Quick! Name the U.S. House member who has made the most impact on Central Minnesota transportation issues the past 50 years.

The answer might surprise new residents, but longtime readers know it’s Jim Oberstar, the 18-term House member who died Saturday at age 79 in Potomac, Maryland. His House tenure ended with a stunning loss to tea party-influenced Chip Cravaack in 2010.

But for more than half of his 36 years in Congress, his “northern” district included areas as far south as Benton and Mille Lacs counties. Honestly, though, when it came to federal funds for infrastructure, the political boundary that mattered most was Minnesota’s border.

The Iron Range-based Democrat’s political acumen and focus on transportation infrastructure benefited countless projects across the state, and even the nation. From pushing for more recreational trails (especially cycling) to expanding the Great Lakes shipping industry, Oberstar was a bold champion of all things transportation.

Specifically, Central Minnesota has the passion and political power of Oberstar to thank for expanding St. Cloud Regional Airport, starting Northstar rail, helping with the Sauk Rapids bridge project, opening the Lake Wobegon Trail and acquiring federal funds for countless area road projects.

Such projects — along with likely hundreds of millions of dollars worth of similar transportation projects statewide — came about because of Oberstar’s involvement with U.S. House Transportation Committee. He chaired it from 2007 until 2011 and also served as minority ranking member.

Throughout his congressional tenure, he built a reputation as a solid Democrat focused largely on improving economic standing through government helping fulfill the nation’s endless need for transportation infrastructure.

Among his more notable accomplishments toward the end of his service was championing about $250 million in federal funds to improve bridge safety in the wake of Interstate Highway 35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis. He also played a key role in passing the 2009 economic stimulus package. And many credit him for pushing federal funding toward developing bike trails nationwide.

His direct involvement in Central Minnesota understandably waned with the redrawing of district boundaries starting in 2002. Still, up until he left office, he did all he could to help this area and all of Minnesota develop a multimodal transportation network.

— Fergus Falls Journal, May 8