Transportation remains region’s most important problem, residents say

But annual survey shows concern about crime is rising

Residents of the seven-county Twin Cities area once again identify traffic congestion and other transportation issues as the region’s single most important problem, according to the Metropolitan Council’s latest annual survey. But concern about transportation issues dropped for the second consecutive year, giving way to other issues.

In the survey, conducted in October and November 2005, 35% of residents named transportation as the region’s single most important problem, down from 49% a year ago and from 58% in 2003, when concern about the issue reached its peak.

Conversely, concern about crime is on the rise: 26% of residents in the region named crime-related issues as the single most important problem, compared with 17% a year ago.

Transportation and crime led the region’s list of most important problems in the Metropolitan Council’s annual survey.

Concern about traffic congestion drops

When traffic congestion is separated out from transportation in general, 24% of residents named it as their top concern, compared with 37% in 2004.

“Residents may be getting more accustomed to traffic congestion, which shows some signs of having leveled off in the last year or two,” said Peter Bell, Council chair. “People may also be encouraged by the success of light rail transit and the prospects of investments like Northstar commuter rail.”

The pattern of commute times reported by the 2005 survey participants is almost identical to the pattern of commute times reported in 2004. The only differences were at the low end (where there were fewer 5-10 minute commutes) and the high end (3% of working residents now commute longer than 60 minutes one way).

Crime concerns still far below historic peak

Concern about crime has steadily increased since a low point in 2001, when only 9% of residents called it the most important problem facing the region. The 2005 share, 26%, is still far below the peak level of concern: 61% in 1993.

Trailing transportation and crime in the 2005 survey were growth, named as the most important problem by 11% of those surveyed, social problems (9%) and housing (4%).

Suburban residents more likely to say transportation is a problem

The ranking of problems depends somewhat on location. In the suburbs, transportation was mentioned most often as the most important problem facing the region – about 40% of suburban residents ranked it highest, compared with 22% of Minneapolis and St. Paul residents. Regardless of where residents lived, about one-quarter identified crime as the most important problem.

Growth received a slightly higher ranking than social problems in the suburbs; the reverse was true in the central cities. Seven percent of central city residents said education is the region’s most important problem, compared with 1% in the suburbs.

Pie chart showing survey results of region's most attractive feature

Residents continue to identify parks, trails and the natural environment as the region’s most attractive feature.

Almost all Twin Cities residents (96%) continue to feel that the region is a better place to live than other metropolitan areas. However, residents have an increasing sense that the region’s quality of life is slipping. About 31% of residents – up from 24% in 2004 – feel that the quality of life has gotten worse in the last year.

Nature is the region’s best feature

Parks, trails and natural areas were thought to be the most attractive features of the Twin Cities area by 37% of survey respondents. The next most-cited assets were arts and culture (8%), good neighborhoods (8%), the “variety of things to do” (7%) and shopping opportunities (7%). These numbers are nearly identical to the 2004 survey.

More results from the survey

About the survey.