There has been a lot of buzz statewide about the Move MN campaign as the start of the legislative session on February 25th nears. Move MN has been covered by the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, MinnPost, City Pages and several outstate newspapers – visit this page for a roundup. As someone familiar with Move MN through my employer, I want to provide an overview and then pose some questions for discussion.
Who is Move MN? As of today, Move MN has just under 150 coalition partners. A complete, up-to-date list can be viewed here at the bottom of the page. Move MN says their coalition is “a large, diverse group of advocates”; that description appears accurate as the list includes bicycle coalitions, consulting firms, county governments, environmental and health organizations, highway task forces, labor unions, social service agencies, transit associations, and young professional networking groups.
What is the proposed funding package? Specifics on the transportation funding package won’t be released until later this month, but the coalition has made the following principles clear:
- Funding must be included for bicycle and pedestrian, road and transit systems throughout Minnesota.
- Funding must be more transparent and efficient when implemented than it has been in the past.
- Funding must be long-term and sustainable for all modes of transportation.
- Funding must be balanced between greater Minnesota and the metro area.
- Funding must be dedicated to transportation.
How can I get involved with and/or stay up-to-date on the campaign?
- Official Website – The Take Action page includes email sign up for individuals and organizations, a petition and resources for contacting legislators and writing a letter to an editor
- Social Media: Facebook, Twitter
Streets.mn readers and contributors, what do you think of Move MN? Are there organizations you are surprised to see as members of the coalition or missing from the list? Do you think the campaign will be successful this session? Why or why not?