Ten Years of TPEC

The Transportation Policy and Economic Competitiveness program (TPEC) was established by the Minnesota Legislature in 2013 to more completely understand the importance of transportation to the economy and communities in Minnesota. Throughout its 10 years, the program’s members and partners have produced a remarkable set of undertakings, insights, and accomplishments. These include:

Quantifying the impact of industry clusters and freight infrastructure on the regional vibrancy of the state.
Compiling and publishing the breakthrough MN Transportation Finance Database.
Researching the impact of transportation finance through motorization trends, funding redistribution, and alternative revenue mechanisms.
Understanding the role of evolving technologies such as telecommuting and connected and autonomous vehicles.

These are but a few of the many accomplishments of TPEC in our first decade. I invite you to visit the sections below and hope you enjoy these stories of the program’s research, engagement, and impact.

—Frank Douma, TPEC Director, July 2024

Insight and Impact

Learn how our activities provide insight—and lead to results on the ground.

Research

TPEC researchers conduct and share leading-edge transportation research. We focus on three core areas while responding to changing conditions, such as pandemic impacts. Explore highlights of our research in those core areas through the years:

Finance

Industry Clusters and Freight Infrastructure

Technology

Engagement

The TPEC Program engages with government, industry, and other stakeholders to gather feedback, guide our work, and share our findings and tools.

Events

Presentations, Publications, and Participation

Inspired by Innovation

People

As part of their work, TPEC researchers guide and mentor graduate students—who then take their degrees and knowledge to the workforce.

Advisory Board

Students

Researchers and Staff