Jon Pratt

Like all other employers and service providers, Minnesota nonprofit organizations have a daily stake in availability of safe and efficient transportation.

Cars are the primary mode of transportation in this state, but people in the nonprofit sector know first hand that a healthy transportation system must be multi-modal in order to serve a population where only some can or should operate cars – not to mention the obvious environmental reason to increase energy efficiency. For this reason nonprofits were early and strong advocates for light rail in the Twin Cities, first the Hiawatha Line and now the Central Corridor Line between Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Some of the leading nonprofit energy and transportation advocates include Fresh Energy (formerly Minnesotans for an Energy Efficient Economy), Transit for Livable Communities, Alliance for Metropolitan Stability and the Neighborhood Energy Connection (sponsor of the amazingly creative HourCar service – I recommend visiting www.hourcar.org to learn more).

The Central Corridor project would build the second light rail line in the Twin Cities along University Avenue between Minneapolis and St. Paul. This area is home to 816 nonprofits, making it a virtual “Nonprofit Main Street.” MCN and many of its members will be following the Central Corridor planning very closely to preserve a great place for accessible community services and will lobby for adequate federal and state funding.

Down the line there will be other transit lines as well: North Star from Big Lake to Minneapolis, Red Rock from Hastings to St. Paul, Southwest Corridor along Hwy 394 to Minneapolis, Rush Line from Hinkley to St. Paul and even high speed rail from St. Paul to Chicago. One helpful connection will be Eighth District Congressman Jim Oberstar, the new chair of the U.S. House Transportation Committee.