Commentary; Posted: 9/15/04

Metro transportation plan needs review

By Don Heinzman

Motorists who sit in traffic developing road rage must be wondering when some relief will be coming. Theyíll have to wait a long time, because the metro areaís population is growing faster than the transportation system.

The latest study from the Urban Mobility Report by the Texas Transportation Institute, reveals Twin Cities commuters are stuck in traffic 42 hours a year.

According to the study a commute in the Twin Cities area that should take 25 minutes in free-flowing traffic now takes 33.5 minutes. If it werenít for ramp control and other devices, the wait would be longer.

How much longer are metro area commuters willing to put up with traffic jams that are becoming longer and earlier each passing day? Short of motorists car-pooling and getting out of their cars to take a train and/or a bus, thereís little short-term relief during peak times.

The Minnesota legislators in the Twin Cities area obviously are not getting enough pressure from their constituents, or theyíd do something more about it. There was $400 million in the bonding bill for highways and bridges, which never got passed.

Add to that the Legislatureís unwillingness to pass any new tax on license tabs, gasoline or vehicle excise tax and you have political gridlock. The Minnesota Department of Transportation is hoping the state will get more money from the federal government.

This political mess and indecision about having rail, along with adding more highway lanes inside and outside the interstate beltway is another piece of the traffic-jam problem.

Whatís worse, despite the billions of dollars to be invested in transportation projects planned over the next 30 years, motorists will only see ìimprovement in spotsî along the system.

Part of the traffic tie-up is the result of numerous construction projects designed to relieve the congestion. The addition of lanes to Interstate-94 and 694 will help somewhat. Mn/Dotís position is to look at the bottlenecks on key highway systems and seize the best option based on cost effectiveness.

All options are on the table including light rail, commuter rail, busways and even tolls. One tollway may be tried on the fast-lane Interstate 394 next spring. Another option is to have private companies build a lane and charge the toll to pay for it.

Any thinking person will ask, ìWhatís the transportation plan for this area?î

The Metropolitan Council and the Minnesota Department of Transportation are the planners and the funnels through which federal and state funds are pumped.

The council is required by the federal government to update its regional transportation policy plan every three years.

Peter Bell, chair of the Metropolitan Council, says the plan includes policies and strategies to help slow the growth in congestion and improve mobility.

Among the policies are planning and investing in multi-modal transportation choices based on the full range of costs and benefits, encouraging flexible work hours, using telecommunications, ridesharing and transit ridership and focusing highway investments first on maintaining and managing the existing system.

The entire draft can be viewed at the councilís Web site, http://www.metrocouncil.org/.

Anyone who wants to attend a hearing and voice a better idea on the plan can go to the Inver Grove Heights Community Center at 8055 Barbara Ave. Sept. 16 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. or the Southwest Metro Transit at 13500 Technology Drive, Eden Prairie Sept 23 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Another public hearing will be Sept. 27 at 5 p.m. at Mears Park Centre, 230 E. 5th St., St. Paul.

Only pressure on elected and appointed officials will make the difference in seeing a plan turned into necessary action.

There isnít a better time to pin down legislators on this topic than now when legislators are running for office.

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