Please Join the MoveMN “Duct Tape Tour” along US Hwy 14:
Tuesday, May 19
11:15 a.m. in Rochester at City Hall, 201 4th Street SE
2:00 p.m. in Owatonna at City Hall, 540 West Hills Circle
4:00 p.m. in Mankato at the Greater Mankato Growth Chamber, 1961 Premier Drive
Please join us to help highlight frustration over unmet transportation needs after the lack of a deal during the 2015 Session!
Politicians Leave Transportation Infrastructure to Deteriorate
Move MN’s Duct Tape Tour of the state highlights lack of resources to fix aging transportation system
Minneapolis, MN (May 18, 2015) – Move MN, a statewide coalition of more than 200 businesses, organizations, and local governments that advocates for a comprehensive solution to Minnesota’s transport funding shortfall, announced today a “Duct Tape Tour” of Minnesota beginning on Tuesday, May 19, to express their concern over the legislature’s failure to adequately fund critical transportation projects.
Organizers of the Move MN Duct Tape Tour are frustrated by the lack of funding for transportation projects despite promises that transportation funding would be a top priority for the 2015 session. Without long-term, comprehensive funding, Minnesota’s roads and bridges will not get fixed, bus and transit service will not be improved, and bike and pedestrian routes will not be made safer. Move MN representatives are responding with a tour of ten Minnesota cities over three days to raise awareness and ask elected officials to do more.
The tour will be highlighted by a truck carrying a giant roll of a duct tape to signify the numerous temporary fixes that will need to be done to the state’s aging transportation system without adequate funding. The truck will also include signage reading “Emergency Bridge Repair Team,” that commuters will see as the truck travels across the state.
“The proposed allotment for transportation funding in this budget bill is simply not enough to improve mobility and make our roads safer,” said Margaret Donahoe, Executive Director of the MN Transportation Alliance. “Legislators in St. Paul could not agree on a long-term solution that will allow for more than just maintenance of the existing transportation system. Lives are at risk here, and our leaders seem to be missing the point.”
At the beginning of the legislative session in January, transportation advocates requested a comprehensive transportation plan that was balanced with revenue dedicated to transportation alone.
“To say we are disappointed would be a huge understatement,” said Todd Pufahl, President and Business Manager for the Laborers District council of Minnesota and North Dakota. “This issue isn’t going to go away. And future improvements will only cost Minnesotans more. Shame on our state’s elected leaders for not realizing that a safe transportation system is one of the most critical pieces to a thriving state.”
The tour will begin Tuesday, May 19 at 9 a.m. in front of the MnDOT Building on John Ireland Boulevard in St. Paul. There, representatives of Move MN and other transportation stakeholders will kick off the tour and speak to the need for increased transportation funding. Following the St. Paul stop, the tour will visit nine more Minnesota cities all in hopes of educating the public about the consequences of inaction for their local communities. Transportation projects all across the state will be left to languish without funding.
“As Minnesotans, we know duct tape is pretty amazing stuff, but there are things it can’t fix,” said Pufahl. “You can’t use duct tape to fill in a pot hole. You can’t use it to shore up a crumbling bridge. You can’t use it to mark a bike lane. And most importantly, you can’t use it to fix the gaping hole in transportation funding.”
Move MN Duct Tape Tour At-A-Glance:
When: 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 19
What: The tour kicks off a public awareness campaign to inform Minnesotans of the lack of transportation funding provided by the Minnesota Legislature.
Who: Move MN leaders and state and local transportation stakeholders.
Where: The Duct Tape Tour begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 19 outside the MnDOT Building, 395 John Ireland Blvd., adjacent to the Minnesota State Capitol, in St. Paul.
Additional stops include:
Tuesday, May 19
11:15 a.m. in Rochester at City Hall, 201 4th Street SE
2:00 p.m. in Owatonna at City Hall, 540 West Hills Circle
4:00 p.m. in Mankato at the Greater Mankato Growth Chamber, 1961 Premier Drive
Wednesday, May 20
9:00 a.m. in Willmar. location TBA
11:00 a.m. in St. Cloud, location TBA
2:30 p.m. in Alexandria, location TBA
Thursday, May 21
9:00 a.m. in Bemidji, location TBA
12:45 p.m. in Virginia, location TBA
3:00 p.m. in Duluth, location TBA
About Move MN
Move MN is a statewide coalition of more than 200 business, organizations and local governments committing to fixing Minnesota’s long-term transportation problems by securing a comprehensive transportation funding solution. Move MN is committed to finding a long-term and comprehensive solution that is balanced, sustainable, and gimmick free to fix and improve Minnesota’s transportation system. For more information on Move MN, visit www.movemn.org, or find us on Twitter and Facebook.