A scorecard for the 2012 legislative session

from Dave Van Hattum, Senior Policy Advocate

When the 2012 legislative session opened on January 24, Transit for Livable Communities had four objectives on our agenda (pdf).

1. Maintain Current Operating Funding for Public Transit Statewide
2. Capital Bonding for Transit Investments
3. Enable Financing for Transit Oriented Development
4. Increase Funding for Bicycle and Pedestrian Access

When the gavel marked close of session on May 11, the scorecard was mixed but the big transit story was that Southwest light rail transit was not in the bonding bill. The goal of securing $25 million for the next light rail line in the Twin Cities regional transit system was not achieved.

This is a serious setback. It results from a Republican caucus position that is against light rail and allegedly supportive of expanded bus service. During the session, a wide array of voices marshaled in support of Southwest light rail transit.

• Governor Dayton included the project in his bonding proposal.


• The business community (including Minneapolis Regional, Twin West, Saint Paul, Edina, and Eden Prairie Chambers of Commerce, but notably not the Minnesota Chamber) repeatedly argued that funding for transit in the busy southwest corridor is essential to retain current employers and attract new jobs. For example, read this op-ed in the Pioneer Press.


• All of the communities along the line support the investment. People from across the metro area wrote letters to the editor telling why transit options matter to them. See letters here and here. A statewide poll showed that residents across the state support the line.


• The Met Council, Metro Transit, and the Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB) helped educate legislators and gain positive media coverage of the project. See this Star Tribune editorial. 


• Transit for Livable Communities and the Transit Partners coalition rallied support from members, launching an online campaign and delivering more than 1,000 petitions to the Governor and legislative leadership.


• Senator Latz and Senator Bonoff and Representative Hornstein gave inspiring floor speeches supporting the Southwest LRT line.

But the line was left out of the bonding bill.

Southwest LRT planners will apply for funding through the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) “Business Development through Capital Projects Grant Program” that was included in the bonding bill. The Southwest line will compete with many other projects for a slice of this $47.5 million fund.

In the short term, political leaders advancing the Southwest LRT line are committed to finding the money (through local sources) to keep the project moving through the preliminary engineering phase. But GO bonding will be needed to keep the Southwest LRT on schedule to start construction in 2014 and open in 2018. The state share of this project is 10%, or $125 million. Each $1 in state funds leverages $9 from local and federal sources. See a virtual tour of the line in this article.

As all the voices arrayed in support of the line made clear, this investment is crucial to future economic growth in the region. It also will create construction jobs and, when open, will give residents across the metro the option of saving money (and polluting less) by using transit. Transit for Livable Communities with our members and allies will keep fighting.

The 2012 legislative scorecard has some wins.

Transit fared better in two other areas—defeating a proposed transit fare increase and securing limited funding for transit in the bonding bill. Transit advocates successfully battled against a proposed 25 cent fare increase, arguing that it makes no sense to increase fares when demand for transit is growing. The measure was pulled from the transportation policy bill.

The capital bonding bill included $2.5 million for the Minneapolis Interchange, an expansion of the transit hub at Target Field which will serve increased ridership expected when the Central Corridor opens in 2014 and when the Southwest LRT opens in 2018. The bonding bill also included $6.4 million for transit facilities in greater Minnesota. These all were in our 2012 legislative agenda.

TOD remains to be seen

No bills were heard to enable financing and accelerate transit-oriented-development (TOD), one of our goals for the session. Given the focus on the bonding bill and Vikings stadium, this was not a surprise. With the Central Corridor LRT coming on soon, and critical station area planning underway for the Southwest LRT, local and regional conversations continue regarding ways to leverage more and better TOD. We anticipate future legislative efforts to advance “value capture” and other innovative financial strategies for transit oriented development. Robust TOD boosts the value of transit investments by making sure housing, jobs, and commerce efficiently connect to the transit line.

A bicycle and pedestrian policy win but no funding

TLC was part of a coalition seeking the creation of a State of Minnesota Safe Routes to School program (to complement the federally-funded program) and funding in the bonding bill. The coalition was successful in the former but not the latter. It was encouraging to see a high level of bipartisan support for the Safe Routes to School initiative, including very persuasive testimony from Apple Valley High School Principal Gary Anger and two Mounds View High School students (Patrick Sullivan and Samantha Kaslow). Hopefully, the foundation was laid for future success in the House and Senate Capital Investment committees, which oversee bonding legislation. It is often the case that projects seeking GO bonding need to build their case and coalition of supporters over multiple legislative sessions.

