Agenda - Council Work Session - 12/07/2010

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TRANSPORTATION (V) V -A Transportation and Transit Funding Metro Cities supported passage of the 2008 Transportation Finance bill, This legislation allows for necessary resources for MnDOT, the county road system and the MSA road system, and will help make up for the lack of state resources over the last twenty years. Metro Cities was proud to be part of the effort to secure this base level funding. However, the resources contained in the transportation finance bill represent only half of the need in our counties, cities and state. Metro Cities recognizes the need for additional transportation funding statewide, and will continue to advocate for additional resources to maintain our transportation infrastructure. In addition, cities still lack the authority to use additional tools for city street improvements such resources continue to be restricted to property taxes and special assessments. It is imperative that alternative authority be granted to municipalities for this purpose to relieve the burden on the property tax system. V -B Regional Transit System The Twin Cities Metropolitan Area needs a multi -modal regional transit system that serves both commuters and the transit dependent. The transit system should be composed of a mix of HOV lanes, Bus Rapid Transit, express and regular route bus service, exclusive transit ways, light rail transit and commuter rail corridors designed to connect residential, employment, retail and entertainment centers. The system should be regularly monitored and adjusted to ensure that routes of -service correspond to the region's changing travel patterns. Metro Cities strongly supported the % cent sales tax which was passed by the 2008 Legislature. This tax will be levied in the Metropolitan Area and dedicated to transit. The sales tax represents a commitment to investment in our region's transit ways. It will be important to direct these revenues purposefully, and to avoid subsidizing areas of transit funding that are the responsibility of the Legislature and Metropolitan Council. Metro Cities is opposed to legislative or Metropolitan Council directives that constrain the ability of metropolitan transit providers to provide a full range of transit services, including reverse commute routes, suburb -to- suburb routes, transit hub feeder services or new, experimental services that may show a low rate of operating cost recovery from the fare box. V -C Transit Operating Subsidies The Twin Cities metropolitan area is served by a regional transit system that is expanding to include rail transit and dedicated bus ways. Any operating subsidies necessary to support this system should come from a regional or statewide funding source. The property taxpayers of individual cities and counties should not be singled out to fund the 2011 Legislative Policies 35