Transportation for Minnesota's Future:
Fund Comprehensive Transit Solutions
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Transportation for Minnesota's Future:
Fund Comprehensive Transit Solutions
With growing congestion, increased air pollution, an aging population, one million more Metro residents in coming years and the success of Hiawatha Light Rail, Minnesotans want balanced transportation. The North Star Chapter of the Sierra Club supports two legislative initiatives to create and fund comprehensive statewide transit, bicycle and walking solutions, and High Speed Rail service between the Twin Cities and Chicago.
Transportation Choices 2020
The North Star Chapter and seven other partners have developed Transportation Choices 2020, providing $365 in dedicated funding per year to build eight transitways, guarantee money from state sources to local cities and counties for transit, bicycle and pedestrian amenities and fund transit for every one of Minnesota's towns, cities and counties, starting January 1, 2006. It's time to give transit, bicycling and walking the same funding assurance roads have had for decades.
Build a Network of Metro-Wide Transitways
In the current absence of dedicated capital funding for transit, the North Star Chapter is supporting 2006 bonding of $86.5 million for Twin Cities Metro Transitways, including $37.5 million to continue development of the Northstar Commuter Rail Corridor, $5.25 million for the Central Corridor between downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul, $1 million for the Red Rock Commuter Rail from downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul to Hastings, and $1 million for the Rush Line from St. Paul to Rush City. The Legislature's bonding bill is expected to be passed and signed by the Governor by early or mid-April 2005.
Concern
The Met Council has envisioned and planned for a comprehensive system of transitways — commuter rail, light rail, and busways — that would serve the entire region. This and a doubling of bus service would begin to meet the growing demand for transit and the desire for comprehensive transit solutions to our transportation problems. Transportation choices will benefit drivers and transit riders alike by mitigating congestion, saving taxpayer dollars, preserving air and water quality and contributing to more livable, walkable communities. Of all surface transportation modes, the energy efficiency per passenger mile is greatest with passenger rail.
The Northstar commuter rail project, in particular, is poised to provide a cost-effective, time-saving alternative to thousands of commuters in the rapidly growing and increasingly congested highway 10 corridor. A rigorous analysis by the FTA gained Governor Pawlenty's backing and strong bipartisan support in 2004. Northstar would operate on existing private rail tracks for the 40 miles between Minneapolis and Big Lake and connect to Hiwatha LRT. $37.5 million in state funding is needed in 2005; a total state contribution of $88.3 million will leverage $44.2 million in local contributions and $126 million in federal money — a match of $2 for every $1 invested by the state.
Our peer regions are currently using Federal New Starts transit funding to build their second, third and fourth rail lines — and several are even extending their systems without any federal funding. Houston, Maryland, St. Louis and Salt Lake City obtained almost twice as much per capita federal funding for new transitways than the Twin Cities, because they provided the state match.
In the long term, growing the transit system requires stable, dedicated funding that does not currently exist. Such funding will not materialize until 2006 or 2007 at the very earliest. Therefore bonding money is needed in 2005 to meet regional demand and keep moving the vision forward.
Solution
Support bond sales or other funding of $86.5 million to continue building a regional system of transitways, with proceeds assigned as follows:
- $37.5 million for Northstar commuter rail for final design, construction and right-of-way acquisition
- $30 million for Northwest busway, to complete construction. (Total project needs also include $20 million which was allocated in 2002 but not bonded for.)
- $5.25 for Central Corridor, for final environmental impact statement and preliminary engineering
- $9 million for Cedar Avenue busway, for preliminary engineering, environmental review and right-of-way acquisition
- $1 million for Red Rock commuter rail, for preliminary engineering and environmental review
- $1 million for Rush Line transitway, for bus improvements and park and ride facilities
- $2.5 million for Union Depot, for preliminary engineering
Coalition Partner
Transit for Livable Communities
For more information contact:
Mat Hollinshead
Brian Pasko