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July 15, 2005
capitol gridlock ties up transportation
On July 11, 2005 there was an article posted on MPR entitled, “Capitol Gridlock Ties up Transportation.” The main point of this article is that Minnesota lawmakers have come up with some money to help Twin Cities transit system but the money is not enough to fix all of the problems with Minnesota transportation. In the article the author talks about how many of the roads and bridges in Minnesota that need to be fixed will largely remain the same because of the lack of money. Much of the money that funds Metropolitan Council comes from the tax on the purchase of new cars. Part of the problem is that Minnesotans are not buying as many new cars as they have in the past. This has caused the Metropolitan Council to raise fares and cut service on certain routs. In the up coming elections Minnesotans will have the opportunity to vote on whether there should be an increase in the amount of the tax on new car purchases that goes to transportation.
“Earlier in the session, lawmakers approved a bonding bill that borrows $5 million to fund the planning of the Central Corridor light rail or bus rapid transit line between downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis and $37 million for the proposed Northstar commuter rail line between Minneapolis and Big Lake” (Dan Olson, MPR).