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For immediate release: February 23, 2012 Contact :
Hilary Reeves, Transit for Livable Communities, 651-789-1415
House bill also undermines road and bridge repair
If enacted, Minnesotans will have fewer transportation options
Saint Paul, MN (February 23, 2012)—Next week, action will resume on new federal transportation bills in the House and Senate. Normally bipartisan efforts, the pending bills are raising alarm bells because they remove dedicated funding for transit, bicycling, and walking. Provisions in the House bill also undermine road and bridge repair
The House bill, HR7, eliminates dedicated funding for transit established in the 1980s during the Reagan Administration. The House and Senate bills both cut dedicated funding for bicycling and pedestrian projects and for the Safe Routes to Schools program.
“Dedicated federal funding for transit, bicycling, and walking is imperative, so that motorists—and all Minnesotans—have options that are more affordable and reduce the growing level of congestion on already-busy roads. Transportation agencies confirm that building more and wider roads won’t solve the congestion problem. Transportation options are essential to make the most efficient use of our transportation investments. Having dedicated funds is the best way to achieve this goal” said Barb Thoman, executive director of Transit for Livable Communities.
A bus carrying 40 passengers versus 40 cars on the road. Light Rail, such as the Hiawatha LRT, is even more efficient, carrying 450 passengers at capacity. Fifty percent of riders of the Hiawatha LRT say they would otherwise be driving.
While the House bill has run into stiff opposition, there is pressure on Congress to enact something before the current extension of the law expires on March 31. Leaders of both parties have expressed interest in getting a transportation bill done because of the impact on infrastructure and jobs. Advocates from a variety of perspectives want to make sure that any deal-making doesn’t leave transit users, bicyclists, pedestrians, and local public works departments out in the cold.
“At a time when demand for transit service is increasing, especially in communities of color where the economic downturn is felt most severely, it makes no sense that members of Congress would offer plans that cut dedicated funding,” said Russ Adams, executive director of the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability.
According to the Metropolitan Council, transit ridership in the Twin Cities region is at its highest level in 30 years, with more than 90 million trips taken in 2011. Overall, Minnesota saw more than 100 million transit trips in 2010, according to MnDOT.
The House bill’s elimination of dedicated funding for transit would throw Metro Transit and dozens of other Minnesota transit providers into doubt about how to plan for future service, making it impossible to know if funds will be there to replace worn-out buses or build new park and ride facilities. In addition, under the House bill, Minnesota would lose $313 million for highways over the next five years.
“People all across Minnesota, from rural areas to suburban areas, rely on transit systems that need the stable, dedicated funding from the federal gas tax that has been coming back to our state for the last 30 years,” said Tony Kellen, president of the Minnesota Public Transit Association. “The House proposal would threaten transit service at a time when more Minnesotans are seeking additional transit service to get to work and live their lives. Minnesota taxpayers can’t afford this change in federal transit funding,” he added.
Transportation is the second largest household expense after housing itself, and makes up an even larger share of the budget in lower-income households. The average annual cost of owning and operating a car is $8,000, according to the American Automobile Association.
“Many people who are unemployed or underemployed rely on the transit system as a primary mode to access job opportunities,” said Grant Stevensen, pastor of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church and president of ISAIAH. “The Federal bill needs to support the viability of transit systems. Owning a car should not be a job qualification.”
The House bill has raised additional reasons for objection. It cuts the bridge repair program and funding that focuses on traffic mitigation and air quality. The bill also would open protected areas, including the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge, to drilling for oil and natural gas. In Minnesota, the House cuts to the bridge program would mean that only bridges on the national highway system would receive federal funds. The backlog of repair for Minnesota’s bridges would fall on state, county, and local funding sources.
“It’s Ponzi-scheme math to expect that revenues from new drilling could solve the transportation funding deficit or significantly reduce gas prices,” said Ethan Fawley, transportation policy director at Fresh Energy. “The House bill makes us more dependent than ever on Big Oil at a time when American families want real alternatives to rising gas prices.”
