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December 13, 2006
Minnesota Garners National Recognition for Congestion Pricing
As the Citizens League gets ready to hold a Road Pricing Summit on February 1, Tyler Duvall (U.S. DOT Assistant Secretary for Planning and Policy) was interviewed, along with John Doan from MnDOT, regarding the I-394 MnPASS program on National Public Radio this morning.The 2005 report from the Citizens League, Driving Blind, concludes that until we provide much more of the cost of driving alone in a transparent price for drivers, we will have a much more difficult time building a comprehensive transportation system that serves our future economic health.
As we rebuild and expand the road system in our most congested areas, congestion pricing is an important step. Since much of the state's transportation funding sources are tied up in constitutional dedication, revenues from congestion pricing should be available to fund other options (transit, incentives) to reduce congestion within the corridor. Revenues from congestion pricing will not be a windfall, but can provide more flexibility in a rigid funding system.
Congestion is a mechanism that we should implement now whenever we add new capacity or have major rebuilds of roads in our congested areas, but there are more long-term problems that must be addressed. What are some of the ways that we can provide a stable funding system that will keep up with our current transportation needs, but also build the transportation system of the future? Join the Citizens League for the Road Pricing Summit on February 1 and find out.
Posted by Bob DeBoer at December 13, 2006 11:05 AM