Building the coalition

TLC is committed to building a broader and more vocal coalition for increased transit options, including the Southwest light rail line. Through our online petition campaign and Facebook page, we will continue to collect signatures and build public support for policy goals through the 2013 legislative session. We urge you to sign on and to inspire your friends, neighbors, family and colleagues to do the same.

The 2012 legislative session clearly showed the importance of legislative support for transit investments. TLC urges transit advocates to talk with candidates for the House and Senate about their stance on transportation issues. Stay tuned for more details on questions for candidates, how and where to get their attention, and how to make transit, bicycling and walking more visible priorities for your community.

Metro area cities apply for Transit-Oriented Development funds

from Dave Van Hattum, Senior Policy Advocate

Following Council Chair Sue Haigh’s announcement that economic development, affordable housing, and a vibrant 21^st century transit system are the top goals for the agency, the Metropolitan Council is moving forward with a strong transit-oriented development (TOD) agenda.

Early this year, the Council announced new TOD grant funding (for pre-development and development) within the Livable Communities Account. The Council also created new TOD funding (for site investigation and clean up) through the existing Tax Base Revitalization Account (TBRA). In February 2012, grant applications were submitted by 12 metro area cities, including Anoka, Apple Valley, Coon Rapids, Eden Prairie, Fridley, Hopkins, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Ramsey Richfield, St. Louis Park and Saint Paul. These cities represent a large percentage of the eligible TOD areas, which were established based on current, or soon-to-come, high-quality transit service (see map).

Map showing areas eligible for TOD funds via the Livable Communities Account
of the Metropolitan Council

A total of nearly $23 million was proposed for projects on twelve different transit lines. Not surprisingly, demand far exceeded the $13 million in grant funding available in 2012. The Council estimates that over $62 million in Transit Oriented Development grants have been allocated through the Livable Communities program prior to 2012.

The Council also recently put out a call for proposals to help the Council create a Strategic Action Plan for TOD. The action plan would include: a review of the current state of TOD in our metro region, a comparison with peer regions, an assessment of the biggest needs of developers and local governments, recommendations for setting a TOD vision, greater clarity of measures of success and a timeline for implementing new programs and policies.

Planning for TOD is about anticipating the new market for housing, retail, and jobs. A number of factors are driving the market for housing in walkable neighborhoods with convenient transit. These factors include:

1)      the consumer preferences of Generation Y (the largest group of homebuyers) for more walkable, bikable, transit-accessible neighborhoods (see Wall Street Journal: No McMansions for Millennials)

2)      an aging and changing population (91% of net household growth will come from households consisting of married couples without children and individuals living alone.  Married couples with children, will actually drop by more than 13,000 households in the region between now and 2030. Source: Minnesota State Demographer)

3)      the desire to provide an affordable combination of housing and transportation as gas prices trend upward at a pace exceeding recent or anticipated growth in household income.

We are encouraged by this new flurry of TOD activity, but the devil remains in the details. To reach the outcome of a substantially larger share of neighborhoods with convenient transit and walkable destinations, at least three key challenges remain:

1)      securing adequate funding to expand the region’s transit system to reach more of the metro area

2)      overcoming local resistance to increased development – housing and jobs

3)      designing our cities and streets to provide greater access by walking and biking to worksites, schools, shops, recreation, and transit.

Update – Transit Bonding this Session

from Dave Van Hattum, Senior Policy Advocate

This week, transit bonding bills began to be heard in Committee – in the Senate Capital Investment Committee on Monday and in the House Transportation Committee on Wednesday.  Governor Dayton’s bonding proposal includes $25 million to the Metropolitan Council to cover a portion of the preliminary engineering costs for the Southwest LRT. 

A strong lineup of testifiers (from local and county governments and the Met Council to  Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce) stressed the economic returns from investing in the Southwest LRT, the financial commitment to the project by county government, and the rigorous process by which light rail transit was chosen for this corridor. A recent blog by Governor Dayton relays similar benefits and highlights the positive impact on jobs and the environment (see link).

As we build out a regional system of transitways, state general obligation bonding is expected to cover 10% of the total capital costs.  The other 90% will come from the federal government (50%) the Counties Transit Improvement Board (30%) and the counties (10%) through which the line travels.  Few, if any, other projects being considered for general obligation bonding will leverage nine additional dollars for every state dollar invested.

