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Transportation groups press committee for large bonding package, urge local road and bridge funding
Summary
A statewide coalition and local engineers urged the committee to include substantial transportation funding—local road/bridge programs, trunk highway bonds and transit facilities—to preserve existing assets, support jobs and leverage federal funds.
The Minnesota Transportation Alliance and a range of local officials presented transportation funding priorities to the Capital Investment Committee, outlining requests for local road improvement, local bridge replacement, port development, bus rapid transit and trunk highway corridor funding.
Speakers emphasized program readiness and return on investment: local road and bridge programs leverage federal and local dollars and support shovel-ready projects; Saint Michael and county engineers offered examples of bridges closed or weight-restricted while projects await funding. Transit leaders asked for ongoing support for greater Minnesota transit and facility needs, noting that reliable transit supports employment and independence for riders with low incomes.
Witnesses also discussed debt-management guidelines and the trunk highway fund's capacity to absorb additional trunk highway bond authorization without exceeding a 20% debt-service guideline. Committee members asked about how bonding choices intersect with debt limits and the overall allocation process; no final decisions were made during the hearing.
