Rybak pushes for airports in Greater Minnesota
Minneapolis Mayor and gubernatorial candidate R.T. Rybak appeared before a House transportation committee on Wednesday pushing for airport development in Greater Minnesota.
Rybak’s appearance came same day Metropolitan Airport Commission (MAC) Executive Director Jeffrey Hamiel was testifying on the future of the Mpls/St. Paul Airport.
Ryback argued that it was a public policy misstep back in the 1990s not to develop a second airport.
“I think that was bad public policy,” he said, noting the vast majority of business the Mpls/St. Paul airport has compared to out state airports.
Rybak spoke of development of the St. Cloud and Rochester airports as well as others.
He spoke of high-speed rail lines linking airports and regions.
Hamiel and others noted that the level of activity at the 3,000-acre Mpls/St. Paul airport has steadily declined for five years.
Still, MAC officials are planning for redevelopment of the airport to meet the expected 56 million visitors to the facility expected in 20 years’ time.
MAC officials currently consider the airport the top in the world in terms of being accessible to the disabled.
While not dismissing the idea of expanding Greater Minnesota airports, Hamiel noted the high cost of building airports with the long runways that Mpls/St. Paul offers.
Still, House Transportation Finance Committee Chairman Bernie Lieder, DFL-Crookston, expressed worry that the MAC could be stymied by lawmakers in carrying out their airport redevelopment plan.
“I’m really concerned your going to see a moratorium come up when you’re ready to go,” said Lieder of possible legislative action.
