Minneapolis completes Transportation Infrastructure Study

NEWS FROM CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS:

The Minneapolis City Council’s Transportation & Public Works Committee heard a presentation of a Public Works Transportation Infrastructure Study. Although the City continuously monitors the condition of its streets, bridges, and other infrastructure, this study takes a thorough look at what the future of our infrastructure will be, based on different funding scenarios over the next two decades. Minneapolis is the first city in the state to do an infrastructure study of this magnitude and complexity, and City policy makers and managers will use the results to help make informed decisions about investment in our transportation infrastructure.

Minneapolis, like cities and states across the county, faces significant fiscal challenges in maintaining and improving its infrastructure. In order to have better information about the challenge Minneapolis is facing, Public Works conducted this study over the past year. The results will help City leaders prioritize the infrastructure funding that is available and to work on long-term strategies to maintain and improve our infrastructure.

The study examined bridges, streets, alleys, street lights, and traffic signals. Minneapolis has 1,100 miles of streets, 400 miles of alleys, 89 City-owned vehicular bridges, about 800 intersections with traffic signals, and about 16,000 City-owned streetlights.

Mayor R.T. Rybak and the City Council, have increased infrastructure funding in the last few years. 2011 is the third year of the $27.5 million Infrastructure Acceleration Program, which supplements the City’s existing infrastructure plan. Street projects are generally funded through the City’s Capital Improvements Program and the general maintenance program. However, those projects were not keeping pace with the overall decline of street conditions. The Infrastructure Acceleration Program increased the number of street projects done each year, slowing the decline of street conditions.