Greater Minnesota priorities are on the agenda for the 2016 legislative session, and that includes important funding for roads and bridges in our area.
Last session, House Republicans put forth a $7 billion, 10-year transportation plan that will improve transportation infrastructure across the state—all without a harmful gas tax increase. In total, the Road and Bridge Act will help fix more than 15,000 lane miles and 320 bridges throughout Minnesota from Warroad to Worthington.
Northwest Minnesota towns have a number of much-needed transportation improvement projects, and rural roads in our small communities are a priority in the Road and Bridge Act. In addition to the $12.5 million passed in 2015 for small city transportation funding, if our proposal becomes law, there will be more than $27.5 million a year in additional funding for the small cities program. This money comes from dollars already collected by state government through a rental car tax, and will fund repairs to roadways in cities with fewer than 5,000 people.
For the communities that we represent, that's more than $1.2 million in the first year of implementation to fill potholes and fix local streets. We all know how harsh the winter weather can be in our part of the state, and this small city transportation funding is essential for the commuters, commerce and citizens who drive on our roads each and every day.
We look forward to passing legislation important to folks in Northwest Minnesota when session begins again on March 8th. We will work to make sure Greater Minnesota priorities continue to be well represented at the Capitol, and that includes transportation funding for our small cities in the Road and Bridge Act.