U of M researchers have created an online database that will serve as a foundation for understanding transportation finance issues in Minnesota.
The Minnesota Transportation Finance Database is composed of annual data from various transportation funding sources—at the state, county, and local level—as well as transportation expenditure allocations in Minnesota; some files date back to 1975. The site will be updated annually.
The database was created as part of the multiple-year Transportation Policy and Economic Competitiveness (TPEC) Program, which was funded in 2013 state legislation.
The database provides public access to enhance public engagement and informed decision making, and facilitates transportation research linking transportation investments to other data regarding transportation inputs, outputs, or outcomes.
“Our main focus is on transportation policy and economic development,” says Lee Munnich, TPEC director. “We believe an independent and robust source of transportation finance information will facilitate an informed discussion and decisions on how to build and maintain a world-class transportation infrastructure for a competitive Minnesota economy.”