The House bill has drawn widespread opposition, including from Republican legislators. Representative Erik Paulsen, (R-MN, 3rd district) voted against the bill in committee. Another GOP representative, New York’s Peter King, said via his spokesperson that he “has serious concerns about this legislation and the impact it will have on mass transit.” Transportation for America, a national coalition advocating for a new transportation bill, has listed the top 10 objections to the House bill on their web site: www.t4america.org.
Bicycling and walking also under siege
Before 1990, it was illegal to spend any federal transportation funds on sidewalks or bike paths, even when highway projects tore out existing infrastructure for safe walking and bicycling. Since then, the federal program called Transportation Enhancements has dedicated about 1% of federal transportation funds to projects for pedestrians and bicyclists. Six years ago, the federal government adopted a modest program called Safe Routes to School to help improve bike and pedestrian safety and accessibility.
“Across the state of Minnesota, bicycling is not only for recreation or local transportation, but is also an economic driver. Communities everywhere are redefining themselves around bicycling and walking options to ensure that they remain competitive. To cut dedicated funding is a bad economic decision,” said Dorian Grilley, executive director of the Bike Alliance of Minnesota.
Nearly half of all the trips people make each day are three miles or less, and more people are bicycling or walking for these shorter trips. In the Twin Cities, bicycling increased by 52% and walking by 18% from 2007-2011.
“Just as 50% of the 30,000 daily riders of the Hiawatha LRT line say they would otherwise be driving, more bicycling and walking means less driving overall,” said Thoman. “These modes deserve secure funding because they contribute to making the region affordable and vibrant.”
Annual bicycle trips on the Lake Street Bridge increased by 218,000 between 2007-2010. 44% of the cyclists surveyed said they would have otherwise been driving, meaning that an estimated 96,000 trips that were made by car in 2007 were by bike in 2010. Source: Bike Walk Twin Cities
The Senate bill, sponsored by Senators Boxer (D-CA) and Inhofe (R-OK), includes health-promoting measures as well as complete streets, which would ensure that road projects consider the needs of everyone—drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and people with disabilities.
But, the Senate bill has also sparked amendments to restore dedicated funding for bicycling and pedestrian projects. Senator Amy Klobuchar has put forward an amendment to restore funding for bike trails. A broader amendment from Senators Cochran and Cardin would restore bike/pedestrian funding more broadly, covering all kinds of enhancements and the Safe Routes to Schools program.
"The Senate bill, with amendments to restore funding for bicycling and pedestrian options, would be the better outcome for Minnesotans," said Thoman. "The Senate bill has bipartisan support and is a forward-looking bill, focused on road and bridge repair and increasing affordable options for all users of our transportation system."
# # #
Sent on behalf of:
Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005, Bike Alliance of Minnesota, Envision Minnesota, Fresh Energy, Isaiah, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Minnesota Public Transit Association, Sierra Club, and Transit for Livable Communities
A program of Transit for Livable Communities
For Immediate Release: May 24, 2011
Contact: Hilary Reeves, 651-789-1415, cell: 612-554-1795, hilaryr@tlcminnesota.org
- 12% of all traffic deaths are people walking
- 1.5% of federal funding is for projects making walking safer
- 17% increase in walking in the Twin Cities, 2007-2010
(Saint Paul, Minn)--Walking is the first and most basic form of transportation. Nearly everyone is a pedestrian at some point each day, even if it is simply walking from home to the bus stop or from the car to the office. Walking is on the rise in the Twin Cities, increasing 17% between 2007-2010, according to data from Bike Walk Twin Cities, a program of Transit for Livable Communities.
While Minnesota ranks better than many states in the likelihood of pedestrian fatalities, there are glaring exceptions, according to the 2011 report, Dangerous by Design: Solving the Epidemic of Preventable Pedestrian Deaths (and Making Great Neighborhoods), released today by Transportation for America. The report also includes an interactive map that allows searching for pedestrian deaths near any town in the US.
Between 2000-2009, 415 pedestrians were killed in Minnesota . While Minnesota is doing better than most states, ranking 39th of 50 in terms of pedestrian risk, crashes and fatalities are much higher for the elderly, children, and people of colorand at intersections without crosswalks or other features that make roads safe for all users.
