Transportation

The following write-ups are produced and maintained by Minnesota House Research Department, with some links provided to other sources.

Finance

• 2023 Transportation Finance Legislation: Laws 2023, Chapter 68
  A 16-page brief that explains the major changes to transportation finance made by the 2023 Legislature. January 2024.
• 2017 Transportation Finance Legislation
  A 7-page information brief that reviews changes to the transportation finance structure and increases in transportation funding, enacted in 2017. March 2018.
• 2008 Transportation Finance Legislation: Laws 2008, Chapter 152
  A 52-page information brief published with House Fiscal Analysis that outlines a 2008 law that substantively increased transportation funding. November 2008.
• Fiscal Tracking - House Fiscal Analysis
  Legislative budget and appropriations tracking sheets maintained by House Fiscal Analysis Department.
• Highway Finance
  A 10-page brief that summarizes the basic finance structure and funding for roads in Minnesota. January 2021.
• Motor Vehicle Sales Tax
• Transportation Bonding
  A 20-page publication that describes bonding for transportation-related purposes, including the forms of bonding and ways bonding is used. February 2021.
• Transportation Related Appropriations
  A listing for legislation that makes appropriations and authorizes bonding related to transportation.

Transportation Modes & Systems

• Aeronautics System
• County State-Aid Highway System
• Highway Finance
  A 10-page brief that summarizes the basic finance structure and funding for roads in Minnesota. January 2021.
• Municipal State-Aid Street System
• Small Cities Assistance
• Transit Systems Overview
• Trunk Highway System

Transportation Policy

• Distracted Driving: Texting and Sending or Receiving Other Electronic Messages
• Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Summary
  A table that summarizes the stages of graduated licensing for new drivers.
• Low-Power and Unconventional Vehicles
  A 35-page information brief describing various types of low-power vehicles, such as mini-trucks and motorized foot scooters, and highlighting their status under Minnesota law. August 2022.
• Minnesota Speed Limits
• An Overview of Minnesota's DWI Laws
  A 20-page reference tool highlighting the major portions of DWI law. January 2022.
• Real ID Act Implementation in Minnesota
  A 10-page brief that provides information on the federal REAL ID Act and associated activity in Minnesota. November 2023.
• School Transportation Regulation
  A 25-page information brief outlining state regulation of school buses and drivers. July 2023.
• Traffic Citations
  A 9-page information brief that provides an overview of citations for a traffic violation, focusing on basic penalties, assessment of fines, and allocation of fine proceeds. September 2019.
• Transportation COVID-19 Response
  A 6-page publication summarizing transportation-related legislative actions made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. January 2021.
• Youth and the Law
  A 140-page guidebook explaining state law and court cases that establish rights, responsibilities, and protections for youth, including information on economic protection, education, health and social services, and criminal justice. February 2024.

Data & Reference Materials

• MnDOT Planning Documents Summary
  A summary of key planning documents produced by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
• MnDOT Sign Programs
  A summary comparison of Minnesota Department of Transportation programs for informational signs.
• Transportation Glossary
  A reference table with transportation-related terms and acronyms.
• Transportation Links to the World - Legislative Reference Library

Archived Materials

The following materials have been archived and may contain some information that is not up-to-date. "Archived" materials are no longer actively maintained by House Research Department and are generally at least five years old. Current materials are provided in the previous topics.

• The 1992 Motor Carrier Reform Act: What It Does, and Why (Request a copy)
• 1995-1996 Summary: Metropolitan Transit Legislation (Request a copy)
• 2002-03 Transportation Appropriation Bill
• 2009 Passenger Restraint Legislation Memo
  An 8-page memo that summarizes 2009 legislation on child restraints and seat belts and discusses some implications for transporting children.
• Automobile Insurance: Types of Coverage (Request a copy)
• Background On and Options for Providing Relief to the Airline Industry
  Paper prepared for the House Taxes Committee hearing on Oct. 2, 2001.
• Cell Phones and Driving
  An 8-page information brief discussing cell phones and driving by addressing public education, technological improvements, and legislation. October 2002.
• Cell Phones and Highway Safety
• Congestion Policy: A Literature Review
  A 19-page policy brief reviewing research dealing with reducing traffic congestion, including land-use patterns, metering, congestion pricing, and light rail transit. September 1999.
• Funding Light Rail Transit from Property Taxes and State Grants (Request a copy)
• Greater Minnesota Transit Financing
• Highway Spending in Minnesota 1972-1992 (Request a copy)
• The History of 0.08 Percent Alcohol Concentration in Minnesota
  A 4-page information brief providing a short history of attempts to lower the alcohol concentration limit for drunk driving violations in Minnesota and reviews federal sanctions for not doing so. November 2003.
• Light Rail Transit: Financing by Metropolitan Regional Rail Authorities (Request a copy)
• Metro Mobility (Request a copy)
• Metropolitan Light Rail Transit (Request a copy)
• Metropolitan Light Rail Transit: An Analysis of Governmental Authority under Current Law (Request a copy)
• Metropolitan Transit Financing
• Minnesota Highway Financing
• Minnesota Highway Mileage
• The Minnesota Road Network (Request a copy)
• Minnesota's Speed Limit: Background and Issues (Request a copy)
• Minnesota's Speed Limit: Update (Request a copy)
• Motor Vehicle Sales Tax Chronology
  This information brief chronicles motor vehicle sales tax for the past two decades. September 2007.
• Motor Vehicle Sales Tax Chronology
  This information brief chronicles motor vehicle sales tax for the past two decades. August 2009.
• Motor Vehicle Size and Weight Regulations
  A write-up with tables summarizing motor vehicle size and weight restrictions.
• Motorized Foot Scooters
• New United States LRT systems: How much did they cost and who pays for them? (Request a copy)
• North American LRT systems: 1975-1988 (Request a copy)
• Older Drivers
  First publication in A Changing Minnesota series, a joint project with the State Demographic Center. A look at demographic trends with more older drivers in the state and possible policy implications. February 2014.
• Regulation and Deregulation in the Trucking Industry (Request a copy)
• The Responsibilities of the Regional Transit Board (Request a copy)
• Special License Plates
  A 16-page information brief that explains special license plates and particularly "donation plates," which provide funding for a specific purpose. November 2010.
• Survey of State and Local Gasoline Taxes
• Taxicab Regulation: A Survey of Twelve Major Cities (Request a copy)
• The Town Road Account (Request a copy)
• Transit Finance: Comparative State Subsidy Levels and MTC Revenue Trends (Request a copy)
• Transit Operations Funding: Overview of the 1994-1995 Biennium (Request a copy)
• Transportation Budgets
  A 15-page information brief that reviews legislative budgets for transportation and provides background information on the structure of transportation finance in Minnesota. July 2017.