Peace Garden News

The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) is asking residents to participate in the development of two statewide transportation plans. These are the Statewide Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan and the first North Dakota Intercity Bus Plan.

According to NDDOT, both plans aim to identify important mobility needs and areas for improvement, with a particular focus on older adults, people with disabilities, and rural communities. The planning process will also help North Dakota meet federal requirements needed to secure funding for transportation services across the state.

“We invite you to participate in one of eight regional workshops, where you can share your insights and priorities,” said Becky Hanson, NDDOT transit program manager. “The workshop will focus on mobility challenges for people in your region, gaps in service, challenges to coordination, actions that could be implemented by local agencies and organizations within the region, and the needs for intercity services or connections to more distant places.”

Each workshop will feature a presentation about the study’s purposes followed by a discussion led by facilitators. Both in-person and online participation options are available.

The scheduled workshops will take place at locations throughout North Dakota between October 9 and November 3. Locations include Valley City, Grand Forks, Devils Lake, Dickinson, Bismarck, Fargo, Minot, and Williston.

“Your involvement is essential to ensure these plans reflect the needs of communities across North Dakota,” said Hanson. “Please join us at the workshop most relevant to your service area and feel free to share this invitation with others who care about transportation in our state.”

Feedback from these sessions will help NDDOT improve long-distance connections within North Dakota, assess current transportation services’ effectiveness, and identify future needs for additional services or improvements.

More details about the project are available at www.dot.nd.gov/transit-coordination-and-intercity-bus.

NDDOT stated it will accommodate requests for accessible meeting facilities or other assistance for people with disabilities. Language interpretation and translation services can also be arranged upon request.