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Recognizing the unique street funding needs <br />in cities under 5,000 population, the 2015 <br />legislature created the Small Cities <br />Assistance Account (Minn. Stat. § 162.145). <br />Funds in the account are distributed through <br />a formula to all cities under 5,000 <br />population for street maintenance and <br />reconstruction. Unfortunately, funding for <br />the account was only provided for one year. <br />Maintenance costs increase as road systems <br />age, and no city --large or small—is <br />spending enough on roadway capital <br />improvements to maintain a 50 -year <br />lifecycle. For every one dollar spent on <br />maintenance, a road authority --and therefore <br />taxpayers --save seven dollars in repairs. <br />According to a report released in late 2012 <br />by the governor's Transportation Finance <br />Advisory Committee, cities collectively <br />need an additional $400 million per year to <br />bring city streets up to an economically <br />competitive standard. <br />Response: City streets are a separate but <br />integral piece of the network of roads <br />supporting movement of people and <br />goods. Cities need greater resources and <br />flexible policies in order to meet growing <br />demands for street improvements and <br />maintenance. The League of Minnesota <br />Cities supports: <br />a) A dedicated and sustainable state <br />funding source for non -MSA city <br />streets in large and small cities <br />statewide; <br />b) enabling legislation that would allow <br />cities to create street improvement <br />districts (similar to sidewalk <br />improvement districts already allowed <br />under Minn. Stat. § 435.44); <br />c) and the creation of a new fund within <br />the Local Road Improvement <br />Program that would provide grants to <br />cities burdened by cost participation <br />requirements related to trunk <br />highway and county state -aid projects. <br />LE -39. Complete Streets <br />Issue: There is increasing public support for <br />the reform of local street design policies to <br />make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists <br />and neighborhood residents. <br />Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities supports reforms in state design <br />guidelines for local streets that would give <br />cities greater flexibility to safely <br />accommodate all modes of travel, <br />including walking and biking. The state <br />should also provide incentives such as <br />grants to local units of government <br />working to advance complete street <br />projects. Crosswalks and Safe Routes to <br />School projects should be eligible for <br />incentives. <br />The League opposes state imposed <br />unfunded mandates that would increase <br />the costs of building streets in contexts <br />where facilities for cyclists and <br />pedestrians are unnecessary or <br />inappropriate. <br />LE -40. Railroads <br />Issue: Railroads impose far-reaching and <br />long-term impacts on communities. The <br />impact of railroads on communities has <br />become more pronounced in Minnesota as <br />the number and length of trains have <br />increased due to frac sand and crude oil <br />entering the state by rail to and from North <br />Dakota. While railroads often support <br />economic activity and can relieve pressure <br />on roadway and bridge infrastructure, they <br />also bring noise, environmental impacts and <br />safety challenges. Below are some of the <br />concerns cities have raised about railroads: <br />League of Minnesota Cities <br />2016 City Policies Page 71 <br />