Bernie Arseneau, Co-Chair

• The Minnesota Guidestar Board provides strategic direction and advice for the statewide application of advanced technology and information systems in transportation to save lives, time, and money, to enhance security and to protect the environment. The Board serves as a catalyst for innovative partnerships and provides resource investment advice to achieve desired outcomes.

Minnesota’s citizens, businesses and visitors will benefit from the application of ITS to the state’s transportation system. ITS will be fully integrated into transportation strategies to enhance safety, mobility, security, and economic vitality, to protect the natural environment, and to develop sustainable communities.

Board of Directors – Comprises officers and senior managers from both public- and private- sector in addition to leaders from the U of M.

Executive Committee – Reports ideas and initiatives to the Board of Directors and functions on its behalf between the Board’s quarterly meetings.

Implementation Team – Responsible for developing specific strategies and actions for advancing the ITS vision.

Outreach Team – Provides outreach and education to specific events.

Administration – Mn/DOT’s Office of Traffic, Safety and Technology provides administrative support to the Minnesota Guidestar program, staff support to committees, administers funding and marketing programs, manages ITS projects and acts as a liaison with local, state and federal organizations.

Partners come from a broad spectrum of organizations including:◦ Private corporations ◦ University of Minnesota◦ Department of Public Safety ◦ Department of Transportation◦ Cities and counties◦ Councils of government and metropolitan planning

organizations◦ Transit agencies◦ Local emergency response ◦ Industry Organizations (AGC, ITE, ATSSA, etc..)

ITS Minnesota has been a state chapter of ITS America since 1995. It is a volunteer, not-for-profit organization.

The mission of ITS Minnesota is to foster grassroots participation and public-private partnerships in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), which generate interest, excitement, cooperation and progress focused on implementation results.

• Goal 1: Expand ITS Educational Outreach and Education Efforts– The General Public– Agencies and Institutions– Policymakers and Legislators

• Goal 2: Conduct Outreach for Partnership Formation

• Goal 3: Provide Strategic Direction to Policy-Making Bodies

Goal 4: Mainstream ITS into the Statewide Transportation Planning and Implementation process

Goal 5: Promote State and national Architectures, Standards and Protocols

Goal 6: Promote Research to Advance State-of-the-Art ITS Technologies and Applications

• Increase the safety of users of transportation systems and services

• Increase the security of transportation systems and their users

• Enhance mobility of people and freight on transportation corridors between and within regional trade centers and with other states

• Improve access to transportation options for people and freight

• Reduce energy use and impacts on the natural environment

• Support the integration of traffic, transit, commercial vehicle operations and emergency service operations across multiple jurisdictions

• Support an integrated statewide communications and information network that meets adopted standards and system architecture

Marthand Nookala, Co-Chair

1991 inception of Minnesota Guidestar. Numerous operational tests evaluated a variety of ITS concepts and technologies

1994 Rural ITS Scoping Study that moved toward statewide ITS Deployment.

1995 Polaris Statewide Architecture findings described the need for both rural and urban ITS applications in Minnesota.

1995 Statewide Business Plan for CVO Developed.

1996-1997 Minnesota Guidestar’s first Strategic Plan that led to the implementation of 14 projects to include the Transportation Operations and Communications Center (TOCCs).

1998 Statewide ATIS plan Developed. In 1999 Minnesota was one of four groups

to receive funding for the Intelligent Vehicle Initiative dealing with specialty vehicle platforms

2001 brought us a clearer picture of the need for a safer and more secure transportation system to be developed.  Projects such as Traveler Information and Evacuation Routing (TIGER) were completed to provide redundant communications and better connectivity between rural and urban centers.

In 2006, Minnesota’s ITS Safety Plan was developed.  The purpose of the plan was to develop ITS strategies and initiatives that reduce the number of vehicle traffic fatalities and life changing injuries on Minnesota roadways.  The plan is a component document of the Minnesota Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP), the Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) Program, and the Minnesota Statewide Heavy Vehicle Safety Plan (SHVSP).

Minnesota Guidestar Strategic Plans were issued in 1997, 2000 and 2006.  These plans have provided statewide and local strategic direction to Minnesota Guidestar and have initiated more than 200 ITS programs, projects and activities over the years.

For nearly 10 years, innovations from the private sector partners have been encouraged through the Innovative Idea Program.

Partnership Language◦ State may enter into agreements with non

governmental entities for research and experimentation; for sharing facilities, equipment, staff, data, or other means of providing transportation related services; or for other cooperative programs that promotes efficiencies in providing governmental services or that further the development of innovation in transportation for the benefit for the citizens of Minnesota.

Started out with more research than deployment, now moving towards more deployment.

FHWA Earmark funding ended in 2004. ITS now competes with other projects for

federal funding. Many personnel changes.

Things to think about:◦ Should the Minnesota Guidestar Board of

Directors still exist?◦ What can the Minnesota Guidestar Board of

Directors offer to help strengthen ITS in Minnesota?

◦ What role should the Guidestar Board Play?

Discussion

Mike Granger, Co-Chair

Board of Directors Executive Committee

The Board of Directors comprises officers and senior managers from both public- and private- sector organizations in addition to leaders from the University of Minnesota.

The Minnesota Guidestar Executive Committee reports ideas and initiatives to the Board of Directors and functions on its behalf between the Board’s quarterly meetings.

Must represent either an ITS interest or be in a key ITS stakeholder group that has a critical stake in the application of technology to transportation.

Per By-Laws Current

50% Private Sector 50% Public and

Academic Sector No more than 45

members

Private Sector – 19 Public and Academic

Sector – 13 Support Resources

◦ Academia – 1◦ Public - 4

Is the current name “Minnesota Guidestar” still appropriate?

Is Board member representation still appropriate?

Is the current direction still appropriate? Are the current Mission and Vision still

appropriate? Are the Strategic Goals and Objectives still

appropriate? Will the By-laws need to be changed?