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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City of Duluth Communications Office
411 West First Street • Duluth, Minnesota 55802 • www.duluthmn.gov
For more information, please call 218-730-5309
DATE: 9/24/2026
SUBJECT: Mayor Roger Reinert makes initial Transportation Commission appointments
BY: Kelli Latuska, Public Information Officer

Mayor Roger Reinert makes initial Transportation Commission appointments

 

[DULUTH, MN] Mayor Roger Reinert is appointing four community members to the recently-established Transportation Commission. The Transportation Commission was established by Duluth City Council to consider the needs of motorists, pedestrians, transit users, bicyclists, commercial, freight, and emergency vehicles operating within the city.

 

Like many City boards and commissions, the Transportation Commission is charged with advising, providing consultation, and making recommendations to the mayor, city administration, and city council; it does not have independent authority.

 

The first four appointments are being forwarded to Duluth City Council for their confirmation at their September 28 meeting. They are:

 

  • Mike Mayou, Senior Marketing Communications Specialist at the University of Minnesota and former Duluth District Two City Councilor. Mayou led the effort to establish the Transportation Commission.
  • Dr. Richard Stewart, Professor Emeritus of Transportation and Logistics Management at University of Wisconsin-Superior.
  • Yauhen Karatai, Senior Software Engineer and active member of Vibrant Streets Duluth.
  • Dena Ryan, Metropolitan Planning Organization Coordinator at the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Ryan also has private sector experience as a senior transportation planner.

 

Additional appointments will follow. The Transportation Commission may have up to nine members.

 

“The work of this commission is critical. We need Duluth to think differently about transportation and our built infrastructure,” said Mayor Roger Reinert. “I want the commission to think critically and creatively about how we use streets, sidewalks, and public routes. To advise on making it easier to walk, bike, and use transit while also ensuring we maintain the street network upon which most of our residents rely. More projects like the redesign of Sixth Avenue E and Skyline Parkway near Enger Tower that better balance multiple uses while also making it easier and more affordable to maintain.”

 

The Transportation Commission will be staffed by Annaka Peterson, City of Duluth Sustainability and Resiliency Officer. Commission membership applications are still being accepted on the City’s website.

 

 

 

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