"For too long our state has neglected our roads, bridges and transit system, and this neglect is leaving a debt we are passing on to our children that is just as real as the national debt. Everyone seems to agree that a safe, efficient transportation network will improve our economic competitiveness and our quality of life. We need to get to work to make it happen."
A Record of Results on Transportation
R.T. had a big vision for transportation when he became Mayor in 2002. He believed that people should have choices for how they got around, with driving a car being an important option, but not the only option. With this in mind, he worked with transportation advocates, neighborhoods, Minnesota's federal leaders in Congress, labor and the business community to develop transportation alternatives that people could use today.
Results:
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Minneapolis has become one of the leading cities in the country for biking, with over 84 miles of off-street bike paths (the most per square mile of America's largest 50 cities) that commuters can use year round. In the spring of 2010, Minneapolis will launch bike share - an innovation that allows people to rent a bike for short trips with just a swipe of a card. Once launched, BikeShare will be paid for with user fees and private sponsors.
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Northstar Commuter Rail opened in November and is already surpassing ridership numbers.
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Central Corridor LRT connecting St. Paul, the University of Minnesota and Minneapolis will soon enter final design - and should be open by 2014.
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Hiawatha LRT Line provided 10 million rides for people getting to jobs, downtown events, the airport and the Mall of America.
Over the last eight years, Minnesota has systematically failed to invest in transportation infrastructure. R.T has taken the case to St. Paul and Washington D.C. He fought hard alongside the State House and Senate for an override of the Transportation Bill and won. He campaigned tirelessly for the Vote Yes Amendment that delivered a dedicated source of funding for transportation and transit improvements. At the invitation of Congressman Oberstar he has testified before Congress on the importance of transportation investments, including transit.
Results:
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When the 35W Bridge collapsed, R.T. insisted that any new bridge needed to be built for the next 100 years, not the last 50. This meant that any new bridge needed to be built to accommodate the option of transit. At first Governor Pawlenty refused, but R.T. refused to compromise. Today, the new 35 W bridge is ready to accommodate light rail or Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), when the time comes.
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Through the Urban Partnership Agreement, the metro area secured $133 million in federal support to rebuild major streets in downtown Minneapolis so transit works better, and to add transit facilities on the 35W corridor between downtown and the southern suburbs.
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Infrastructure Acceleration Plan investments
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The federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has delivered $9.5 million to Minneapolis to rebuild the Camden Bridge, which was matched with $5 million of local funds.
Action on Transportation for Minnesota
R.T. believes Minnesota needs and a vision and action plan for building a 21st century transportation system. He starts with building a system that improves mobility for people and freight. He believes we also need to pay close attention to what we can do to create jobs, promote safety and health, and improve Minnesota's energy efficiency and security.
This strategy will not only create jobs, it will contribute to the economic vitality and competitiveness of Minnesota businesses all across the state. With construction costs low and record unemployment in the construction trades, engineering and contracting sectors, we need to put people to work today. We can do this while building the transportation system that businesses need to be competitive in a global marketplace.
At its core, Minnesota's transportation system needs to provide mobility for all. Whether you are a retired grandmother in Ada who doesn't drive anymore, or a single person who commutes to the suburbs for a job, people need to be able to get to jobs, shopping, services and friends. R.T. will push for more alternatives for moving people and goods around.
For many, a car is the best choice, especially in less densely developed areas. Most people are dependent on cars to get around and this is not going to change anytime soon. However, especially outside the metro area, and especially for older residents who no longer drive, we need alternatives to owning a car. This is why we need to aggressively pursue options like ridesharing, vanpools, and hour cars where they are economically feasible.
Cars are central to our transportation system, but they cannot be our only choice. Buses will be the backbone of our transit system for years to come, and we need to make sure that we have a strategy for addressing the operating deficits that plague our bus systems and drive up fares. R.T. has been a strong advocate of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), where we provide priority access for buses on highway traffic lanes, as a cost effective way to improve mobility.
R.T. is also a strong advocate for light rail, commuter rail, and inter-city rail that connects regional centers in the state like Rochester, St. Cloud and Duluth to the metro area, Chicago and beyond. As Governor R.T. will work with our congressional delegation and the President to reform the way the federal government funds transportation priorities, and he will reform how Minnesota's Department of Transportation funds projects so that Minnesota can have a high functioning transportation network.
R.T. will fight for a statewide aviation strategy. Today, most of the freight that comes into Minnesota by air lands at Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport, no matter where in Minnesota it ends up. R.T.'s vision is for a network of airports in regional centers like St. Cloud, Rochester and Moorhead that connect the businesses and people of Minnesota to the world.
R.T. will advance a "fix it first" strategy that protects our current investments by maintaining the roads and bridges we already have. Minnesota has over 1,200 bridges that are not structurally sound and miles of road that are not safe for high-speed travel. Minnesota has a huge maintenance backlog, and much-needed repairs and safety enhancements, especially in Greater Minnesota, have gone unfunded for too long.
Promoting public safety and health also must be a top priority. Too many miles of our state and county road system are unsafe, especially at high speeds. About 500 people a year lose their lives on Minnesota's state highways. One half of all traffic fatalities occur on the remaining Minnesota roads that have not had design and maintenance improvements - many of them in Minnesota's rural areas. This is unacceptable. We have made progress in reducing traffic fatalities because of tougher seat belt and drunken driving laws, safer vehicles and safer roads. It is not realistic to rebuild all these roads, but we can and should take practical steps to make them safer - adding rumble strips and guard rails, building wider shoulders, and adding better signage and road guidance.
The connection between transportation and public health is gaining traction all over the country, but R.T. has been talking about this for years. We need to play defense by dealing with the public health threats posed by air pollution from our vehicles. This problem is acute for people who live nearest high traffic areas, but is also a global challenge that we need to solve with improved vehicle efficiency.
