FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 23, 2014
Contact:
Joshua Houdek, 612-207-2295, joshua.houdek@sierraclub.org
Justin Fay, 612-259-2450, justin.fay@sierraclub.org
Urgent transportation needs are risking Minnesota’s long-term economic health and ability to remain globally competitive for jobs and talent, according to Move MN, a new statewide coalition of more than 130 businesses, associations and organizations. The coalition is encouraging Governor Dayton and legislative leaders to make transportation a priority in 2014.
Move MN today launched its campaign to mobilize Minnesotans to make transportation funding a priority during the 2014 legislative session. The coalition will encourage the public as well as community and business leaders to contact legislators with one simple message: transportation has an immense impact on families, businesses and communities.
“Move MN is more than just fixing bridges and highways or improving access to transit,” said Ann Mulholland, vice president of the MN Community Foundation. “Our campaign is about moving Minnesota into the future with an infrastructure system that builds stronger, healthier communities and families.”
Sierra Club and its diverse allies in the Move MN coalition have all agreed to a set of principles that state that new funding for transportation must be from sustainable, dedicated revenue sources and must support equitable new investments in all transportation modes – transit, bike and pedestrian routes and connections, as well as roads and bridges, throughout the entire state.
The last time the state saw a significant infusion of new transportation funding was in 2008, when the legislature passed a small gas tax increase and a Twin Cities metro sales tax for transit. Since that time, funds are mostly now exhausted and cannot meet the growing demands on our systems.
In 2013, MnDOT could only fund one fourth of the state’s Safe Routes to Schools project needs. Only ten percent of jobs in the Twin Cities metropolitan area are conveniently served by transit, and nearly half of Minnesota’s roads and bridges are listed in poor or mediocre condition.
About Move MN
Move MN is a growing and diverse coalition dedicated to starting to erase Minnesota’s transportation deficit by securing a comprehensive transportation funding package during the 2014 legislative session. New funding will enable the state to properly maintain and improve transportation assets that expand access and opportunity for all and create living wage jobs.
For more information on Move MN, visit www.movemn.org.
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