The House Transportation Committee met at 7AM on March 27, 2001 to debate three bills which propose to delay the closure and reconstruction of the Crosstown Highway Commons. All three bills, H.F. 625, H.F. 797 and H.F. 1498 passed this committee and were sent on to the next committee in the procedural chain of command. During the committee hearing, a letter from some members of the Minneapolis legislative delegation was distributed to committee members. Although the letter is dated January 30, 2001, I was not aware of it. I have attempted to transcribe this letter below. A note of interest is the statement made by a representative from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT). He said the Department has now cut its estimate of the time eastbound Crosstown to 35W North will be closed from 38 months to 20 months. Here is the letter. "January 30, 2001 Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg Minnesota Department of Commerce 395 John Ireland Blvd. (MS-100) St. Paul, MN 55155-1899 Dear Commissioner Tinklenberg: We are writing to urge that there be no delay in the reconstruction of I-35W from the Crosstown/62 commons area to 46th Street. As you are well aware, this project has been in the discussion and planning stages for over 13 years. Most of the other components of the overall project have already been completed, including the addition of lanes from Highway 13 in Burnsville and the reconstruction of the new overpass at 66th Street in Richfield. This is the last piece, and we urge that it move forward with no further delay. The cloud of uncertainty has hung over our neighborhoods for too long. Although the debate over reconstruction of I-35W has been long and tedious, it has also produced tangible benefits for the community. Significant accomplishments and compromises were achieved, including minimal removal of home and businesses and increased attention to aesthetic enhancements along the construction route. These improvements from the original design proposal will also reduce the cost from the original proposal. The recent public outcry following Mn/DOT's announcement that reconstruction of the Crosstown commons could last as long as four years is entirely justified. We join the thousands of citizens upset over this decision in asking Mn/DOT to use whatever means necessary to get the job done faster. Four years is too long and is unacceptable. Even an accelerated timetable will not spare area residents from spillover traffic and construction activities, and we look forward to working with Mn/DOT on the ways to mitigate the effect of detoured traffic and construction activities to make the construction process as painless as possible. In a larger sense, we think this project and the public attention that has been focused on it presents an opportunity to develop real, meaningful transportation choices for the thousands who rely on the Crosstown every day. An aggressive approach to develop and promote transit alternatives for commuters is imperative. It seems obvious; if you choke a major highway down to one lane, there is a clear need to provide alternatives to the thousands who can no longer use the road, and to provide relief to those living near the commons who will have to deal with the spillover traffic. The reconstruction process should be a time for both Mn/DOT and the Metropolitan Council to develop transportation choices. If this extended redesign process has taught us anything, it is that we aren't going to build ourselves out of congestion. Radical road-building solutions to fix the Crosstown commons, including stacking the highways and adding more lanes to both I-35W and Highway 62, are simply not acceptable due to the damage these "solutions" would inflict on surrounding neighborhoods. Environmental considerations, especially the effect automobile-related pollutants are having on air and water quality in our area, also need to be considered. There continue to be concerns about the effect of this project on water quality in Diamond Lake and the rest of the watershed in the area. We urge Mn/DOT to work closely with the affected communities and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District to mitigate any possible deterioration to water quality. This could be just the spur that the State Legislature, MnDOT and the Met Council have needed to set us on the road to a long-term, sustainable approach to transit. The legislature could get the ball rolling by giving transit what roads have had for decades; a permanent funding source that would allow transit agencies to plan for the long term knowing they could rely on a stable revenue stream. Roads will of course continue to be the metro area's primary mode of transportation, but the Crosstown reconstruction should demonstrate that our region can't rely solely on roads. Transit, by providing options to those who have sat in traffic long enough would alleviate congestion and mitigate the harmful social and environmental repercussions automobiles have. We specifically ask that you consider these suggestions as you plan the Crosstown reconstruction in the weeks ahead. Thank you for your leadership on this and other important issues. Please do not hesitate to contact any of us as planning for this important project proceeds. Very truly yours, D. Scott Dibble District 60B Rep. Wes Skoglund District 62B Rep. Jim Davnie District 62A Rep. Mark Gleason District 63B Rep. Karen Clark District 61A Rep. Margaret Anderson Kelliher District 60A Rep. Jean Wagenius District 63A Rep. Neva Walker District 61B" _______________________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
