Background

Minnesota DOT (MnDOT) strives to serve all Minnesota residents by creating a multimodal transportation system that maximizes the health of people, the environment, and the economy. Between 2016 and 2020, 228 pedestrians and 42 bicyclists were killed in motor vehicle crashes in Minnesota. MnDOT partnered with the Office of Traffic Safety within the Minnesota Department of Public Safety and the Minnesota Department of Health, along with other Federal, State, and local partners, to implement the Toward Zero Deaths program. Minnesota’s Toward Zero Deaths mission is to “create a culture for which traffic fatalities and serious injuries are no longer acceptable.”

As part of the implementation of the Toward Zero Deaths program, MnDOT focuses on three strategies: improving active transportation, improving safety, and improving transportation equity across Minnesota’s transportation system. MnDOT developed the SPACE tool―Suitability for the Pedestrian and Cycling Environment―a GIS-based spatial analysis tool using publicly available data. An index of 19 social and demographic variables identifies where latent demand and crash risk exist on Minnesota’s roadways, what areas warrant additional investigation, and helps with the selection and prioritization of projects and where to direct investments.

The SPACE tool is now available for anyone to use. Visit: mndotspace.mn.gov/