MN SF4598

Design and engineering standards for county and municipal state-aid road projects must follow the most recent Facility Design Guide established by the commissioner, effective July 1, 2026

Commissioner must give special consideration to variance requests for narrowing lanes from 11 to 10 feet in urban/suburban areas, designs improving safety for nonmotorized transportation near schools and transit corridors, and designs based on recognized alternative manuals including AASHTO, NACTO, and Global Designing Cities Initiative guides

Creates an Advisory Committee on Design Variances with up to 12 members including county/city engineers, local officials, and Department of Transportation representatives to review and recommend approval or denial of variance requests

Variance denials require the commissioner to notify legislative transportation committee chairs and ranking minority members within 30 days, including justification, advisory committee recommendation, and reasoning for the decision

Commissioner must submit a biennial report by January 15 of even-numbered years summarizing advisory committee activities, findings on approved/denied variances, and any disagreements between the commissioner and committee on variance decisions