The Local Road Research Board publishes a wide range of transportation-related educational materials. Our most recent and popular guidebooks, manuals and courses are available below. For all research reports, go here.
Contact our staff at research.dot@state.mn.us for more information.
Best Practices for Boulevard Turf Design and Maintenance
A new guidebook, video and handout provide best practices for successful establishment of boulevard turfgrass after road construction.
Best Practices for Dust Control
To control dust generated on gravel roads, local agencies apply various dust suppressants. New guidance updates previous research and addresses environmental, health and corrosion concerns.
Synthesis of Seal Coat Research in Minnesota
Seal coating is widely used as a cost-effective strategy in asphalt pavement preservation. A new reference guide provides quick access to seal coat research and resources available in Minnesota.
Best Practices for Boulevard Tree Selection
A new guide recommends best practices for planting and caring for street trees, suggests tree species with a higher survival rate, and offers communication suggestions for encouraging resident support.
Mini-Roundabout FAQs
Using a FAQ format, guidance helps local agencies learn more about mini-roundabouts. It defines mini and compact roundabouts and provides selection criteria as well as details regarding the center treatment.
Alerting the Public About Local Road Closures
This project aimed to improve local road closure reporting by exploring the development of a streamlined reporting system to use on third-party navigation apps.
Transportation Career Resources
This resource page features guidance, videos and a recruitment toolkit for local agencies in Minnesota. It also features information about transportation careers for job seekers.
Mitigating Projects Missing Deadlines
Construction projects are increasing in complexity, size, cost, and constraints, and that can lead to missing deadlines. This resource offers guidance on contract language and processes that when used will improve the likelihood of delivering a construction project on time.
Drainage 101: Best Practices and Resource Guide
The process involved in researching drainage law and defining the best approach to solving drainage issues can be substantial. This guide provides quick access to information on legal solutions to recurring drainage issues and solutions to solve drainage problems.
Speed Limit Guidance for Municipal Roadways
This guide examines the history of speed limits, a recent statutory change and consequences to communities. It explores the effectiveness of speed limit changes, outlines a process to follow when making a change, and offers alternative pedestrian and bicycle safety strategies.
Best Practices for Improving Subgrade Drainage
This guidebook is designed to assist agencies in understanding drainage problems and provide options to consider for mitigating structural damage to pavements due to moisture.
Guidelines for Using Intelligent Warning Devices
This guide provides detailed information on four intelligent warning devices. It is a resource that local agencies can use and modify to their needs when considering these technologies.
Pavement Marking Decision Tree – Project Level
The Pavement Marking Decision Tree is a handy guide to assist agencies in understanding their options when determining which pavement marking material is appropriate for their project.
Asphalt Crack Treatment FAQs and Technical Resources
An easy-to-use quick reference guide is now available that provides an overview of crack treatment to help agencies make decisions on how to best implement a crack treatment program.
Fog Sealing Chip Sealed Roads Can Improve Performance
A best practices manual is now available for local agencies to improve the chip seal experience. New research explored the cost-effectiveness of fog sealing over chip sealed roads, the ability of fog sealing to improve chip retention and fog sealing application methods.
Impacts of Deferred Maintenance in Minnesota
Pavement conditions along Minnesota’s state-aid, county, city, and township roads are anticipated to deteriorate based on current funding levels. New research identifies factors that impact maintenance spending and provides recommendations to help close funding gaps. A new fact sheet identifies the benefits of consistent maintenance.
Strategies for Effective Roundabout Speed Reduction
This report provides a resource for engineers to identify and select appropriate speed-reduction treatments for high-speed approaches to roundabouts. The research examines best practices and techniques that are the most effective at lowering approach speed.
20 Tips to Up Your Social Media Game
This best practices guide is designed to help the average local transportation practitioner communicate about transportation and public works topics more effectively on social media. It includes examples and tips from peer agencies of all sizes that local agencies can use to improve communication to citizens.
Environmental Impacts of Potassium Acetate as a Road Salt Alternative (University of Minnesota)
New research explores the environmental impacts of potassium acetate, which is effective on ice at lower temperatures. Researchers investigated the fate, transport and degradation of potassium acetate used as a deicer or anti-icer, and its toxicity to biota.
Increasing Cold In-Place Recycling Efficiency for Pavement Rehabilitation
A new tool will help local road engineers reliably estimate the curing time of a cold in-place recycling (CIR) layer. This cost-effective and environmentally friendly asphalt repaving method will now be more efficient.