Minn. highways rank 42nd in national highway study

Slow traffic
Traffic was moving slowly on Interstate 94 in St. Paul on Thursday April 18, 2013.
MPR Photo/Tim Nelson

A new report from the Reason Foundation on the state of the nation's highways shows improvement across much of the country, but not in Minnesota.

Minnesota ranked 42nd in the nation in 2009, dropping from 24th in 2008 and 15th in 2007.

Minnesotans can expect transportation funding to get a lot of discussion in coming months.

The Legislature passed what some lawmakers called a "lights on" transportation budget this year but Governor Dayton also asked his transportation commissioner to hold discussions around the state on what kind of new funding might be palatable for Minnesotans.

We want to get a lot of different perspectives on this issue in coming months. We've had lawmakers and the commissioner on in recent months. Today, a libertarian perspective. David Hartgen, the author of the report and a senior fellow with the Reason Foundation, joins The Daily Circuit to discuss the study.