Bonding bills for several other transit projects, while not in the Governor’s bonding bill, are also being heard. These include:

• Gateway (I-94 E) Corridor
• The Minneapolis Interchange (a transit station at Twins Stadium, where multiple lines beyond the Hiawatha and Northstar will eventually converge).
• Red Rock Transitway (freight rail improvements that will help move this project forward).
• Lake Street and I-35W Transit Station (creation of a center median transit facility similar to that at 46^th St. and I-35W).
• Maple Grove Transit Station
• Greater Minnesota transit facilities, in Mankato, Duluth and St. Cloud

Additional transit bonding bills have been submitted for Bottineau Corridor, Cedar Avenue BRT, and Robert St. Corridor. Hearings on these bills have not yet been scheduled by the House Transportation Committee

While TLC strongly supports bonding that helps advance the build out of a regional transit system, we recognize the particular urgency of the Southwest bonding request this legislative session. Quite simply, if bonding for Southwest LRT is not passed this session, it could seriously delay and/or jeopardize the prospect of receiving $625 million in federal matching funds.  The Twin Cities competes with metro regions across the country for these competitive FTA funds, and our peer regions would be more than happy to take our place in line for the limited federal funding.

Transit riders threatened with fare hike

from Bill Neuendorf, Director of Policy and Advocacy

Bills recently introduced in the MN House and Senate would raise fares on Twin Cities bus and train riders by at least 25 cents. After substantial cuts to state funding for transit in 2011, some legislators now hope to increase revenues by hiking the rates paid by most riders (seniors & disabled persons are spared).

These proposals are heading in the wrong direction. Fortunately the House Transportation Committee accepted an amendment late Wednesday evening to abandon the across-the-board fare increase. This is a wise decision and we are hopeful that the Senate will act in the same manner.

For most metro families, transportation expenses are the second highest monthly expense, after housing. For lower-income families, transportation expenses are even higher than housing expenses. Considering that 80% of transit riders are going to school or to work, raising the fares places more of a burden on transit users. Convenient transit service is only available to 25% of metro area households; fare hikes discourage people from choosing the transit option when it is available.

Despite the modest size of our transit system, in 2011, transit ridership continued to increase, up to 94 million rides in the metro-area, according to Met. Council. A recent poll by the local Chambers of Commerce indicates that 69% of metro-area residents would like to use transit if it would be available. Meanwhile, MnDOT reports INSERT LINK that Minnesotans are driving less – for six years in a row now!

With transit trending upwards and driving declining, raising fares would further hinder people from having convenient and affordable transit options.

To make a simple point: convenient and affordable transit options are an essential part of a vibrant metropolitan economy. Government investments in transit (bus and rail) provide a high return on investment, measured in both social and economic outcomes.

The Minnesota Legislative Auditor 2011 report found that our transit services are very efficient. . . According to the National Transit Database, Metro Transit has one of the highest fare box recovery rates in the United States, meaning that fares pay a bigger share of operating costs than in peer cities. Operators of the six suburban transit agencies run similarly tight ships.

Let the professionals at the transit agencies determine fare structures that optimize revenue and ridership. It is unnecessary for the state legislature to micro-manage transit fares in opposition to capable professionals who effectively run an award-winning network of buses and trains.

 

The Interchange –An All Star Multimodal Hub?

From Hilary Reeves, Communications Director

The proposed downtown Minneapolis multimodal transportation hub adjacent to Target Field—a.k.a. The Interchange—got a financing boost this past week with the announcement of $10 million in federal support through a TIGER grant from the US DOT. The goal is for the new facility to open when the Central Corridor Light Rail service begins in 2014, doubling the number of LRT trains arriving in downtown Minneapolis to 500 arrivals and departures per day. TLC wrote a letter supporting the project as part of the  application for TIGER funding.

 

 

Senator Amy Klobuchar (speaking) and l-r behind her: Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin; Metropolitan Council Chair Sue Haigh; Will Schroeer, Saint Paul Chamber of Commerce; Charlie Zelle, Minneapolis Area Chamber of Commerce

 

Senator Amy Klobuchar gathered with local leaders on Thursday, December 22, to indicate the importance of this transportation investment to making the Twin Cities a thriving economic center. She was joined by Sue Haigh from the Met Council, several county commissioners  and representatives from local Chambers of Commerce and the Minnesota Twins. A good-sized crowd gathered in the waiting area for Northstar commuter trains—another mode that serves the proposed location for the Interchange.

