The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) is accepting public comments through October 12, 2025 on its draft Public & Non-Metropolitan Local Official Participation Plan.
If you're a Bismarck resident, local official, or community stakeholder, now is your chance to influence how the state engages with non-metro and rural communities in transportation planning.
The Participation Plan outlines how NDDOT proposes to involve local governments and citizens outside metropolitan areas when crafting statewide transportation plans, including the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).
In Bismarck’s metro area, the Bismarck-Mandan Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) already operates under a Public Participation Plan and TIP process.
But for non-metropolitan jurisdictions around Burleigh, Morton, Emmons, and surrounding counties, this draft plan could decide how engaged they are in decisions about roads, bridges, transit funding, bike/ped infrastructure, and long-range planning.
The state is also updating its Transportation Connection: 2025–2050 long-range plan, covering highways, freight, transit, pedestrian and bicycle networks.
A Bismarck public input meeting was held on Sept. 10.
As infrastructure dollars get tighter and every corridor, pathway, and transit link gets scrutinized, this Plan shapes who gets heard, when, and how — especially for areas outside core urban limits.
“Many of our smaller townships need a seat at the table,” says Emma Carlson, councilwoman in a rural township just south of Bismarck. “If we’re not consulted early, their decisions can bypass our real needs.”
Comments must be postmarked or emailed by October 12, 2025, with “Public Non-Metro Participation Plan” as the heading.
How to submit: Send written comments or emails to the address or dotplanning@nd.gov (per NDDOT instructions).
What to comment on:
• How and when rural/local meetings should be held
• How notices reach smaller communities
• How feedback is incorporated
• Accessibility, translation, and accommodationsWhy Bismarck locals should care: Decisions made under this plan may affect funding formulas, project prioritization, and how NDDOT and local governments coordinate on projects in surrounding counties.
If you're a resident, township official, small-town advocate, or someone who commutes through rural areas, don’t miss this chance to tell NDDOT how it should make decisions — and include communities like yours. Comment by Oct. 12 and help shape how North Dakota listens to non-metro voices.
