Bernie Arseneau, Co-Chair
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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..)
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ITS Minnesota has been a state chapter of ITS
America since 1995. It is a volunteer, notfor-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.
Minnesota Guidestar
Program
Minnesota Guidestar
Board of Directors
Mn/DOT Office of
Traffic, Safety and
Technology
ITS Minnesota
Role: MN ITS Policy
Direction, Strategic Planning,
Action Plan
Role: Administer ITS
Funding, Support Guidestar
Board, Direct Statewide
Conformance (Architecture &
Standards)
Role: Foster
Participation/Partnerships,
ITS Awareness/Acceptance,
Professional Capacity
Building, Help Grow Markets,
Research
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Goal 1: Expand ITS Educational Outreach and
Education Efforts
– The General Public
– Agencies and Institutions
– Policymakers and Legislators
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Goal 2: Conduct Outreach for Partnership
Formation
Goal 3: Provide Strategic Direction to PolicyMaking Bodies
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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 Stateof-the-Art ITS Technologies and Applications
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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Discussion
Mike Granger, Co-Chair
Board of Directors
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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.
Executive Committee
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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.
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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
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50% Private Sector
50% Public and
Academic Sector
No more than 45
members
Current
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Private Sector – 19
Public and Academic
Sector – 13
Support Resources
◦ Academia – 1
◦ Public - 4
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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?