Pedestrian Fatality Rates
- Older Americans 50% more likely than those younger than 65
- Hispanics 71% higher rate of fatalities than non-Hispanic whites
- African Americans 127% higher rate of fatalities than non-Hispanic whites
- For children 15 or younger, pedestrian injury 3rd leading cause of death by unintentional injury
Last November, a 38 year old woman was killed crossing Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis at an intersection that did not have a crosswalk. Nationally, only 10% of pedestrian fatalities occurred inside a crosswalk. But, funding for making walking safer lags far behind the rate at which people walk to get around. While pedestrians account for 12% of all traffic deaths, only 1.5% of federal transportation funding goes o projects that retrofit roads or create safe alternatives.
"Design matters. At Bike Walk Twin Cities, we're working with local jurisdictions to address some of the most dangerous corridors and intersections," said Joan Pasiuk, director of Bike Walk Twin Cities, a program of Transit for Livable Communities.
Here are three projects to make walking safer funded by Bike Walk Twin Cities as part of the federal nonmotorized pilot program, authorized in the 2005 federal transportation law, SAFETEA-LU. Congress is considering whether to continue funding for walking and bicycling projects in the next transportation bill.
Cedar & Washington Avenues (also known as "7 Corners") in Minneapolis
Problem: Data from the Minneapolis Traffic Database indicates that 11 crashes occurred at the intersection of Cedar and Washington between 2002-2006, more than 2 deaths per year. The intersection is a busy one for truck traffic and for people too, especially given the proximity of the University of Minnesota.
Solution: Bike Walk Twin Cities awarded $765,000 to the City of Minneapolis to add medians and extend curbs so that pedestrians don't have to cover such a long distance when crossing. The changes would make it safer for people, but also accommodate trucks turning.
Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis
Problem: Franklin Avenue is noted in City of Minneapolis Traffic Crash Trend reports as a top pedestrian crash corridor, with 58 fatalaties crashes along the route between 2002-2006. "The biggest challenge faced by pedestrians on Franklin Avenue is crossing the street," said Katya Pilling, associate director of Seward Redesign. "At one point along the Avenue, a four-lane thoroughfare stands between a residential tower (with affordable housing for mostly East-African immigrant families) and the greenspace for their children; there is not a safe, direct crossing between the tower and greenspace," she said.
Solution: To deal with the intersections neighborhood residents identified as the most crucial, BWTC provided $62,000 to add curb extensions to narrow the crossing at 24th and 25th Avenues, add a crosswalk at Franklin and 24th, and for more countdown timers to aid safe crossing at Franklin and 26th Avenue. Pedestrian crossing signs also will be added.
44th, Penn& Osseo, North Minneapolis & Robbinsdale
Problem: This area, where three roads come together on the north side of Minneapolis, is a primary business node, but crossing on foot is prohibited on three of the four north-south crossings even though the intersection is served by several bus routes. The Victory Memorial Parkway section of the Grand Rounds bicycle trail is just to the north of the intersection.
Solution: Bike Walk Twin Cities is funding preliminary design , or "plan sets" for bike lanes and improved crossings for pedestrians, as well as suggestions for improving the overall pedestrian environment.
More roads in Minnesota could see similar improvements because Minnesota also has taken the key step of making "Complete Streets" the policy of the state. This policy means that Mn/DOT can work with communities to design new road projects and reconstruction projects with features that make them safer for a variety of users--from cars to bicyclists, to people walking or using wheelchairs, from the elderly to kids.
On the national level, the Safe and Complete Streets bill is being considered; it would make money available to states for these types of projects. Minnesota already has a Complete Streets policy at the state level, though it is less than a year old.
"Mn/DOT and seventeen local Minnesota communities have already stepped up with Complete Streets policies to make their roads safer for everyone, including pedestrians. But there is still much work to be done to improve safety for people walking and we need the federal government as a strong leader and partner for that effort. This report drives home that need and offers concrete steps that deserve action," said Ethan Fawley, transportation policy director for Fresh Energy.
