By Areeba Memon
Minnesota has many transportation issues: Roads and bridges need repair. Traffic congestion needs to be addressed. Public transit needs to be made safer and more environmentally sustainable.
The state risks unsafe conditions if critical investments aren’t made, according to Margaret Donahoe, executive director of the advocacy group Minnesota Transportation Alliance.
“What’s at stake is that roads continue to deteriorate. Bridges might have limitations on heavy trucks using them as they become older and worn out,” she said.
Whether or not the state will make much needed investments in this year’s legislative session is uncertain.
A rocky start, a smaller-than-expected budget, and the July 1 budget deadline all present challenges for transportation funding.
“We are really going to have some tough choices to make,” said Representative Andrew Myers, a member of the House transportation committee.
“No one party will get everything they want, which I believe will lead to the passing of pragmatic solutions that are the heart of transportation. This means funding projects that perform well and holding off on more programs that are untested,” he said.
Minnesota’s transportation funding comes from a variety of places: revenue from public transit, a metro-area sales tax, and state and federal government funds. State bonding bills–packages of infrastructure projects funded by taking on debt–are a key source.
One of the reasons transportation projects have stacked up is that Minnesota hasn’t had a bonding bill since 2023.
That bill was for $2.6 billion dollars and more than 300 million went to the Minnesota Department of Transportation for improvements to local roads and bridges. Donahoe says that her organization hopes to see the legislature pass a bonding bill that will help fund projects like the reconstruction of the I-94 highway.
Though transportation is an essential part of the state’s infrastructure, it is often overshadowed by other issues in the state.
“The biggest thing is that the legislature has to pass a two-year budget by the first of July, or there will be a state government shutdown,” Donahoe said.
Not adequately funding transportation can lead to larger problems. “The biggest impact is that projects will cost more in the future,” Donahoe said.
Unpredictable funding also means more hesitation for projects. “It becomes difficult for local governments to plan and for companies to plan when the money might not be there,” Donahoe said. Projects like Rethinking I-94 in the Twin Cities and the Blatnik Bridge reconstruction in Duluth are costly and will require more money.
There is a set amount of money that gets allocated to the transportation committee from Minnesota’s highway trust fund. “The legislature can’t spend the money on other things. The money has to be spent for roads,” Donahue said. It covers the money needed for the state’s highway and bridge system. But even with this trust fund, MNDOT still needs money for more improvements and projects. A bonding bill would help. Donahoe hopes for $300 to $400 million dollars this year.
Minnesotans need a well-funded transportation system for a high quality of life, said Donahoe: “You need that system to be safe, to be effective, or it’s going to take a lot more of your time, it’s going to take a lot more of your money to live your life.”
Myers is optimistic that bipartisan solutions for transportation are possible. “I believe that we have more in common versus less. We want to provide nimble options that include [greener] buses. It will all come down to how we support that. Given the infrastructure needs we have, that focus needs to be on asset preservation of our roads and access.”
Areeba Memon, a senior at Wayzata High School, produced this story through ThreeSixty Journalism’s Capitol Reporting Workshop sponsored by the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation in February 2025.
