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State Representative Leon Lillie
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-1188
For more information contact: Ben Schweigert 651-296-5809
Column/LTE
MINNESOTA TAKES THE HIGH ROAD ON TRANSPORTATION
Minnesota is finally taking the high road on transportation funding. On May 12th, the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan transportation bill that will invest $7.7 billion into transit, roads, and bridges throughout the state. This is a win for everyone in Minnesota, no matter how they get around. It will clear up congestion, give people more options, clean up our air, make our roads safer, and improve our economy.
Passing this bill was a victory for the moderates. It was passed by a bipartisan coalition who bucked the House Leadership, which had originally proposed a bill that would have made few new investments and ensured cuts at Metro Transit. Republican Rep. Ron Erhardt led the effort to fix the bill by putting new funding into it, and then gained enough bipartisan support to get the new version passed.
These investments are crucial to the future of Minnesota’s economy. Minnesota has been successful in developing high-end businesses in the state in part because we have had an excellent transportation system. Now, as congestion worsens and our roads fall apart, it’s taking workers longer and longer to get to their jobs and it’s getting slower and slower to transport goods.
A large group of leading employers have said that transportation problems are one of the biggest barriers to growth in Minnesota, and they are lining up in support of the bill. These large corporations have been joined by environmental, transit, and community advocates, forming one of the broadest coalitions of this legislative season.
Gridlock has become a huge problem for Maplewood and North Saint Paul. It’s not only getting slower to get into Minneapolis and Saint Paul, but also slower to get around our area. This is a crucial quality of life issue. We want to be able to get around easily in the normal course of our daily lives. Time spent sitting in traffic is time away from our homes, families, and communities.
A lack of funding is clearly the problem. The Minnesota Department of Transportation has been running a large deficit for years, and this has slowed projects and allowed roads throughout the state to deteriorate. Similarly, Metro Transit announced that it would be cutting bus service by 10%, because it too is facing a $66 million shortfall.
Now these cuts can be prevented. This bill fully funds Metro Transit and devotes $5.9 billion to roads around the state. This is enough to stop the shortfall at the Department of Transportation, allowing projects to move forward and appropriate maintenance to resume.
I sincerely hope that the Governor signs this bill. New investments in transportation are essential to our quality of life and our state’s economic well-being, and I hope that he can set partisanship aside and do what is right for the state. Please contact the Governor and urge him to create jobs and fight gridlock, both on the roads and at the Capitol. He can be reached at 651-296-3391.
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