Metropolitan Sytems Information Statement 1989

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• [FROM SECTION 3, "POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION"] (page 16 of the Transportation Development Guide/Policv Plan) [POLICY 2] STRATEGY C: Light rail transit facilities, a viable option in the corridors identified in the transit system plan, should serve the metro centers, should be initially limited to the fully developed area and should be implemented in major transportation corridors where it makes cost-effective use of transportation resources. The Council will use the following factors to evaluate light rail transit proposals: ridership potential, concentrations of transit -dependent people, congestion relief on the metropolitan highway system and overall cost-effectiveness as defined by the performance evaluation measures described below. The financing of a regional light rail transit system should be based on a combination of federal, state, and equitable regional and/or local sources consistent with the funding principles contained in Section 6 of this guide chapter and the Metropolitan Development and Investment Framework. Discussion: Light rail transit can be a high -quality and cost-effective transportation solution in heavily traveled corridors. In order to be so, light rail transit should attract a large number of passengers including transit -dependent people, have a positive impact on traffic congestion and achieve those objectives at a reasonable cost per passenger carried. This strategy establishes an upper limit of $4.00 (in 1989 dollars) as the maximum total capital and operating cost per transit rider. Corridors with costs above that threshold should not be considered at this time beyond the comprehensive planning level and should not be candidates for implementation before the year 2010. However, right-of-way preservation consistent with Policy 16 and periodic reassessment of the corridors are appropriate. In 1986 the Metropolitan Council conducted the Long Range Transit Analysis, which concluded that light rail transit can be a viable option in six corridors in the region on the basis of the above general factors. These corridors were therefore included in the 2010 metropolitan transit system plan. Since that time, other corridors have been considered by county regional railroad authorities as part of their comprehensive light rail transit plans. The Regional Transit Board is responsible for preparing a development and financial plan for light rail transit based on the comprehensive light rail transit plans of the counties. The Regional Transit Board may, as a part of the initial plan or subsequent amendments to the plan, recommend additional light rail transit corridors to the Council, which will add them to the metropolitan transit system plan if they meet the performance evaluation measures in this policy. The introduction of light rail transit services in a corridor will affect the existing bus service. Bus service may be eliminated, increased or reoriented to feed into the light rail transit line, and provide better transit service within the corridor. The benefits and costs of these bus service changes represent the true light rail transit impact on the overall transit system and should be included in the cost-effectiveness analysis of light rail transit facilities. As with other components of the transit system, it is appropriate to consider federal, state and regional funding sources for the construction and operation of light rail transit. Light rail transit also provides localized economic benefits. It could, therefore, be appropriately funded in part through local sources such as benefit assessments, impact and joint development fees, property taxes or others. The regional and/or local sources need to be equitable, regardless of whether they are locally or regionally administered. Equitable funding sources are those that include contributions by those who most directly and indirectly benefit from the improvement, also taking into consideration individual's ability to pay.