System Measures

Performance measures for the Twin Cities transportation system fit into one of the following two categories:

Required federal performance measures

These measures are tracked and must be reported upon on a regular basis. The Metropolitan Council is required to set short-term performance targets for these measures. The results of these measures are primarily concerned with the overall trend and whether this trend is meeting the desired expectations. If a measure is not trending toward achieving the target, federal funds may need to be re-directed to address the problem.
The federally required performance measures are divided into the following five categories:
  • Safety Performance Measures (PM1)
  • Pavement/Bridge Performance Measures (PM2)
  • System Performance Measures and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (PM3)
  • Transit Asset Management (TAM)
  • Transit Safety Performance

Regional performance measures

These measures directly support the Transportation Policy Plan’s goals and objectives. These measures are tracked regularly to ensure they are consistent with the desired outcomes as defined by the plan’s goals and objectives. Some of the performance measures can be evaluated using horizon year 2040 model outputs for the revenue scenarios outlined in the Transportation Policy Plan, while others are intended to reflect and track current conditions and assess whether the region is making progress towards meeting the 2040 system vision.

Regional Solicitation

The Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) plays a key role in reviewing proposed transportation projects in the plan, and recommending projects to receive federal funding.  Federal transportation funds are allocated to metropolitan areas across the country.  Communities and agencies in the region apply for the federal funds for their transportation projects through the Regional Solicitation process. This process occurs every two years and is open to all governments in the Twin Cities region.

Local transportation projects

Local projects such as streets and bicycle and pedestrian paths are planned and managed by cities and counties. Information on local projects is generally available on the appropriate city or county website.