Letter to Governor Dayton-Support Long Term Funding

March 26, 2015

Dear Governor Dayton:

The US Highway 14 Partnership supports long term funding for Minnesota’s highways.
The US Highway 14 Partnership (the “Partnership”) consists of cities, counties, businesses, chambers of commerce and individuals located along US Highway 14 from Rochester to New Ulm. The story of our highway is personal to all of us, and it is a story of economic growth, quality of life and safety concerns punctuated by tragedy. This highway extension is long overdue.

The Partnership seeks to have US Highway 14 widened to four lanes from New Ulm to Rochester. We support new funding for the Minnesota Trunk Highway system, with long term funds dedicated to the Corridors of Commerce program, which funds highway expansion with regional and economic significance.
The vibrant economic corridor of New Ulm to Rochester diversifies the Minnesota economy and contributes to our State’s economic health. The lack of four-lanes all the way across has led to uneven economic growth and lost opportunities. Specifically, economic development experts know that a four lane highway is an essential site selection criterion for new or expanding businesses. The full expansion of US Highway 14 to four lanes is necessary and overdue for the stability of our economy. Fix it now!
US Highway 14 is essential to the quality of life in our communities. Many workers travel at least 10 miles along the highway to get to work. A narrow, curving two lane highway populated by heavy trucks makes a dangerous and exhausting commute. Communities along Highway 14 depend on traffic to bring shoppers to retail districts, but shoppers avoid the two lane sections of Highway 14, limiting retail growth. Finally, US Highway 14 is a dangerous highway. Between Dodge Center and Owatonna there were 197 crashes between 2003 and 2014, with eight fatalities. One of our members is a chiropractor on the west end of the highway who regularly treats people injured on US Highway 14. Almost everyone in our communities has a friend or relative who has been seriously injured or killed on Highway 14.

For these reasons, we urge the Legislature and the Governor to come to an agreement about long term funding for our roads and bridges this year, to increase funding for Corridors of Commerce, and to finally fix Highway 14 from New Ulm to Rochester.
Sincerely,
/s/

Robert Beussman, President
US Highway 14 Partnership

On behalf of the Board of Directors:
Vice President Steve Gray, Commissioner, Dodge County
Secretary/Treasurer Pat Hentges, City Manager, City of Mankato
Patrick Baker, Dir. Of Government Affairs, Greater Mankato Growth
Ardell Brede, Mayor, City of Rochester
Jim Bier, Commissioner, Olmsted County
Mark Dehen, Mayor, City of North Mankato
Fred Froehlich, Mayor, City of Nicollet
Mike Hintz, Commissioner, Waseca County
Kevin Raney, Council Member, City of Owatonna
Audra Shaneman, President/CEO, New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce
Les Abraham (Past President) Council Member, City of Owatonna

CC: Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk Senate Minority Leader David Hann
Speaker of the MN House, Kurt Daudt House Minority Leader Paul Thissen
Senate Transportation and Public Safety Chair Scott Dibble
House Transportation Committee Chair Tim Kelly
MnDOT Commissioner Charlie Zelle

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