 

What is the Interchange? The Minneapolis Interchange and Saint Paul’s Union Depot will both act as multimodal hubs for the region’s growing transit network. The Minneapolis location for the proposed Interchange already serves both the Hiawatha light rail line and NorthStar commuter trains. The Interchange would serve the Central Corridor trains when it opens in 2014 and the Southwest LRT line, scheduled to open in 2018. It would also provide connections to more than 1,900 bus operations as well as to bicycle routes to surrounding neighborhoods and trails. Vehicle parking (400 new spaces) would also be part of the project. The Minneapolis Interchange also could serve any future high speed rail connections between Minneapolis/Saint Paul and Chicago. The newly renovated Saint Paul Union Depot will accommodate Amtrak trains traveling between Seattle and Chicago starting next year. The Minneapolis Interchange is a project of the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA).For more information about The Interchange, visit the project web site. 

 

Senator Klobuchar said, “There’s a direct correlation between this kind of investment and economic development.” Noting the competition for these funds at the federal level, she said, “If they don’t come here they will go to Chicago or Arizona. I want it right here.” She thanked Representatives McCollum and Ellison, Senator Franken and former Senator Coleman for their support for the project at the federal level.

Metropolitan Council Chair Sue Haigh said that hubs like the Interchange and Union Depot help shorten transit time, making it more attractive for people to choose transit for commuting and other trips. She said that rather than building more parking ramps, Minneapolis could focus on other kinds of development.

Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin said the Interchange plaza would direct the flow of passengers to the different travel options, for commuters and also fans coming to Target Field.

McLaughlin called the Interchange “a prudent risk to move the county and region forward” and make it more competitive. He noted that business allies strongly supported the project and the build out of the transit system. “We are not talking about individual lines, we are talking about a system,” he said, adding “we will live our lives differently and better with these investments.”

Will Schroeer from the Saint Paul Chamber of Commerce and Charlie Zelle from the Minneapolis Area Chamber of Commerce both noted that the new hub would serve the people going to work using the Hiawatha and Central Corridor LRT lines. There are 280,000 jobs along the Central Corridor today, a number expected to rise to 374,000 by 2030. Zelle said, “Investments here are important for jobs at both ends of the Central Corridor LRT,” giving residents of Minneapolis and North Minneapolis access as well as opening the North Loop area for further development.

Minnesota Twins President David St. Peter said the Interchange would be “fulfillment of a vision our leaders had for a ballpark in the North Loop, with wonderful connections to transit.” He said fans will love accessing Target Field via the Northstar, Hiawatha, and the Central Corridor—hopefully for the All Star Game in 2014. He said, “These projects take vision, courage, and leadership.”

Funding for the Interchange project is not yet complete. According to a Star Tribune story, in addition to the $10 million from the TIGER grant, the Interchange project “was awarded $11 million by the Metropolitan Council. It also received $6.7 million from the county rail authority and $1.7 million from the Minnesota Ballpark Authority, which owns Target Field.” The Star Tribune reported the total project cost at $67.7 million. Commissioner McLaughlin said that there would be a proposal in coming weeks opening up options for public-private partnerships, including development rights, naming rights, and parking rights. The TIGER funding adds momentum to the project.

# # #

An interview with Jennifer Munt

Hilary Reeves, TLC’s communications director, recently sat down with Jennifer Munt to talk about her first several months on the Metropolitan Council. Munt represents District 3, which includes 16 suburbs in Hennepin County. She is also the president of the board of Transit for Livable Communities.

 
Jennifer Munt, Metropolitan Council Member for District 3

For me, there are two values that guide my work on the Met Council: equity and inclusion. I believe that we can do a better job of providing the tools to cities so that they can design communities where everyone can prosper, whether you’re old or young, whether you have a car or not.

TLC If a person waiting for the bus or arriving at a park and ride asked you why the Met Council matters, what would you say?

I would tell them that we’re all about livability, we’re about affordable housing, clean water, beautiful parks, and we make sure the buses and trains run on time.

TLC As a member of the Met Council, what does it mean to bring a regional vision to your District and your District’s views to the Council? What’s at stake?

I believe I was appointed to be a regional thinker. I don’t think we move the region forward if we are just about bringing home projects to our districts. Everything we do is so interconnected: community development, environmental services and transportation. And similarly, what happens in one portion of the region affects what happens in another.

