Political Party

Rochester "Nightmare Flight" leads to 3-hour tarmac limit

The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced new rules today that would limit tarmac delays to three hours.

These new rules come after the so-called "Nightmare Flight" in August when a Continental Airlines flight from Houston to Minneapolis-St. Paul was redirected to Rochester International Airport because of severe weather. Passengers ended up getting trapped on the plane for six hours. 

A second incident in August involved a Sun Country Flight from New York to Minnesota when a plane was stranded on the tarmac for five hours.

Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Clincher, a cosponsor of the Passenger Bill of Rights, praised the new rules in a statement released today.

“I’m pleased the Department of Transportation has taken this action to protect the rights of airline passengers,” said Klobuchar. “This is a victory for airline passengers everywhere. Recent incidents in Minnesota highlighted the need for some common-sense rules.  Passengers shouldn’t be held captive for hours on end when the plane is just sitting on the airport tarmac.”

Sen. Al Franken also praised the new rule in a written statement.

“I thank Secretary LaHood for his thorough response to my and Chairman Oberstar’s request for broad review and am satisfied that the results will prevent future incidents like the one that Continental passengers in Rochester experienced this summer,” said Sen. Franken. “Their six hour ordeal was unacceptable and unfortunately not an isolated incident. I’m glad that with the new three hour limit imposed by the Department of Transportation today, it won’t happen again.”

The new rule would prohibit U.S. airlines operating domestic flights from allowing an aircraft to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours except in the case of safety or security issues or if air traffic determined that returning the plane to the gate would disrupt airport operations.

The new rules also prohibits airlines from scheduling chronically delayed flights and making those who violate the provision subject to DOT enforcement. It would also require airline employees to monitor the effects of flight delays and cancellations and respond in a timely manner to customer complaints.

Pawlenty touts Pine Island interchange, some transportation advocates grumble

Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Monday touted efforts in Pine Island to get a new interchange built using public and private dollars and announced an initiative to boost these types of partnerships statewide.

The $36 million interchange would serve the 2,325-acre Elk Run development, which is slated to include a Biobusiness Park, commercial space and residential homes. To get the interchange built, Elk Run developers donated an estimated $13 million in right-of-way for the project.

Pawlenty said in the past, Minnesota has been hesitant to ask private businesses to help pay for infrastructure that would benefit them. But the Republican governor said that needs to change.

“Now we’re much more aggressively and proactive ly looking for areas of improvement that would benefit existing or future commercial or private interest and then asking those interests to join us,” Pawlenty said.

But some question whether Pawlenty’s proposal will hurt efforts to get road upgrades in rural areas with limited economic development. J.D. Burton, a spokesman with the U.S. Hwy 14 Partnership, said his organization is frustrated that residents have been waiting decades for the roadway to be upgraded from a two- to four-lane road from North Mankato to Dodge Center. Over the next 20 years, the state transportation department still does not have the funding needed to finish the project. The stretch from Dodge Center to Owatonna is slated to cost $151 million.

“If the governor is suggesting now we need to have a multi-billion company to support us and that is the only way we are going to get our projects done, then I think that is unwise for the future of transportation in our state,” Burton said.

Rochester high-speed rail backers to hold Capitol press conference

The Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance has scheduled a press conference at the state Capitol in St. Paul tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. to unveil a new study. According to a news release, the study will provide an "apples-to-apples" comparison of potential high-speed routes between the Twin Cities and Wisconsin.

Alexander Metcalf, president of Transportation Economics & Mangement Systems, Inc., will answer questions about the results of the Tri-State III High-Speed Rail Study. He will be joined by legislative advocates and members of the Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance, which commissioned the study.

While the news release does not provide any details as to what is in the report, Rochester DFL Sen. Ann Lynch said she believes the results will be a boost for Rochester's efforts to be part of a high-speed rail line.

"I think it is going to show that there is a very strong case for developing a route that encompasses Rochester," Lynch said.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is currently working to finish a statewide rail plan by the end of the year. Rochester is hoping to be a stop on a potential high-speed rail route from Chicago to the Twin Cities. Meanwhile, members of OnBoard Midwest are pushing for high-speed rail along the Mississippi River where there are existing railroad tracks. That plan calls for the trains to run from La Crosse, Wis. through Winona and Red Wing ending in St. Paul.

A quick political roundup

There's plenty of political news going on today,so I figured it's best just to roundup all that is happening.

At 3 p.m., the Legislative Advisory Committee led by DFLers will meet to discuss Gov. Tim Pawlenty's proposed budget cuts using unallotment. To watch live streaming coverage of the meeting, go here.

In advance of that meeting, House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller sent a letter to the governor with 10 questions about his plan. They include questions about how many public and private sector jobs would be lost and what sort of impact this could have on local taxpayers.

In the end, the commission has no authority to block the governor's actions. Asked about the meeting, Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, said, "It will be a witch hunt for an hour and a half or two hours."

Minnesota Congressman Jim Oberstar is scheduled this afternoon to outline a $500 billion transportation proposal. Fellow PB reporter Jeff Pieters plans to watch the press conferences. 

