This column originally ran in the Owatonna People’s Press
Greater Minnesota deserves its fair share of Corridors of Commerce funding
Last fall, Republicans were swept into control of the Minnesota Senate in large part due to the inaction of the previous leadership of that body. Before I became a senator, I was one of the frustrated citizens who watched as the last Senate dropped the ball on our biggest priorities – like a bonding bill, a tax bill, and a long-term transportation plan.
During the historically productive 2017 legislative session, we got the job done on all three of those major priorities. As vice-chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, I am particularly proud of our investments into roads and bridges, which included $350 million for the Corridors of Commerce Program that I aggressively pushed for.
The Minnesota legislature created Corridors of Commerce in 2013 to fund sections of Minnesota’s trunk highway system that are in need of repair. These are routes that have been specifically identified as critical links for regional and statewide commerce and economic growth.
The impact of Corridors of Commerce has been crucial for Highway 14; the first segment of the Highway 14 expansion between Owatonna and Dodge Center was completed in 2015 using Corridors of Commerce money, and the next segments are likely to receive funding from the program as well.
Unfortunately, the Minnesota Department of Transportation appears ready to take away Greater Minnesota’s fair share of Corridors of Commerce funding.
Ever since the program’s inception, Corridors of Commerce dollars have been split evenly between projects in the metropolitan area and projects and in Greater Minnesota. Yet, during recent public comment meetings with local stakeholders, there has been a discussion about shifting that balance to favor the metropolitan area more strongly. Under the new proposal, special consideration would be given to projects that connect certain trade centers to the Twin Cities. This new category would be called “regional connections.”
When I was working to deliver additional money for Corridors of Commerce this session, it was my intention that the funding balance would be continued. I even added language to codify in statute a “regional balance throughout the state,” and require more transparency in the project selection process. That the Department of Transportation is now considering giving the metro area a higher percentage of funding is deeply troubling.
I recently sent a letter to Transportation Commissioner Charlie Zelle alerting him of my staunch opposition to the potential policy change, and I asked his office to keep me updated throughout their decision-making process. If MnDOT insists on moving forward with the change, then next session we will examine legislative options that will maintain the historical 50-50 funding split.
Greater Minnesota is critical to the health and economic stability of our state, and when it comes to prioritizing road construction projects we deserve to be treated fairly and equitably. I will not sit by and watch more funding get funneled to Twin Cities projects at the expense of our rural communities.