June 21, 2016

Contact: Robb Leer 612.701.0608

Margaret Donahoe 651-659-0804
Dave Van Hattum, 612-879-8743

Stalled Transportation Funding is Hurting Minnesota

Call for Governor and Legislature to pass a long-term fix for all modes of transportation
in special session
Saint Paul, Minnesota (June 21, 2016 )- Four weeks after the tumultuous end to the regular legislative session,
local elected officials, business leaders, and transportation advocates came together today to express frustration
about inaction by the legislature. Saying that legislators are putting safety and prosperity at risk, the speakers
called on the Governor to call a special session and on legislative leaders to get long-term transportation
funding done.
The speakers emphasized that transportation has been a top tier issue for two years without significant action
from the legislature. They spoke of specific needs in their communities, making clear that these are emblematic
of infrastructure issues faced in communities across the state.
As local government officials, we are doing all we can to address our local infrastructure needs, its time for
state leaders to do their job and invest in state highways like Highway 14 which faces serious safety problems,
said Mankato City Councilor Karen Foreman, a member of the Highway 14 Partnership.
Patrick Baker with Greater Mankato Growth said the economy of southern Minnesota is thriving, but
infrastructure is not keeping up. He said local communities are already paying a price for the legislatures
inaction in longer commutes, vehicle repairs, and higher costs. Businesses need a better transportation system
to compete and expand in Minnesota. When the state doesnt act, we see local property taxes and local sales
taxes increased, which means Minnesotans are paying more but will not benefit from improvements to state
infrastructure like trunk highway 14, he said.
The safety of our citizens along Highway 12 is the highest priority for our communities and the Highway 12
Safety Coalition, said Chief Gary Kroells, West Hennepin Public Safety. We can no longer accept that
Highway 12 through Independence is double the state average for serious injury and fatality crashes for similar
roads in Minnesota. We cannot arrest or ticket our way out of this problem. We need funding to improve our
uncontrolled intersections and save lives.
Tina Diedrick, Mayor of Norwood Young America, spoke of students trying to cross a six-lane highway to get
to school. I am here on behalf of the residents of Norwood Young America and especially the children, she
said, calling the legislature to act on transportation funding, including Safe Routes to School.

Shep Harris, Mayor of Golden Valley, urged legislators to focus not on the politics of the present but on future
needs. We are pushing the seams right now, he said. To deal with workers getting to jobs at General Mills,
Honeywell and other major employers, and to deal with future growth, we need every transportation option on
the table and comprehensive funding from the legislature.
Peter McLaughlin, Hennepin County Commissioner, said, We need public infrastructure for the free market to
prosper. He said Expanding transit in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area is not controversial. The business
community, local governments and citizens all support projects like the Southwest Light Rail Line that will help
the region deal with 750,000 new residents in the coming decades. We simply need the legislature to grant
authority to local governments in the region to pay for these critical transit investments.
Tom Untiedt, a transit rider from New Hope, represented the needs of Minnesotans who cannot drive. Transit
is a lifeline that allows us to live and work independently. We need longer hours of service and more
connections throughout the region, he said. He challenged legislators to try and arrange a ride to the western
suburbs at the end of the day. It cant be done, he said, adding that Metro Mobility projects a 50 percent
growth in coming years but it cant handle the demand right now.
The call for increased funding for transit service also came from greater Minnesota, in comments from Shelly
Pflaum of Western Community Action in Marshall. The need for long-term transportation funding, which
includes strong support for transit, is largely the same throughout the state, she said. Reliable transportation is
imperative for people to be allowed to age in place, and for everyone to be able to contribute to our
communities. We need stable funding to continue to offer the services we currently have. Stability will allow us
the freedom to explore expanding services, especially to our populations of highest need. In an area as rural as
ours, the answer isn't always as simple as adding a new fixed route. Yet, if there were safe, accessible and easily
identifiable bus stops throughout our service area, more people would be able to access our services
independently.
The press conference came together through the combined efforts of transportation advocates from Progress in
Motion and Transportation Forward.
Margaret Donahoe of Progress in Motion and the Minnesota Transportation Alliance said, Roadway safety
improvements cant wait. There were more than 78,000 crashes involving 190,000 people in 2014 alone. These
crashes cost the state $1,604,051,900 according to MnDOTs crash facts report. Legislators have put forward
plans to address the states infrastructure needs. Its time for them to get the job done.
In communities across the state, weve heard about urgent needs to fix aging roads and bridges, to expand bus
options, and to insure safe and convenient bicycle/walking connections, said Dave Van Hattum of the
Transportation Forward coalition and Transit for Livable Communities. The two sides are not that far apart,
he said about legislative leaders. They agree on the size of the need. They agree that new funding is required to
get the job done. During the session they heard from 12 CEOs, 45 Chambers of Commerce, mayors all over the
state and citizens frustrated by being stranded. Today, our collective message is that reaching a compromise on
transportation funding is too important to delay. Our elected leaders should put productivity ahead of politics,
and get the transportation funding job done.
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Speakers included:
Peter McLaughlin, Hennepin County Commissioner
Karen Foreman, Mankato City Council, Highway 14 Partnership

Tina Diedrick, Mayor of Norwood Young America

Shep Harris, Mayor of Golden Valley
Patrick Baker, Greater Mankato Growth
Tom Untiedt, transit rider from New Hope
Margaret Donahoe, Minnesota Transportation Alliance
Dave Van Hattum, Transportation Forward coalition
About Us
Transportation Forward is a statewide campaign of more than 50 organizations dedicated to building broad
support for new investments in all modes of transportation in Minnesota, in the belief that transportation
underpins quality of life, the way our communities function, access to economic opportunity, and the health of
our residents and the environment. For more information, visit www.transportationforwardmn.org.
Progress In Motion is a coalition of over 250 organizations statewide that advocates for all modes of
transportation all across the State of Minnesota. Our goal is the development of a safe and effective
transportation system. We advocate for transportation infrastructure and services in Greater Minnesota as well
as the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area and for highways and bridges, transit, ports and waterways and other
modes. Our coalition is the largest and most diverse transportation organization that includes businesses, labor,
local governments and advocates who rely on the transportation system to ship products, get to work, school
and other important destinations and live their lives independently. For more information, visit
www.transportationalliance.com/content/progress-motion-2
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Voices calling for action on transportation

May 6 commentary12 CEOs calling for transit investments

http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-businesses-need-transit-and-we-need-itnow/378486766/
Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities. May 11. This idea that we in greater Minnesota are
against a gas tax increase or are against light rail is just false
http://www.startribune.com/outstate-cities-pressing-for-legislative-action-inminnesota/379074161/
Letter from Minnesota Chamber Federation (representing45 chambers of commerce) calling
for sustained, increased investment in our roads, bridges, and transit systems.
Vote by counties supporting increasing gas tax or raising vehicle fees to provide funds for
roads and bridges. Daily Globe story here.
Suburban mayors op-ed emphasizing the need for multimodal funding, signed by mayors
from Edina, Eagan, Minnetonka, Maplewood, Burnsville, Shoreview, Golden Valley, Hopkins,
White Bear Lake, Eden Prairie, Chanhassen, Shakopee, Inver Grove Heights, and Savage.