MPR: Are We There Yet?


Nearly everyone agrees that traffic congestion in the Twin Cities is getting worse. Projections show the population is going to keep growing, and policy makers haven't been able to agree on a long-term transportation funding plan. Cars, buses, roads, LRT, commuter rail; Can we solve this problem, or is Minnesota facing gridlock?

YOUR VOICE "Don't even talk to me about trains until there is a three or four lane beltway around the metro area." (MORE) COMMENTS "Take the easy steps first. Commuter rail is a slam dunk..." (More) SUMMIT Listen to a broadcast with MPR Midday host Gary Eichten from the Getting There Summit: Building Ideas for a Better, Smarter Transportation System in Minnesota. The summit was held on April 11, 2002 (MORE). RESOURCES AND LINKS •Hiawatha LRT • Intelligent Transportation Systems •Met Council transportation plan •McKnight Foundation • MnDOT's Moving Minnesota •Northstar project •Session 2002: Transportation •U of M Center for Transportation Studies • Texas Transportation Institute • Urban Mobility Study 2001 CREDITS Online Editor: Bob Collins Broadcast Editor: Mike Mulcahy Art production: Ben Tesch Production Supervisor: Michael Wells Summit coordinator: Leonard Witt		It only gets worse By William Wilcoxen During the 1990s, only one city - Atlanta - saw traffic congestion grow faster than Minneapolis-St. Paul. Projections show the Twin Cities' population will keep growing over the next 30 years. Read The system with something to prove By Art Hughes If Minnesota's light-rail project is similar to others, significant pockets of opposition will linger, threatening to short circuit development plans related to light rail that determine whether the system succeeds Read \| Listen Roads first By Mary Losure Why Minnesota's system for funding transportation is heavily weighted in favor of more highways? Read \| Listen The worst road By Laurel Druley Highway 14, from South Dakota to Rochester, should be seen as a state problem, instead of a rural problem. Read \| Listen Corridor of congestion by Andrew Haeg The continuing influx of new workers may soon bring traffic on I-494 between Eden Prairie and Bloomington to a halt. Read \| Listen The rail debate by Laura McCallum Perhaps the most controversial transportation issue in the Legislature is the proposed $300 million commuter rail line between Minneapolis and St. Cloud. Read \| Listen Run out on a rail by Tim Post Backers of the Northstar commuter rail line say the project is a bargain compared to building roads. Opponents say it's too expensive. Read What's keeping people off the bus? by Maria Helms As traffic congestion increases, Minnesota lawmakers cut funding for an alternative - the bus. Read \| Listen

	Sign up to receive e-mail newsletters

	Audio help

	Text: Sm : Md : Lg