"Some in Congress have questioned the federal interest in keeping pedestrians safe, believing it to be a strictly local issue," said James Corless, director of Transportation for America. "Given the rising cost of gas, more and more people are getting out of their cars and seeking alternative forms of transportation. As demand increases, so too does the need to make sure that all of our roads are safe for everyone. Congress must stop punting on a long-term transportation bill and prioritize the safety of all road users and give states the resources they need to stem the tide of preventable deaths." The full report, Dangerous By Design: http://t4america.org/resources/dangerousbydesign2011/
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ABOUT BIKE WALK TWIN CITIES
A program of Transit for Livable Communities, Bike Walk Twin Cities (BWTC) runs the Minneapolis-area location of the federal nonmotorized transportation pilot program, authorized in the 2005 federal transportation bill, SAFETEA-LU. Working with local jurisdictions, BWTC has invested more than $22 million to increase bicycling and walking as a means of transportation. BWTC has funded more than 75 miles of new bikeways and sidewalks (including the Riverlake Greenway, set to open June 11), innovative projects (including Nice Ride Minnesota bike sharing and the Sibley Bike Depot Community Partners Bike Library), outreach, planning, and measurement. BWTCs annual counts of nonmotorized transportation show that walking is up 17% from 2007-2010 and bicycling up 33%. For more about BWTC, visit, http://www.bikewalktwincities.org
ABOUT TRANSPORTATION FOR AMERICA
Transportation for America (T4 America) is the largest, most diverse coalition working on transportation reform today. Our nations transportation network is based on a policy that has not been significantly updated since the 1950s. We believe it is time for a bold new vision transportation that guarantees our freedom to move however we choose and leads to a stronger economy, greater energy security, cleaner environment and healthier America for all of us. Were calling for more responsible investment of our federal tax dollars to create a safer, cleaner, smarter transportation system that works for everyone. www.t4america.org
March 22, 2011 (Saint Paul, MN)-- Today, one out of every eleven bridges that motorists in Minnesota cross each day are likely to be deteriorating to some degree; and 8.8 percent of bridges statewide are rated “structurally deficient” according to government standards.
A new report from Transportation from America released today shows that Minnesota ranks 34th nationally in terms of the overall condition of the state’s bridges, with one being the worst, 51 being the best. The report includes a list of the most heavily used structurally deficient bridges in Minnesota, ranked by average annual daily traffic (ADT) counts. Nine of the ten bridges on the list are in Ramsey or Hennepin County.
“The Fix We’re In: The State of Minnesota’s Bridges” finds that drivers in Minnesota are regularly traveling across heavily trafficked bridges with “poor” ratings – bridges that could become dangerous or closed without repair.
After the devastating I-35 bridge collapse in 2007, Minnesota took a proactive step in 2008 by passing the Trunk Highway Bridge Improvement Program, providing $2.5 billion in state funds over ten years to rehabilitate or reconstruct structurally deficient bridges, prioritizing those with higher traffic volumes and those classified as “fracture critical.” This effort has greatly improved Minnesota’s network of bridges, but problems remain.
“It really shows the scale of the problem, when after a multi-billion dollar bridge repair effort, Minnesota is just above average. And we have some rural counties with one fifth or more of their bridges structurally deficient,” said Andrea Kiepe MN Organizer with Transportation for America.
Regardless of the amount of wear and tear experienced by a specific bridge, most bridges are designed to last roughly 50 years, yet more than 185,000 highway bridges nationwide (out of 600,000 total) are 50 years old or older. By 2030, that number could double without substantial bridge replacement, and it has the potential to triple by 2050. Minnesota’s average is 35.2 years old.
A recent story in the LaCrosse Tribune indicated that drivers have been ignoring weight limits that Mn/DOT posted last June on a 69-year old bridge in Winona, Minnesota, after the discovery of nine corroded gusset plates. The bridge over the Mississippi River is not slated for reconstruction until 2014.
“We have big problems with the condition of our existing bridges and highways. Yet, we continue to fund new interchanges and highway and bridge widening projects. Minnesota can’t afford anymore to make huge spending decisions without looking at the big picture—from pavement conditions to multimodal options. We’ve been expanding highways for decades. Now we need to focus on road and bridge repair and on the network for other modes of getting around: transit, sidewalks, bike routes,” said Barb Thoman, executive director of Transit for Livable Communities.
