Minnesota's Department of Transportation booth at the State Fair 

The Minnesota State Fair is an incredible event. People from all over the state travel to Falcon Heights to eat new foods, learn a few things and to watch people.

Getting to the fair is probably the most important step. And there are many options, buses, bicycles, cars and even on foot. All of those modes use some part of Minnesota's large and diverse transportation network.

In Minnesota, each of us interacts with the transportation system each and every day. We go to work or to school. We stop at the store, buy fuel and maybe go to a restaurant. There are kids' soccer games and movies to see.

The system also has a huge effect on our state's economy. Manufacturers across the state need to get ram material to their plants and finished product to customers. Farmers need to get seed to the field and grain to market. Grocery stores need to bring in fresh milk and produce daily. People need to travel to local businesses, such as the hardware story or the barbershop. People and businesses need a safe and reliable system that connects them with each other. That connection helps our economy flourish.

At MnDOT, we work hard to manage the state system. And we assist local governments as they operate the city and county systems. And it is a large system. In Minnesota, we have more than 144,000 miles of state, county and city roadway. And more than 20,000 bridges over 10 feet long. We have miles and miles of rail line, millions of feet of airplane runway. It's a large system that needs significant upkeep in order to keep it running.

So while you are at the fair, if you want to learn more about the transportation system, stop by the MnDOT booth in the education building.

And we also have an amazing new website that you can use to learn more. It is called Get Connected and you can find it at www.mndot.gov/getconnected . Take a look and if you have questions, there is an option to send them our way.

I hope you enjoy the fair.

Commissioner Charles A. Zelle