How to Spend Minnesota's Transportation Stimulus: Repair our Roads Before Expanding Our Highways

Repair projects have 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 Departments of Transportation save money through timely preventive maintenance scheduling. At the same time, we can stimulate the economy now and create less of a burden on ourselves and our state over time.

This is why Transit for Livable Communities supports a "fix it first" approach to spending Minnesota's transportation stimulus money. (Read Smart Growth America's "Fix It First" fact sheet here.) Metro cities and counties have submitted lists of project ideas dominated by street, sidewalk, and trail repair. Metro Transit is facing a $60 million shortfall. Even MnDOT’s new statewide plan says they won’t meet targets for pavement quality.

Nevertheless, a proposal to fund two highway expansion projects—an $84 million expansion of Highway 610 and an expansion of the I-169/I-494 interchange that could cost $170 million—could eat up the metro area stimulus money and even some future federal funding. No seems to be talking about how repair projects generate 16 percent more jobs, and do so faster, than those that build new highway capacity.

On March 18, the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) approved the Highway 610 expansion project and forwarded it on to the Metropolitan Council. The TAB delayed a vote on the I-169/494 interchange and other repair projects until April. The one year timeline for obligation of half of the metro area stimulus money should provide ample time for pubic engagement, but to date, no process for engaging the public has been identified.

Contact Barb Thoman at TLC if you want to learn more and get involved.

barbt@tlcminnesota.org

651-767-0298 x105