Plans and Policies
ROCOG, as a federally recognized Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), is required by federal legislation to undertake a number of planning activities. Explore the work of ROCOG below.
Metropolitan Transportation Plan 2050 (MTP)
ROCOG staff is currently updating our area’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). Learn more about the MTP and how you can participate in this project.
The link to the Hub site is https://rocog-gis-olmsted.hub.arcgis.com/
Contact ROCOG at 507-328-7100 or planningweb@olmstedcounty.gov for questions on the 2050 MTP.
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a prioritized list of transportation projects proposed for implementation in the Rochester Olmsted Council of Governments (ROCOG) planning area over the next four years. ROCOG works with local units of government, along with state and federal transportation agencies to develop the TIP list of short-term transportation priorities for the planning area. Select TIP projects are consistent with the current ROCOG 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan and are generally identified by local units of government through their annual Budget and Capital Improvements Program process.
There is also an online interactive Storymap that allows user to explore the TIP 2025-2028 information:
Past TIPs
2045 Long Range Transportation Plan
This ROCOG 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) represents another step in the ongoing evolution of regional planning for transportation in the Olmsted County area that began in 1971 with the creation of the Rochester-Olmsted Council of Governments.
The previous 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan Re-Affirmation was adopted by ROCOG in August of 2015. Under federal guidelines, the plan needs to be updated every five years. The plan is also required to have a minimum 20-year horizon to be maintained throughout the life of the plan, in effect dictating a minimum 25-year horizon at the time of adoption.
The Plan addresses major travel modes and systems including the regional network of major streets and highways, federally supported transit systems and services, and the network of trails, paths, walks and other features that support pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorized travel. The plan identifies anticipated major system improvements for all modes as well as strategies and programs to ensure travel safety and security and the reliability of the system. The plan discusses anticipated costs of operating, preserving, and improving vehicular, transit, and non-motorized systems, and the expected amount and source of revenue expected to be available to support this work.
The Plan has been developed with input from the public as well as from staff and leadership of the transportation authorities in the area including MnDOT, the City of Rochester, and Olmsted County. Surrounding small cities and townships also provided input and the ROCOG Policy Board itself is multi-jurisdictional.
Long Range Transportation Plan downloads
Section 508 is an amendment to the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It ensures that people with disabilities have equal access to government information. Every reasonable effort has been made to make this document 508 Compliant. However, this document does contain complex data graphs, tables, and maps that might not be machine-readable. If you need assistance reading this document, please call the Olmsted County Planning Department at 507-328-7100.
Public Involvement Policy (PIP)
Title VI Non-Discrimination and Limited English Proficiency Plan
As a sub-recipient of federal funds, ROCOG is subject to the requirements of Title VI and the associated laws and orders related to non-discrimination. Guidance on how to meet the intent of these statutes is provided through Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Circular FTA C 4702.1B issued in October, 2012. ROCOG staff has prepared the Rochester-Olmsted Council of Governments (ROCOG) Title VI Non-Discrimination and Limited English Proficiency Plan consistent with the guidance of Circular C 4702.1B. The plan establishes the measures and steps ROCOG will follow in its administration and management of Title VI-related activities. It also provides guidance to ensure that individuals with Limited English Proficiency have meaningful access to the transportation planning process. The Title VI Non-Discrimination and Limited English Proficiency Plan can be found at the following link:
ROCOG Title VI and the Limited English Proficiency Plan 2022 (September 2022)
Title VI Non-Discrimination and Limited English Proficiency Plan
2021-2026 Interpreter Services Contract
Information on Title VI
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits federal agencies and sub-recipients of federal funds from discriminating on the basis of race, color or national origin. Succeeding laws and Presidential Executive Orders added sex, age, income status and disability to the criteria for which discrimination is prohibited. These laws have included:
- THE UNIFORM RELOCATION ASSISTANCE AND REAL PROPERTY ACQUISITION POLICIES ACT OF 1970 prohibits unfair and inequitable treatment of persons displaced or whose property will be acquired as a result of federal and federal‐aid programs and projects.
- THE FEDERAL AID HIGHWAY ACT OF 1973 states that no person shall, on the grounds of sex be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal assistance under this title or carried on under this title.
- SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973 states that no qualified disabled person shall, solely by reason of his disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity that receives or benefits from federal financial assistance. This Act protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability.
