MN Voters Can Dedicate Funds to Transit
In November 2006, Minnesota voters will have the opportunity to provide transit with some of the funding stability that roads have enjoyed for over 50 years. A transportation bill passed by the House and Senate in the 2005 session included language for a constitutional referendum on the use of revenues from the State’s Motor Vehicle Sales Tax (MVST). Voters will decide whether the state shall dedicate at least 40% of MVST for public transit and not more than 60% for highway purposes by 2011. Currently 53% of MVST is allocated by state law to transportation (23% to transit and 30% to the state road fund). The remainder goes into the state general fund. In 2004, MVST revenues totaled $600 million.

TLC supports a “YES” vote on the MVST referendum since it would begin to provide transit with a reliable source of revenue. We will be working with the Minnesota Chamber, the Minnesota Transportation Alliance, and the members of the Transit Partners Coalition (see Page 1) to get the referendum passed. At the same time, TLC will continue to push for the state to adopt the Transportation Choices 2020 Initiative, which includes a proposed ½ cent regional sales tax. Together, these two dedicated funding sources would provide the revenue needed to complete the region’s bus and rail transit expansion plan by 2020.

Salt Lake City Grows with Transit
The Salt Lake City civic and business community has taken the lead in preparing their region for the rapid population growth expected in the coming decades. Through their region-wide Envision Utah planning process they identified a strong preference for a Smart Growth agenda with the goals of conserving land, improving water and air quality, and providing more choices in housing and transportation.

According to John Inglish, the General Manager of the Utah Transit Authority, the region will accomplish this in part by completing its 2030 transit expansion plan by 2015, following in the footsteps of the Denver region. Salt Lake City’s transit system has been increasingly popular since its successful TRAX light rail line opened in 1999. The expansion plan will add four more light rail lines, 43 miles of commuter rail, and will greatly expand its bus system. The transit system is funded in large part with a portion of county sales taxes, and a proposed regional referendum may dedicate as much as an additional ½ cent to fund an accelerated expansion plan.

TLC’s Barb Thoman and approximately 30 other Twin Citians traveled to Salt Lake City this fall for the national Rail-Volution conference. The annual event brought together nearly 1,000 transit agency staff, activists, developers, and public officials to study the local transit system and to discuss national trends ranging from parking reform to the financing of development along transit corridors.

SAFETEA-LU funds Transportation Choices in MN
On August 10, 2005, President Bush signed the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) - a reauthorization of the federal transportation funding bill. The bill guarantees $286.4 billion for transportation from FY2004 through FY2009 ($52.6 billion for transit), up from $218 billion in the previous six-year bill (which had $36 billion for transit). While the bill reflected a modest victory in its preservation of transit's share of overall funding, many had hoped to see a larger percentage for transit. Minnesota transit advocates were particularly happy to see $50 million to help the St. Paul Union Depot become a transit hub once again.

For advocates of biking and walking the bill was a definite victory, in large part thanks to several programs championed by Minnesota Congressman James Oberstar. The bill provides $600 million for a national Safe Routes to School Program to encourage more walking and bicycling for children; and it funds a pilot program to increase the bicycling and walking in four communities, including Minneapolis (see the article on page 2).