TLC How should the Met Council balance, rail, bus, and bus rapid transit investments for the best outcomes for the region?

We need to pair the right mode with the needs of a given corridor. I think that our transportation policy plan is well balanced in that respect. We know we need to double our transit system by the year 2030. The problem is that we don’t have the funding necessary to make all of those things happen. My frustration is that we can get the capital for a project but it’s a struggle to get the operating dollars to keep what we build alive. 

TLC Is there a vision for what the regional bus system could be if funding were secure?

I think there’s a clear vision of what it would be. When we restructure a segment of the bus system, we go out and we talk to people. We find out: where do they want to go? That changes over time. There are new developments, there are new trends, new places where people want to go, new places where people work. So, we tailor our system to those changing needs. We’re finding now, with $4 per gallon gas, there are more and more people who want to choose transit and we’re finding that younger people want to be less auto-dependent. They want choices. They want to take their bikes. They want to take the bus. And right now those choices aren’t plentiful for them.

We’re finding now, with $4 per gallon gas, there are more and more people who want to choose transit and we’re finding that younger people want to be less auto- dependent. They want choices. They want to take their bikes. They want to take the bus. And right now those choices aren’t plentiful for them.

We also have an aging population, with far greater needs for transit. One of the most eye-opening experiences for me recently was when I had the opportunity to put on an age suit. This age suit made my body feel like I was 73. It made climbing stairs a challenge. It made running across an intersection a challenge. I found new value in those count-down timers that told me whether I had enough time to get across or not. It totally changed the way I see things. Planners of our transit system need to understand what young people need, what our aging population needs and we need to make a greater investment in transit in order to meet those needs.

TLC What about people who are stranded in the housing they have, unable to reach work or essential shopping without a car?

For me, there are two values that guide my work on the Met Council: equity and inclusion. I believe that we can do a better job of providing the tools to cities so that they can design communities where everyone can prosper, whether you’re old or young, whether you have a car or not. I’ll give you an example.

2011 Commuter Choice Awards Recognize Creativity & Tenacity

From Hilary Reeves, TLC

I should have brought my camera to the Commuter Choice Awards, held November 9 in Saint Paul. Or better yet, a video cam to capture some of the comments and the almost-Hollywood acceptance music that played while winners approached the stage. There are pics of one of the winners, Northern Brewer, in this blog post about their bicycling ways.

 

There were some cool ideas and quotes from the 2011 awards. It’s very interesting to see the kind of programs people are putting into to place to help people save money and sanity in the effort to get to and from work. Here is just a sample.

PRIORITY PARKING, SHUTTLES, SHOWERS, LOCKERS, RACKS, and VANPOOLS!

Wells Fargo Minneapolis Campus set up guaranteed parking for carpools and a shuttle from an off-site parking garage to the work building. They said one of their priorities was to be sensitive to their neighborhood—congrats to them for finding creative ways to coexist.

Cushman & Wakefield/NorthMarq Real Estate Services—Campbell Mithun Tower doubled the bike racks available to employees and added showers and lockers. That really sends a signal that bicycling or walking or running to work is a-okay!

In a hats-off to persistence and determination, one of the awards went to Susan Humphrey, who works for US Fish & Wildlife. When her office location moved, she figured out a way to organize vanpools from western Wisconsin. She said the biggest upside is that because of the daily van rides, she now knows her co-workers and has made some great friends.

 

BEST QUOTE

MCTC (Minneapolis Community and Technical College)

The person who accepted the award made it clear how much it matters to focus on how people get places.

“For many of our students, things are pretty challenging economically. Providing affordable transportation options helps make them successful.”

He also gave a shout out to the college’s president and CFO for finding the money to subsidize student transit passes.

 

BEST STAT

Northern Brewer has 60 employees and this summer there were 30 bikes in the racks they installed at their workplace. That’s 50% mode share (in wonk-speak).

 

OTHER BEST STAT

As noted in a MinnPost story about the Awards, Jodie Zurn worked hard to convert the Minneapolis office of the United States Department of Agriculture from a federal transit voucher system to Metro Transit’s MetroPass—saving her agency $100,000! She said other agencies are following suit.

 

CONGRATS TO ALL THE 2011 WINNERS-

Kelly Burroughs

Susan Humphrey

Kristen Ries

Jodie Zurn

Northern Brewer Ltd.

