Saint Cloud APO seeks input on proposed transportation visioning themes

Abdulla Gaafarelkhalifa, St. Cloud Times
·2 min read

The Saint Cloud Area Planning Organization (APO), a regional transportation planning agency, is seeking community input as the agency works to develop its next metropolitan transportation plan, Looking Ahead 2050.

The APO is asking members of the public to weigh in on six proposed transportation visioning themes that will be used to guide the development of the next long-range plan. From feedback the organization received during its 2021 visioning campaign, APO staff were able to sort through nearly 2,000 public comments and boil down responses into the following themes:

  • System and Environmental Stewardship: Protecting and preserving our existing infrastructure and environmental assets.

  • Multimodal Connections: Providing a safe and equitable multimodal transportation network affordable for people of all ages and abilities to travel using their preferred modal choice.

  • Congestion Management: Mindfully planning, developing, and operating an innovative transportation network to minimize unnecessary travel delays.

  • Transportation Safety: Reducing fatalities and serious injuries by planning, designing, and building safe infrastructure and improving driving behavior.

  • Interregional Connections: Supporting an economically vibrant region through developing and preserving vital connections to other state, national, and global centers of commerce.

  • Technological Advancements: Understanding and planning for future innovative transportation technologies and encouraging their presence and incorporation into the region’s existing transportation network.

“We made a big effort in 2021 to reach out to people and hear their transportation issues and priorities,” said Brian Gibson, APO executive director. “We want to make sure we heard them correctly and give them a chance to submit corrections or adjustments before we proceed any further.”

To find more information pertaining to each of the visioning themes and how to provide comments online, the APO encourages those who are interested to visit lookingahead2050.org. Residents can also provide their comments by emailing their senior transportation planner, Vicki Johnson, at ikeogu@stcloudapo.org or contacting the APO Office at 320-252-7568.

Vicki Johnson Senior Planner Of St. Cloud APO
Vicki Johnson Senior Planner Of St. Cloud APO

“Understanding where there are transportation problems helps us prioritize resources to address the biggest problems first,” Gibson said.

The public is always invited to share their thoughts about the region’s transportation networks with the APO. However, only input received before Jan. 31, 2023, will be carried forward into the next phase of the APO’s Looking Ahead 2050 development process.

St. Cloud APO was founded in 1966. According to their press release they serve as a "comprehensive, intergovernmental transportation planning agency" for the Saint Cloud Metropolitan Planning Area. They in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Transportation and are responsible for transportation planning in the entire urbanized area. They are also independent of individual cities and counties within the region.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: St. Cloud APO seeks input on proposed transportation visioning themes