Senator Carla Nelson is proposing an overhaul to Minnesota’s Corridors of Commerce selection criteria, calling for more geographic balance. This follows the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s (MNDOT) selection of projects solely located within 40 miles of downtown Minneapolis. The process excluded funding for Highway 14.

“A picture is worth a thousand words, and this is clearly not balanced,” said Senator Nelson, referencing the geographic map of projects selected. “Obviously, we need to overhaul the selection process to make it more equitable across all of Minnesota, not just the metro.”

One solution would achieve regional balance in the selection process through equitable funding for all eight of the MNDOT regional districts throughout the state. Another solution would be for the legislature to specifically designate each project that should be funded by the Corridors of Commerce program. A third possible solution would be to use legislative support as criteria in the Corridors of Commerce selection process.

“In the meantime, I am advocating for trunk highway bonds to fund Highway 14 in our 2018 bonding bill,” added Senator Nelson, a member of the Senate Capital Investment Committee responsible for overseeing bonding. “This is a project that is essential for the safety, commerce, and transportation of our entire state, not just Greater Minnesota. We cannot wait for the Corridors of Commerce selection process to be overhauled. The time to fund Highway 14 is now.”

MAP OF PROJECTS SELECTED: