Editorial: Minnesota roads at a crossroad

When trucks from 3M, HTI and other manufacturers get stuck in traffic, companies pay. What is the extra fuel, time and delayed product shipments worth?

According to the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, “Businesses rely on the transportation system to move freight efficiently and to get employees to work in a timely and safe manner. Growing congestion in the Twin Cities area as well as safety issues on Greater Minnesota roads (70 percent of highway deaths happen in rural areas) has created a significant problem for Minnesota businesses.”

If road conditions and congestion are consistently at the top of frustration and safety concerns of drivers and hurting business, why have roads been neglected? Bill Blazer from the Minnesota Chamber recently spoke to a group of local business leaders at a gathering in Litchfield. He said the state has “mismanaged” roads by not keeping up during the past 20 years.

Minnesota Chamber polling reveals, “Both the Business Barometer Poll and Minnesota Chamber Poll show an increasing number of companies believe the transportation system is a major issue and believe that the declining transportation system is hurting their business. Businesses cannot afford to have workers stuck in traffic. The state’s economy is dependent upon our ability to move people and goods; thus transportation investments have a direct impact on the state’s economic well-being.”

We’ve waited too long
Lagging roads need from $750 million to $2 billion per year each of the next 10 years to catch up. Inaction during the past two decades has created a staggering cost now. In retrospect, it was inexcusable to not even come close to keeping up. Private business would never operate this way.

Politicians have fought to the point of stalemate since 1988. Minnesota’s fuel tax, which is wholly dedicated to road projects, has remained at 20 cents per gallon during the past 20 years. Wisconsin indexes its fuel tax to inflation.