MANKATO – Members of the Highway 14 Partnership are demanding legislative candidates commit to pass a comprehensive transportation package to fund Highway 14 expansion projects.

“It’s no secret the residents and business leaders in our area are frustrated with the legislators’ failure to complete the US Highway expansion between New Ulm and Rochester,” New Ulm Mayor and Partnership President Robert Beussman.

During the 2016 legislative session several options for long-term transportation funding were presented to state lawmakers, but partisan disagreements prevented any comprehensive transportation bill from passing in time. Two of the biggest road blocks involved support for a gas tax and light rail funding in the Twin Cities metro area.

In order to find where supporters stood on transportation funding, the Highway 14 Partnership conducted a survey among followers on Facebook and Twitter between Aug. 24 and Sept. 8. Approximately 700 residents of Brown, Blue Earth, Nicollet, Waseca, Steele, Dodge and Olmsted counties responded to the survey.

The results of the survey showed 64 percent favored an increase to the gas tax dedicated to highways and roads to help meet the $600 million per year needed for highway and street funding. A greater majority – 76 percent – supported allowing the Metro to go forward with light rail construction if it is paid for solely with metro area funding.

Patrick Baker, director of government and institutional affairs for Greater Mankato Growth, gave a breakdown of the survey.

“All of the results are conditioned on getting Highway 14 expanded (from two) to four lanes from Rochester to New Ulm,” he said. “What this new survey shows is there is also support for raising new revenues.”

The same survey indicated 62 percent were against shifting funds to transportation from other areas like education, health and human services. This means the survey takers would prefer to pay more to make sure highways and roads get repaired rather than take money away from other state programs. Since the survey was conducted using individuals following the Partnerships efforts, Baker admitted the results were not the most scientific; however these results did echo the results of a scientific poll authorized by the Minnesota Transportation Alliance.

In November 2015, Harper Polling surveyed 400 registered voters in counties between New Ulm and Rochester for the Minnesota Transportation Alliance. Of those surveyed, 61 percent strongly favored a gas tax increase if the revenue generated is specifically directed to fund the completion of repairs and widening along Highway 14. Based on this data the Highway 14 Partnership put its support behind the gas tax.

“There is no other funding option that raises the needed dollars as quickly and efficiently as the gas tax,” Beussman said. He estimated that for a driver getting 20 miles per gallon, a 15-cent tax would amount to only $54 a year.

“Our survey finds support for the two issues that have been a barrier to compromise,” North Mankato Mayor Mark Dehen said. “We are letting state legislators know that we want them to stop bickering over those two issues and come to a long-term meaningful solution to those problems.”

If long-term transportation funding is secured there is no guarantee the funds will go to Highway 14, but the Partnership is confident the corridor is a top priority. Mayor Dehen said Highway 14 is the most likely road in need of expansion in Minnesota. He believes the Partnership has made a strong case for expansion and was optimistic of its chances.

Dehen also warned environmental impact studies currently in place could expire if the Highway 14 project did not continue to move forward.

“That is why we are so sincere about trying to get this done before we lose the dollars that have already been invested on this corridor,” Dehen said.

“With only five weeks left before the election, it is important that voters to speak up about the need to fix Highway 14 and demand that our legislative candidates listen,” Beussman said. “We deserve elected officials who are willing to break the stalemate over these issues.”

“We are asking voters to meet with your candidates before the election and ask them to support this. No delays. No excuses,” said Dehen.

Both mayors see the completion of Highway 14 as having a major impact on economic development. Dehen cited the expansion generated from the creation of the County 12 interchange that brought in a Walmart distribution center and Fleet Farm to Mankato.

Beussman believes a four-lane highway from Rochester to New Ulm could bring new businesses and opportunities to the west end of the corridor. On the east end of the corridor, Rochester serves as a major medical destination center and with the recent success of the Hearts Beat Back program similar success is possible for New Ulm.