A climate budget for transportation – Let’s get moving.
This is part of “Climate in All Budgets,” a new blog series by 100% Campaign Managing and Research Director, Dr. Kate Knuth
In this week’s Climate in All Budgets post, we’re diving into the biggest source of climate pollution in Minnesota – transportation! Reducing emissions in the transportation section is a big part of what a bold climate action budget looks like.
First, some background on transportation emissions.
Transportation emissions make up about a quarter of Minnesota’s total climate pollution. Minnesota’s most recent report shows transportation emissions went down quite a bit – 18% from baseline – but this report only covers data through 2020. We know what happened in 2020, and it meant we saw a lot fewer plane and car trips because of the pandemic. So, we’ll have to see how transportation emissions change moving forward.
How can we invest our state budget this year to make real progress on reducing transportation sector emissions? Broadly speaking, there are two big approaches to reducing transportation emissions, reducing the fossil fuels burned for driving and reducing the need to drive to live a vibrant life, including getting to work and connecting with the community.
Let’s dig into how we can invest in each of these strategies.
Fueling cars without fossil fuels
The biggest chunk of transportation emission – over 70% – is from passenger vehicles, including light-duty trucks, passenger cars, and heavy-duty trucks.
Lowering emissions from these vehicles will take a combination of improving fuel efficiency and, even more effective, electrification.
Investing in the transition to electric cars and trucks is a place it makes sense to invest this year. State funding would ramp up the charging infrastructure needed for people to switch to EVs, and incentives purchasing EVs would also help.
Making Minnesotans less car-dependent - the big one for public investment
While electrification matters, it will not get Minnesota where we need to go to reduce climate pollution from transportation. We need to make it easier and better to get around – to work, to play, to get to shopping centers – without a car.
This collective ability to get around is exactly where we should be putting our collective money – i.e. our tax dollars – this year.
We will get to public transit, but let’s start with some more unexpected places first.
Minnesota has an active transportation program, designed to get people onto bikes, on foot, and other forms of non-motorized ways of getting around. A bill introduced in the House and Senate would put $50 million of the state’s one-time surplus into this program.
The same bill would also invest $10 million in Safe Routes to School, a program to make sure students can get to school safely without needing to get into a vehicle.
Both of these investments should pass this year.
The biggest place Minnesota needs to invest to reduce emissions is building out and safely operating a transit system that is easy, accessible, and climate-friendly. That looks like a system that:
Comes every five to 10 minutes throughout the day
Is within a 10-minute walk of everyone in the 494/694 beltway
Features all electric buses
Has low or no fares
Supports a system-wide ambassador program
Includes fast highway buses and suburban service options
Closes existing operating gaps and funds ongoing operation of the expanded system
So far, we’ve seen some good proposed transit investments, but none get us as far as we need to go. The House has passed a capital investment (i.e. infrastructure) bill that would put $72 million into building bus rapid transit. A good start, but not enough.
To get where we need to go, a coalition is proposing Minnesota raises a one-cent metro sales tax. For just one-cent, Minnesotans can get a transit system that will take us into the vibrant carbon-free, climate-resilient future we deserve. Let’s go (literally, this is all about all of us getting around).