Congress has repeatedly declared the condition and safety of our bridges to be of national significance. However, the current federal program is not designed to ensure that transportation agencies have enough money and accountability to get the job done.
“Obviously, safety is the main concern. But repair work on roads and bridges generates 16 percent more jobs than new construction,” said Andrea Kiepe. “Given the turbulent economic situation in America, the federal government should reward states that take the ‘fix it’ approach.”
“Additional funding for bridges will enhance mobility, economic development and safety on roadways throughout all of Minnesota. Moreover, bridge upgrades always leverage funding from local, state and federal sources, demonstrating that it is only through a collective and concerted effort that we will be able to ensure that present and future generations have access to the high quality infrastructure that is required of a successful 21st century civilization, ” said Ryan O’Connor, with the Association of Minnesota Counties.
“Preserving Minnesota’s existing transportation system is crucial to ensuring regional prosperity, safety and a higher quality of life,” said James Corless, director of Transportation for America. “The economic and social cost of neglect is simply too high. It is time for our policymakers to shore up our infrastructure and ensure Americans get the most bang for our transportation buck.”
# # #
Transportation for America (T4 America) is the largest, most diverse coalition working on transportation reform today. Our nation’s transportation network is based on a policy that has not been significantly updated since the 1950’s. We believe it is time for a bold new vision — transportation that guarantees our freedom to move however we choose and leads to a stronger economy, greater energy security, cleaner environment and healthier America for all of us. We’re calling for more responsible investment of our federal tax dollars to create a safer, cleaner, smarter transportation system that works for everyone.
Transit for Livable Communities is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization working to reform Minnesota’s transportation system. Through advocacy, organizing, education, and research, it promotes a balanced transportation system that encourages transit, walking, bicycling, and thoughtful development. www.tlcminnesota.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 1, 2010 CONTACT:
Cosabeth Bullock, 202-478-6128
cbullock@mrss.com
Ben Grossman-Cohen, 202-478-6185
bgrossman-cohen@mrss.com
With jobs, the economy our quality of life in the balance,
Congress must act now on authorization
WASHINGTON
D.C. – As the national transportation program faces fiscal uncertainty
today following Sen. Jim Bunning’s (R-KY) refusal to extend legislation
to fund transportation and other national programs on Friday, James
Corless, campaign director of Transportation 4 America, released the
following statement: “The problem is not simply that one
Senator was able to thwart a crucial, timely vote. That lone Senator
was able to shut down our nation’s transportation program only because
Congress has left this essential underpinning of our economy on
life-support for far too long. The highway trust fund we created to
build the interstates in the 1950s simply is not up to the job of
building and maintaining the system we need for the 21st century. This
is not a backburner issue, even if Congress has been treating it as
one. “While we lurch, from extension to extension, with our
transportation program teetering on the brink of insolvency, the rest
of the world is not standing still. China is building a $500 billion
rail network. Canada, whose hockey team just beat us for the gold
medal, is beating us in building efficient urban transportation
networks, even as our public transportation systems are being forced to
slash service in the face of Congressional inaction. “American
jobs – millions of them -- are relying on the authorization of our
transportation program. Americans everywhere depend on an efficient,
safe and accessible network of roads and transit systems to get to work
each day. If we are going to right this economy permanently, Congress
must quickly address our nation’s outdated transportation program and
ensure stable funding levels for public transportation, including
operating assistance for struggling systems, for the repair and
maintenance of our highways and bridges, and a robust investment in
projects that will make our communities sustainable for the long haul.” ###
Transportation 4 America
is a broad coalition of housing, environmental, equal opportunity,
public health, urban planning, transportation and other organizations
focused on creating a 21st century national transportation program. The
coalition’s goal is to build a modernized infrastructure and healthy
communities where people can live, work and play by aligning national,
state, and local transportation policies with an array of issues like
economic opportunity, climate change, energy security, health, housing
and community development. www.t4america.org
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