Stimulus Funding: Repair Our Roads or Expand Our Highways?

Contact:

Katie Eukel                                                                  John Bailey
Transit for Livable Communities                                     1000 Friends of Minnesota              
651-767-0298 x115                                                       651-315-1477
KatieE@tlcminnesota.org                                             jbailey@1000fom.org

Stimulus Funding:  Repair Our Roads before Expanding Metro Highways

Local Organizations Call on State Transportation Leaders to Prioritize Repair and Provide Transparent Decision-Making

[SAINT PAUL, MN] — Cities, counties, and MnDOT have submitted transportation project lists dominated by requests for repair of streets, sidewalks, and trails, but a proposal to fund two proposed highway expansion projects could eat up the bulk of the metro area stimulus money.

At three meetings between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. in the Metropolitan Council Chambers on Wednesday (March 18), the Transportation Advisory Board of the Metropolitan Council and MnDOT will discuss the allocation of the metropolitan portion of transportation funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), known as “the stimulus package.” The metro portion is half of Minnesota’s $502 million in surface transportation program funding. At previous meetings, the Transportation Advisory Board has discussed two major projects - an $84 million expansion of TH-610 and a $171 million expansion of the I-169/494 interchange.

“The Twin Cities region has one of the most extensive highway systems in the country, while our rapid transit system is in its infancy.  It’s time that we focus on the backlog of road repair projects and then add to our fledgling transit, bicycle, and pedestrian networks,” said Barb Thoman, Program Consultant at Transit for Livable Communities. 

States have wide latitude to use the funding, despite erroneous early reports that funds could only be used for highways. A report released today entitled Spending the Stimulus identifies 20 uses for stimulus dollars that would address long-neglected transportation priorities. Sample projects identified in the report would:

• Create jobs that advance a quick and lasting economic recovery,
• Repair crumbling roadways and bridges, and retrofit streets for safe walking and biking, and 
• Provide transportation options that reduce household transportation costs, traffic congestion, oil dependency, greenhouse gas emissions, and vulnerability to gas prices.

Click Here for the full report.

According to a poll released in January by the National Association of Realtors, an overwhelming 80 percent of Americans believe it is more important that the stimulus funding include efforts to repair existing highways and public transit rather than to build new highways.  Repair projects have also been shown to create 16% more jobs, and to do so faster, than those that build new highway capacity.  They also save money; drivers save on avoided repair damage to their cars from potholes, and the DOT saves money through timely preventive maintenance scheduling.

“We commend MnDOT for prioritizing road maintenance in its selected list of projects for Greater Minnesota,” said John Bailey, Policy Director at 1000 Friends of Minnesota. “We would like to have seen a few more transit, trail, and pedestrian projects, but it’s clear that repair won out over expansion in Greater Minnesota, which is great.” 

Initial reports also indicated that states might have only 90 days to allocate the money.  The stimulus package specified that transportation departments get 120 days to allocate half of the money and a full year to allocate the remainder. The money overseen by the Transportation Advisory Board and the Metropolitan Council has a one year deadline.  This should provide ample time for pubic engagement, but to date, no process for engaging the public has been announced.  

Click here for a link to a two-page summary of the stimulus and transportation in Minnesota, which specifies the money available, the deadlines and the decision-makers. 

Click here for a link to a two-page overview of highway system size in the Twin Cities and peer regions.

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Transit for Livable Communities is a regional nonpartisan organization working to reform Minnesota’s transportation system. Through advocacy, research, and organizing, it promotes a balanced transportation system that encourages transit, walking, bicycling, and thoughtful development.

1000 Friends of Minnesota is a statewide nonprofit membership organization dedicated to addressing the important connections between our development patterns and the health of our communities and the environment. Their mission is to promote development that creates healthy communities while conserving natural areas, family farms, woodlands and water.