Who Oversees the LRRB?
The LRRB is overseen by a 10-member board, whose membership is governed by statute (Minnesota Rules 8820.32). In addition, the LRRB works through its Research Implementation Committee to transform research results into hands-on practical applications. The LRRB has also established an outreach subcommittee to promote LRRB research and products to the transportation community.
How is the LRRB Funded?
Each year, the County Screening Board and the City Screening Committee recommend to the Commissioner a sum of money that the Commissioner shall set aside from the county state-aid highway fund and the municipal state-aid street fund. According to Minnesota statutes, the amount set aside from each of these funds shall not exceed one-half of 1 percent of the preceding year’s apportionment sum.
The LRRB’s funding cycle is based on a fiscal cycle. Yearly funds set aside for the LRRB can be carried forward for one year. Any balance remaining in the research accounts at the end of each year from the sum set aside for the year immediately previous are transferred back to the county and municipal state-aid highway funds. The LRRB annual budget has grown from about $86,000 in 1960 to a current budget of approximately $3 million.