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State leaders are negotiating a deal to provide the first substantial infusion of state road, bridge and transit funding in 15 years. Support varies for the funding sources being considered, but widespread agreement exists that Minnesota has shortchanged transportation needs for years.
Unfortunately, transportation in the five Twin Cities "collar counties" of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Scott and Washington has been particularly squeezed for decades, repeatedly overlooked in favor of both our urban and rural neighbors. The inequitable distribution of transportation funds has resulted in a long list of neglected transportation needs in the fastest-growing areas of the state as well as unfair reliance on our taxpayers to pick up the state's tab.
These inequities are stark, compelling and growing worse.
For example, the collar counties' 1.3 million residents represent 24% of the state's total population and generate 25% of state tax revenue for transportation. Yet they receive just 13% of state trunk highway funds and just 14% of total state funding for county roads.
This bears repeating: Collar county residents make up nearly twice the proportion of population and taxes paid for transportation as we receive back in transportation funding. This is patently unfair to our taxpayers.
Contrast this with the rest of the state — which receives almost 90% of the state funding, while serving an increasingly shrinking population. Even Hennepin and Ramsey counties experienced population declines the past two years. Meanwhile, the collar counties anticipate growth of nearly 100,000 more people over the coming decade.
