATP meetings are open to the public.

• Meeting agendas and materials
• Meeting summaries

Accessibility

To request an ASL or foreign language interpreter, call 651-366-4720. To request other reasonable accommodations, call the Minnesota Relay Service toll-free at 1-800-627-3529 (TYY, Voice or ASCII) or 711, or email your request to adarequest.dot@state.mn.us.

• October to January: Solicit projects
• February: Evaluate and prioritize projects
• March: Draft ATIP
• April: Public comment and review period
• May: Submit draft ATIP to MnDOT Central Office
• June: Draft STIP review and comment
• July: STIP approval by Commissioner

Central Minnesota ATP membership consists of 18 voting and six non-voting members comprised of individuals representing counties, cities, regional planning agencies, tribal nations, transit, MnDOT, and other transportation interests.

Voting members

• Darrick Anderson, Cass County Engineer, Region 5 Development Commission
• Chris Byrd, Benton County Public Works Director, County Engineers, South Half
• Raeanne Danielowski, Sherburne County Commissioner, Region 7W (ATP Chair)
• Loren Fellbaum, Todd County Public Works Engineer, County Engineers, North Half
• Jared Gapinski, Benton County Commissioner, St. Cloud Area Planning Organization
• Chad Gramentz, Kanabec County Public Works Director, East Central Regional Development Commission
• Randy Jahnke, Transit Director, Wadena County Friendly Rider, Rural Transit
• Jim Hallgren, Assistant District Engineer-Program Delivery & Traffic, MnDOT District 3
• Vicki Johnson, Senior Transportation Planner, St. Cloud Area Planning Organization (ATP Interim Vice Chair)
• Mike Kedrowski, Planning Manager, St. Cloud Metro Transit Center
• Greg Kimman, City of Little Falls Public Works Director/Engineer, City Engineers, North Half
• Matt Leonard, City of Monticello Public Works Director/Engineer, City Engineers, South Half
• Bryan McCoy, Leech Lake Band Director of Transportation, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
• Mike Moilanen, Mille Lacs Band Director of Planning & Project Management, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
• Joe Perske, Stearns County Commissioner, Region 7W
• Genny Reynolds, Mille Lacs County Commissioner, East Central Regional Development Commission
• Tiffany Stenglein, City of Brainerd Alderman-Ward 3, Region 5 Development Commission
• Angie Tomovic, Assistant District Engineer-State Aid, MnDOT District 3

Non-voting members

• Stephanie Castellanos, Public Engagement Coordinator, MnDOT District 3
• Tom Cruikshank, Principal Planner, MnDOT District 3
• Tad Erickson, Senior Regional Development Planner, Region 5 Development Commission
• John Groothuis, Transit Project Manager West Central, MnDOT, Transit Office
• Jeff Lenz, Engineering Specialist/Program Coordinator, MnDOT District 3
• Christine Neary, Transit Project Manager, Northeast & Central Minnesota, MnDOT, Transit Office-Duluth
• Mary Nieken, Administrative Assistant, Recorder, MnDOT District 3
• Penny Simonsen, Transportation Director, East Central Regional Development Commission
• Vacant, Transit Project Manager, Northwest & Central Minnesota, MnDOT, Transit Office
• Voni Vegar, Transit Grant Coordinator, MnDOT, Transit Office
• Steve Voss, Planning Director, MnDOT District 3

We review operating procedures yearly for any improvements or updates needed to procedures or policies. 

• Central Minnesota ATP operating procedures (PDF)

• Carbon Reduction Solicitation Memo (Word)
• Carbon Reduction Application - Attachment 1 (Word)
• Carbon Emissions Tool - Attachment 2 (Excel)
• Carbon Emissions Tool Instructions & Tips - Attachment 3 (PDF)
• Project Solicitation Guidance - Attachment 4 (Word)

2023-2024 solicitation timeline

• Monday Oct. 2, 2023: Announce solicitation. Open letter of intent period.
• Friday, Nov. 3, 2023: Deadline for applicants to submit letters of intent.
• Monday, Nov. 20, 2023: Deadline for RDO/MPO/district review of letters of intent. Recommendation to proceed forward with full application given to applicants.
• Friday, Nov. 24, 2023: Official start of full application period.
• Friday, Jan. 12, 2024: Deadline for applicants to submit full applications.
• Friday, April 19, 2024: Deadline for ATPs to select projects.

Resources

• Transportation Alternatives website
• Letter of Intent Reviewer Checklist (Word)
• Letter of Intent Worksheet (Word)
• Guidebook (Word)

• FY 2028 Surface Transportation Block Grant funding application (Word)
• FY 2028 Surface Transportation Block Grant application guidance (Word)
• FY 2028 Surface Transportation Block Grant project assessment evaluation worksheet (Word)

Central Minnesota ATP considers the transportation priorities of the area’s partnerships:

• Region Five Development Commission
• Region 7W Transportation Policy Board
• East Central Regional Development Commission
• St. Cloud Area Planning Organization
• MnDOT District 3 Office

How the STIP is tied into the CHIP

The STIP is created by drawing projects from the Capital Highway Investment Plan (CHIP), the 10-year plan of which the first four years are the STIP and years 5-10 are the work plan years.

• View the CHIP