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Question 3: To what extent do you intend to support investment in maintaining Minnesota’s highway system and expanding its mass transit system given the age of the state’s highway system, population and business growth, and the mass transit needs of an aging and dispersed population? VENTURA Response to Question 3 Minnesota lacks a comprehensive transportation plan. As governor, I would make sure we had one. In funding Minnesota’s highway system, the focus should be on user fees. Put all gas taxes back to what they were designed for - paying for the upkeep of our highways. Money from the license plate tabs should go for highways. An investment in mass transit is more important than an than an investment in a stadium. I believe in light rail. Several cities have excellent light rail systems. We should study these success stories and then do it right in Minnesota.
my home to a park-and-ride, do my business downtown, and take the train back to my car. With metro-wide mass transit, employment opportunities are better. If you can get to a local transit station, you can get to most job sites in the area. Once a mass transit system is in place, downtown parking should be made difficult, not easy. The drive downtown and park all day idea should give way to the park and ride idea. We can accomplish that by tearing down a number of parking ramps. Parking prices would increase and people would prefer to park for free at the transit stations. Capital for mass transit construction can come from private companies that will build the system in return for the rights to operate it for a period of years. Minnesota just used such an arrangement to develop a statewide computer cable grid. We can do the same thing to fund a new mass transit system. |