Representative Terry Morrow received a letter on Monday from Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Commissioner Thomas K. Sorel committing the department to completing the final environmental impact studies for Highway 14. A final EIS is necessary before purchasing right-of-way and taking other steps toward expansion of Highway 14 from a two-lane to a four-lane highway. MnDOT’s commitment came after Representative Morrow brought a bill in the 2009 legislative session to require that MnDOT complete the studies.

MnDOT’s commitment to completing the Highway 14 studies is a tremendous step forward. We worked on this Highway 14 issue throughout the winter and spring this year, trying to figure out a solution that would finally complete the EIS while still respecting MnDOT’s ability to set transportation plans. On behalf of everyone in my district and those who use Highway 14, I thank Commissioner Sorel for his understanding of this project’s importance to the safety and economy of Southern Minnesota.

MnDOT will hold a public open house on the environmental impact study (EIS) for the North Mankato-New Ulm segment of Highway 14 in August or September. The goal is to have the final EIS approval occur by December 2010. (more…)

As the Mankato Free Press reports today, MnDOT has agreed to complete the environmental impact studies (EIS) for the remaining portions of Highway 14, including the stretch between North Mankato and New Ulm.  This agreement follows Terry’s sponsorship of legislation this year to move the Highway 14 improvement process along.

By completing the EIS in 2010 from North Mankato to New Ulm, MnDOT will then be able to purchase right-of-way and undertake design and engineering planning.  This step also improves the chances that the project can receive federal transportation funding.

Terry worked closely with the U.S. Highway 14 Partnership, led by North Mankato mayor Gary Zellmer, in passing this bill and securing MnDOT’s agreement.

Click here to read/hear MPR’s story on the Minnesota Prairie Line:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/05/05/short_line_railroads/?refid=0

Representative Terry Morrow ensured emergency funding for Greater Minnesota transit operations facing immediate cash-flow problems, including Trailblazer Transit in Sibley County. This funding is part of the Transportation Finance bill agreed upon this weekend by the Transportation Conference Committee, on which Representative Morrow served.

On Monday, the House of Representatives passed the bill in a 103-30 bipartisan vote.We learned over a month ago that 22 Greater Minnesota transit operations were facing an ‘acute crisis,’ according to MnDOT, because of rising ridership and funding problems. These bus operators, like Trailblazer Transit, get folks where they need to go, help our businesses, and enable people live in their homes and still get to where they need to go.

The Transportation Finance conference committee, consisting of five senators and five representatives, struggled to limit the impact of budget cuts to transit and transportation. Proposed cuts to state patrol and security personnel were replaced by spreading the cuts to other MnDOT, Metropolitan Council, and transit areas. Federal recovery funds for road and bridge construction helped the committee balance the transportation budget. The Governor is expected to sign the bill.

It was a long weekend of negotiations and number crunching. There’s no avoiding the fact that the state budget shortfall means real cuts to real programs that will affect Minnesotans. While it was tense at times, everyone involved was committed to making the cuts and balancing the impact as much as possible.

Representative Morrow, as Assistant Majority Leader in the House of Representatives, continues to build upon his leadership in transportation issues. In addition to his role on the Transportation Finance conference committee, Representative Morrow is a member of the State Rail Plan group and is carrying significant transportation-related legislation this session.

Representative Terry Morrow announces that Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Commissioner Thomas Sorel has agreed to visit Winthrop, Minnesota to discuss freight rail, the Minnesota Prairie Line, and MnDOT’s transportation planning process.

Friday, April 17
1:30-3:30 p.m.
Winthrop Veteran’s Club
206 N. Main Street
Winthrop, MN

Representative Morrow worked with the Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Coalition and its chair, Rob Edwards, to set up the public meeting. The Minnesota Prairie Line (MPL) goes through five counties– Carver, Sibley, Renville, Redwood, and Yellow Medicine—along the 93.4 mile short line MPL. The MPL runs within one block of the Winthrop Veteran’s Club.

Working with the rail coalition has demonstrated that public and private individuals and groups can come together to rebuild our rails and build our economy. Commissioner Sorel’s visit is an exciting opportunity to hear about his vision for Minnesota’s transportation system and for our area to share our vision for the Minnesota Prairie Line.

The Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority received $3 million in the 2008 state bonding bill to replace rail and other improvements along the MPL. This year, the Minnesota House and Senate bonding committees heard bills from Representative Morrow and Senator Kathy Sheran to continue the improvements. The Minnesota House and Senate both include $5 million of bonding support in their Capital Investments (bonding) bills.

Freight rail encourages job growth as it reduces shipping costs. We have seen the fruit of our efforts as businesses such as Winfield Solutions are choosing to build their businesses along freight rail like the Minnesota Prairie Line. Commissioner Sorel’s leadership at MnDOT offers exciting confirmation that MnDOT includes freight rail in its plans for helping Minnesota create jobs.”

Representative Morrow is a member of the House Transportation Finance Committee and the House Transportation Policy and Oversight Committee. He serves on the MnDOT State Rail Plan policy committee, which will participate in creating Minnesota’s state rail plan by the end of 2009. More about the state rail plan process can be found at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/planning/railplan/

Terry and MnDOT Commissioner Thomas Sorel

at last summer’s MnDOT hearing in Mankato

(Mankato Free Press)

MnDOT Program a Fresh Idea

Mankato Free Press editorial (October 25, 2008)

A heated debate about rural Minnesota highways in Mankato got new MnDOT Commissioner Tom Sorel on the hot seat, but it appears he, and MnDOT, have reacted in at least one small way to assuage the rancor and make some roads safer.

A new MnDOT plan for road funding priorities unveiled in July left many local and regional officials upset and angry about the plan that appeared to make dangerous outstate roads less of a priority than expanding suburban and metro highways to handle more traffic.

The plan put some long-awaited southern Minnesota projects, like Highway 60 and Highway 14, even further back on the priority list. North Mankato Mayor Gary Zellmer, also a leader with the Highway 14 lobbying group, was one of the most vocal critics, calling the plan unbelievable and unacceptable.

Safety of these rural roads were of major concern, and Zellmer wrote Sorel noting that 150 people have been killed on the roadway since the mid-1980s. Under the new plan, one of the most dangerous stretches between North Mankato and New Ulm wasn’t going to see funding for 20 years.

In his defense, Sorel was reading the new transportation law as requiring almost all new money be spent on bridges.

Things have changed a bit since then, and for the better on the issue of safety on those roads. Legislative leaders from southern Minnesota have been working with Sorel and MnDOT to modify they timeline on safety improvements. Rep. Terry Morrow, DFL-St. Peter, met with Sorel to suggest the changes and push for at least preliminary safety improvements.

In fact, on Sept. 4, MnDOT announced it would start looking at safety improvements to rural roads that go back and forth from two-lanes to four-lanes. An evaluation of Highway 60 that involved reviewing crash history, traffic volumes and interregional connections helped MnDOT design safety improvements for that roadway. Sorel vowed to do the same study with Highway 14 as well, and other rural Minnesota roads.

Even though design improvement and major changes may still take years, Sorel said immediate safety improvements like rumble strips, new lighting, “innovative signing” and educational “Safe Community Coalitions” can be implemented.

These measures make sense and don’t cost a lot of money. It’s one way the new commissioner appears to be coming up with ways to satisfy important constituencies and maximize MnDOT resources for safety.