Also, Second District Congressman John Kline was elected to serve as the lead Republican on the U.S. Education and Labor Committee. PB reporter Sarah Doty chatted with Kline. Here's a link to her story.

And there's another Republican jumping into the 2010 governor's race. Rep. Paul Kohls, 35, of Victoria, filed paperwork with the state today to establish a campaign committee. He joins a crowded field of Republicans considering a run for office. 

Rochester airport to get $1.4 million

U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, DFL-Mankato, announced this afternoon that Rochester International Airport will get more than $1.4 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The grant money will be used to rehabilitate taxiways at the airport.

Two other southern Minnesota airports are also expecting a federal cash infusion. Albert Lea Municipal Airport will get more than $2.1 million and Fillmore County Airport in Preston will get $195,000. The Albert Lea airport plans to use the money for the construction of a runway and the Fillmore County airport will use it for a new hangar building.

In a news release, Walz said these grants will mean more jobs for southern Minnesota.

"These projects are great news for Fillmore County, Albert Lea and Rochester," Walz said. "Regional airports in southern Minnesota are a critical economic development tool and these projects will expand jobs and future economic opportunity."

Walz seeks to make local road projects a "high priority"

DFL Congressman Tim Walz is pushing to get 13 projects in southern Minnesota included on the High Priority Projects list in this year's Surface Transportation Bill. While this does not guarantee funding for the projects, it is a key step in the process. Here are some of the local projects Walz is supporting:

— $190 million for a railroad corridor that would run south of Rochester
— $35 million to expand U.S. 14 from Dodge Center to Owatonna
— $15 million for a new interchange on U.S. 52 near Pine Island to accommodate the Elk Run development
— $15 million for a new interchange on U.S. 52/65th Street in Rochester
— $13.4 million for transit operations center in Rochester
— $7 million to upgrade 55th Street Northwest in Rochester to a four-lane expressway to U.S. 63

For a complete list of the projects, go here.

Norton's seat belt bill gets passed — a first for House

Rochester DFL Rep. Kim Norton's bill that would allow police officers to pull drivers over for failing to wear a seat belt passed the Minnesota House Monday afternoon by a vote of 73 to 60. This marks the first the bill has passed the House, according to Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing.

Murphy is the bill's sponsor in the Senate and has been championing the issue for 17 years. Opponents have argued the measure is an invasion of personal liberties and could lead to more racial profiling. Supporters argued it would save an estimated 30 lives per year and mean $3.4 million in new federal funds.

So what made the difference this year?

"I think the difference was the author in the House was very aggressive and worked the bill hard and did a good job. Kim Norton made the difference," Murphy said.

The bill is expected to come up for a vote on the Senate this afternoon. If it passes, it will head to the governor.

Bad news for 65th street interchange efforts

Looks like a measure aimed at forcing the Minnesota Department of Transportation to issue the necessary permits to build the interchange at U.S. 52 and 65th Street in Rochester is dead — again.

Senate Transportation Chair Steve Murphy said the provision got stripped out of a transportation policy bill during conference committee negotiations. Local business owners and labor groups had been pushing hard for the measure, arguing it would create needed jobs and investment.

But some lawmakers have been opposed to forcing MnDOT to issue the permits, saying the city needs to go through the standard process.

Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, sponsored the bill in the Senate and has been pushing hard to get it passed. It had originally been included in a transportation budget bill, but got chopped out during negotiations.

Senjem said he is "exasperated" and "disappointed" the measure failed to win support.

The city of Rochester and MnDOT have agreed to split a $794,000 transportation study to determine the need for the interchange.

Roch officials work on hush hush high-speed rail route

Fellow Post-Bulletin reporter Jeff Pieters has a story today about Rochester area officials holding confidential talks to map out a potential high-speed rail route. Jeff reports that Mayo Clinic, Rochester and Olmsted County have been holding "low-profile meetings" with rural officials in Olmsted and Dodge counties to build support for the plan.

While the official plan is not being released, those who have seen it say it would run from Winona County along the current Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad. At Dover, it would head southwest to Interstate-90 leading to the Rochester International Airport. From there, it would travel through Dodge County to Owatonna and then north along Interstate 35 to the Twin Cities.

The question becomes can Mayo and Rochester officials win support for this idea after having fought the DM&E upgrade that would have brought more coal trains in to the city. This route seems to mimic a bypass Mayo Clinic had supported for these coal trains. Jeff talks to some rural officials in a second story to gauge their interest.

Primary seat belt bill headed to the floor

Rochester DFL Rep. Kim Norton managed to get her primary seat belt bill out of the House Ways and Means Committee. When the bill got referred to this committee yesterday, the odds seemed grim. But Norton spent the past 24 hours working behind the scenes to get the bill to the floor. It is believed this may be the first time the primary seat belt bill has made it out of the House committee system to the floor.

The bill would allow police officers to pull over motorists for failing to wear a seat belt and ticket them. The bill's sponsor in the Senate — Red Wing DFL Sen. Steve Murphy — has been trying to get the bill passed for 17 years. Could this be the year it passes?

Norton says the House vote will be "very, very close."