Commentary; Posted: 6/19/02

Ask tough transportation questions

Don Heinzman

During this past session, the Minnesota Legislature failed to provide the package of dollars to build and rebuild a needed highway and transportation system. And you can blame the House of Representatives and particularly a conservative group within that caucus that voted down the gas tax and refused to include bonding money for the North Star Corridor.

Refusing to vote zero dollars for the North Star Corridor could result in the loss of $147 million in federal dollars that now may go to another state. The North Star Plan involves highñspeed trains using existing rail from St. Cloud area to the Twin Cities.

During the waning hours of the session, the Senate tried to send the House a transportation funding proposal but the House would not take it up. House Speaker Steve Sviggum could not get a measure his caucus would support.

Twin Cities residents, who endure unbelievable delays on the highway system during rush hour, should be outraged that almost no new money was appropriated to reconstruct the major bottlenecks and widen highways. That lack of funding has pushed back 160 important projects, some key ones in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area.

Those who drive in rush hour traffic should pay attention to this next election and ask legislative candidates point blank what their position is on passing a gas tax and providing more money for highways and transit.

Moreover, they should ask those running for office if they plan to sign a no-tax pledge for the Minnesota Taxpayers Association. These pledge signers killed funding for the North Star Corridor and the gas tax needed for a modern highway system.

Other legislators lacked the courage to pass a tax increase fearing loss of their jobs in the next election. Politics involving the run for governor this fall also took its toll.

Gov. Jesse Ventura also can share part of the blame because he vetoed all of the transportation measures in the bonding bill except $45 million in local bridge repair and renovation. He also approved $20 million in the bonding bill to the Metropolitan Council for the Northwest Busway.

To the governorís credit, he introduced a major supplemental transportation budget proposal for a comprehensive plan. It included a five-cent gas tax increase which the House refused to pass.

Key road projects in the suburbs will have to wait. The Minnesota Department of Transportation will not be able to finish four lanes of Highway 610 from Highway 169 to I-94 until 2007. Increased funding would have allowed MnDOT to start construction in 2004.

Had the Legislature passed the gas tax, enough money would have been provided to remove the bottleneck on I-94 in Maplewood by adding a third lane.

MnDOT has a list of 50 projects in the state that will not be started in 2004 and 2005, because of legislative inaction.

House Republicans who blocked money for transit and roads and highways now are saying they will try to solve the traffic congestion problem in 2003.

As campaigning for office is about to begin, suburban residents should ask the hard questions, and hold representatives accountable on the most pressing problem in the suburban communities ó transportation bottlenecks and time-killing traffic congestion.

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