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Minnesotans often joke that we have two seasons: winter and road construction. Yet, even with all of our construction projects, Minnesota's transportation infrastructure continues to fall behind our current and future needs. In the metro area, resident annually spend approximately 43 hours delayed in traffic and waste 30 gallons of fuel. In Greater Minnesota, safety continues to be an increasing concern.

Investing in Our State
Roads, transit and bridges are often referred to as a state’s 'arteries,' and with good reason. They literally carry the lifeblood of our communities – family, friends, employees and products. From a business perspective, Minnesota needs a transportation system that moves our people and products safely and efficiently to remain competitive within the global market.

Roadblocks to Investment
The cost of building and maintaining our transportation infrastructure has been steadily increasing over the last few years. That cost is amplified with each year the Legislature fails to address the additional funding needs. The major sources of funding for the state’s transportation system are the gas tax, license tab fees and the motor vehicle sales tax.

The Minnesota Chamber led the effort in 2006 to pass the constitutional amendment that dedicated the existing Motor Vehicle Sales Tax to transportation funding. However, the gas tax has not been increased since 1988 and license tab fees were dramatically decreased in the late 1990s, compounding our funding shortage. Divisions in the Legislature over how dollars are shared between Greater Minnesota and the metro area continue to create a roadblock to progress. Policy makers struggle to find the right balance between increased funding for roads and transit.

As these debates continue, transportation funding bills become larger than policy makers, the public, and interest groups can support. Instead of searching for compromise, it has become an 'all or nothing' debate, with each year resulting in nothing. Until we find common ground, Minnesota’s transportation system will continue to fall further behind.

Road Map for the Future
The Minnesota Chamber’s 2,400-plus members and their half-million employees depend on the statewide network of roads, bridges and public transit. We recognize the need for additional investment and the inherent risk of overburdening taxes. We are seeking consensus from all the stakeholders to develop a moderate and balanced package that can be passed by the 2008 Legislature and signed by the Governor. In 2006, we led the effort to pass Minnesota’s Transportation Amendment that dedicated the existing vehicle sales tax to transportation funding. We view our 2008 package as the next step in developing a long-term solution to Minnesota’s transportation needs.

IN THE NEWS
Transportation funding bill accelerates projects statewide

Follow this link to the Department of Transportation’s announcement of 2008 projects: www.dot.state.mn.us/construction.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Transportation Policy
The questions you want answers for.

Transportation Solutions
Learn more about what the Minnesota Chamber is doing in Transportation policy. View the Chamber's policies and backgrounds

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