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Video and poll: How can Minnesota compete in the future?

• In the coming weeks, we'll be posting interviews on topics that impact or are impacted by transportation. To help frame the future of transportation, it’s important to understand Minnesotan’s expectations and desires for the future economy, environment and quality of life.

  Note: this is the longer version of the short video shown on the project home page.
  

• 1.

  McCullough notes that Minnesota has done well educating our workforce, and that we're in the top 10 states to be able to adjust and innovate.  What kinds of things can we be doing in Minnesota now to help us to innovate and compete in the future?

  Invest in (choose 2):

  

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    Early childhood education (pre-K)
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    K-12 education
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    Higher education
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    Research and development
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    Attracting new businesses to the state
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    Infrastructure
• 2.

  McCullough predicts that the following industries in Minnesota will be able to compete in a more global economy.  Which 3 industries in Minnesota do you think will be the best bets for the state?

  

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    Manufacturing
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    Medical and biomedical
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    High tech
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    Food processing
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    Agriculture
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    Education
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    Research and development
• 3.

  McCullough notes that Minnesota has good government.  How important is good government to resiliency and innovation?

  

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    Crucial
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    Important
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    A factor
• 4.

  McCullough suggests that rising energy prices will be a challenge for Minnesota, because our economy is transport and energy-intensive. How worried should we be about the cost of energy and its impact on Minnesota’s economy?

  

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    Very worried – rising energy costs threaten our way of life
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    Somewhat worried – rising energy costs will affect our economy, but we will adapt over time
• 5.

  If energy prices are dramatically higher, what may need to change in Minnesota's economy to adapt and adjust to those higher costs?

  Recent answers given: (view all in new window)

  • We must have much greater access to public transit. We need robust systems in all of our metro areas and statewide access to transit. People will not be able to afford to drive cars 50 miles to work. We are quickly heading toward a future of $5-$10/gallon gas. Electric cars will not save us as our road network is already overbuilt, overburdened and unmaintainable.
  • The adjustment is to use alternative, sustainable types of energy instead of relying on the higher cost energies.
  • Nucular power is a must for not only MN but the US.
  • We need to look at other means to transport product around and through the state. If gas prices are at $10-20 gallon in 25-50 years, we need to modify the trucks that move goods, such as decreasing loads to gain higher miles per gallon, create alternative fuel vehicles or utilize some new technology. We should also build more rail lines and make the existing rail lines much more efficient. Minnesota should also invest in the current system (i.e. I-90, I-94, TH 10, 35W and all the other major roads) to make them smoother/better to help reduce on fuel consumption and make it less of a burden on freight haulers.