- THE AGE DISCRIMINATION ACT OF 1975 states that no person shall, on the basis of age, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. This act prohibits age discrimination in Federally Assisted Programs.
- THE CIVIL RIGHTS RESTORATION ACT OF 1987, P.L.100‐209 amends Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to make it clear that discrimination is prohibited throughout an entire agency if any part of the agency receives federal assistance.
- THE AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) OF 1990 prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodation, communications, and governmental activities.
To further clarify rights protected by Title VI, President Clinton, on August 11, 2000, issued Executive Order 13166, Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency. EO 13166 required each federal agency to examine its programs and activities and to develop and implement plans by which Limited English Proficient (LEP) persons can meaningfully access those programs and activities. That Executive Order includes the statement below:
“Each Federal Agency shall prepare a plan to improve access to its federally conducted programs and activities by eligible LEP persons. Each plan shall be consistent with the standards set forth in the LEP Guidance, and shall include the steps the agency will take to ensure that eligible LEP persons can meaningfully access the agency’s programs and activities.”
Executive Order 12898, promulgated by President Clinton in 1994, directs federal agencies and recipients of federal funding to address “environmental justice” in the use of federal funding, ensuring that the impacts of funding decisions are equitably distributed across an urban area independent of income and race. To meet federal standards of environmental justice, the impacts of infrastructure investment must not adversely affect lower income or minority neighborhoods disproportionately. The following statement summarizes the focus of this EO:
“Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Fair treatment means that no group of people, including a racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic group, should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from …. the execution of federal, state, local, and tribal programs and policies.”
ROCOG Title VI Notice to the Public
Information is provided to the public regarding the recipient’s obligations under U.S. DOT Title VI regulations and members of the public apprised of the protections against discrimination afforded to them by Title VI.
The Rochester Olmsted Council of Governments (ROCOG) operates its programs without regard to race, color, or national origin in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Any person who believes they have been aggrieved by an unlawful discriminatory practice under Title VI has a right to file a formal complaint with ROCOG, MnDOT, or US DOT. Complainants are encouraged to submit complaints online.
Complaint forms and instructions can also be found in the ROCOG Title VI and the Limited English Proficiency Plan 2022. If you would like a printed copy of the complaint instructions and forms mailed or emailed to you, or if you need this information to be provided in another language or format, please contact the ROCOG office at:
ROCOG Executive Director, 2122 Campus Drive SE, Rochester, MN 55904
Phone: 507-328-7100 Email: planningweb@olmstedcounty.gov
Per 49 CFR § 21.9(d), ROCOG shall advise the public of its Title VI responsibilities to provide service without regard to race, color, or national origin, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and all related regulations and statutes, and shall inform members of the public of their rights to under Title VI if they believe they have been aggrieved by any unlawful discriminatory practice. The following statement will be included into all publications that are distributed to the public, including the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), the Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) and the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP).
The Rochester-Olmsted Council of Governments fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. For more information or to obtain a Discrimination Complaint Form, you may call 507-328-7100; email planningweb@olmstedcounty.gov, visit ROCOG’s administrative office at 2122 Campus Drive SE, Rochester, MN, or write to the Olmsted County Planning Department, Suite 100, 2122 Campus Drive SE, Rochester, MN 55904. Further information on the ROCOG Title VI and Limited English Proficiency policies is also available at: ROCOG Title VI and Limited English Proficiency Plan.
ROCOG Title VI Notice to the Public in Somali Language
ROCOG Title VI Notice to the Public in Spanish Language
Unified Planning Work Program
The ROCOG Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) provides a summary of planning activities proposed by the Rochester-Olmsted Council of Governments for each calendar year. It also provides an overview of prospective work activities for the following calendar year.
Current UPWP
Unified Planning Work Program 2025-2026
Previous UPWP's
Unified Planning Work Program 2024-2025
Unified Planning Work Program 2023-2024
Environmental Justice Report
Preparation of this document was financed in part by an FTA Consolidated Planning Grant as referenced in the ROCOG 2016-2017 Unified Transportation Planning Work Programs.
Any questions or comments about the content of this document should be directed to the Rochester Olmsted Council of Governments at:
2122 Campus Drive SE, Suite 100
Rochester MN 55904
rocog@olmstedcounty.gov
507 328-7100