Wells Fargo Minneapolis Campus

U.S. Bank—Richfield Campus

Cushman & Wakefield/NorthMarq Real Estate Services – Campbell Mithun Tower

Minneapolis Community and Technical College

Nice Ride Minnesota

REI

and thanks to Metro Transit, and the region’s Transportation Management Organizations (TMOs)-- Minneapolis Commuter Connection, 494 Commuter Services, St. Paul Smart-Trips, and Anoka County Commute Solutions--  for sponsoring the annual Commuter Choice Awards.

When is a Traffic Jam Merely Traffic? --Joe Cortright on Road building Versus City Building

From Dave Van Hattum, Policy and Advocacy Program Manager

TLC's Bill Neuendorf (left) and Dave Van Hattum (right) at the U of M's Center for Transportation Studies conference with Joe Cortright (center). 2011.

Mn/DOT frequently proclaims that the metro area “needs” $40 billion in funding to expand our highways over the next 20 years. Joe Cortright, an economist and advisor to CEO’s for Cities challenged the audience at the U of M’s Center for Transportation Studies conference this week,stating “How we build our cities is the most important thing we can do to affect the performance of our transportation system.” At TLC, we think Cortright is right; before getting out our collective checkbooks for bigger interchanges, bigger bridges and extra lanes, we should take a close look at the layout of our Twin Cities region and gauge how future growth patterns can be guided to minimize the need for higher taxes.

It’s the nature of cities to experience traffic congestion; whether the traffic is people, horses, or cars. Cities are places where lots of people congregate; this inevitably leads to slow-downs in how people get around. A major goal of urban transportation planning is to figure out how to get people to their jobs in a reasonable amount of time. All too often that has meant focusing on the symptom (traffic congestion) and not the underlying problem of how our cities are built. While all urbanized areas will experience congestion, those that are more compact typically allow people to get where they want to go in less time. A more compact city also makes transit more cost-effective and biking and walking more convenient.

Unfortunately, due to the inclination to look at transportation primarily from a personal rather than a holistic, city-wide point of view (i.e. from the vantage of private cars rather than public transit and walkable communities), most  transportation planning discussion gravitates to how to reduce traffic delays. For nearly 20 years, policy makers have relied on a national study from the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) that calculates a congestion index as the main indicator of transportation performance among cities. The TTI study  measures car mobility rather than access by people. By focusing on how many minutes a commuter is delayed, the TTI study misses what is most important to commuters: how long does it take to get to my job?

So why all the fuss about the TTI congestion report?  Because the media has been splashing the findings of this report on front pages of newspapers for more than a decade. The media loves the report’s nifty city-to-city comparisons and estimated  financial costs of traffic congestion (i.e. $1.7 billion in the Twin Cities in 2009). Each year, the report concludes by endorsing  major road expansion as the way to relieve congestion and make commutes faster. To its credit, the report also includes a host of other recommendations, including transit and land use. Media coverage, along with Mn/DOT and most policymakers, however, continue to focus nearly exclusively on highway expansion and overlook  the opportunity to  shift to more compact development and more investment  in  public transit to provide real options for commuters—and shorter commutes.

Cortright’s message is a challenging and urgent one. As I’ve worked in the transportation field in the Twin Cities for nearly 20 years, I’ve repeatedly heard the importance of making the land use and transportation connection. But talking about it is very different than real on-the-ground change. By nearly all indicators, our metro region has been a leader in sprawl (see TLC’s report, Planning to Succeed?) and has been guilty of overemphasizing congestion trends and underemphasizing transit-supportive land use. With new rail lines open and more coming soon there is renewed attention to transit-supportive land use and walkable neighborhoods, but our region still lacks a goal for development along these rail lines and there are very few specific land use (or city design) strategies to point to.

With land use decided by 187 municipalities, and road design decided primarily by two large agencies – Mn/DOT and the Metropolitan Council/Transportation Advisory Board--it will always be easier to focus on road-building rather than city-building. But if we’re serious about improving transportation performance and seeing our tax dollars go farther, we need to forge a regional consensus on strategies that encourage more compact communities and discourage sprawl.

Cortright (and his “Driven Apart” report) challenges us to ask the right questions. When Mn/DOT and others broadcast an estimated $40 billion in road expansion “needs” over the next 20 years, we need to ask if land use strategies that reduce the demand for car travel have been explored. We need to ask if their cost projections consider the possible (likely?) impact of $5.00 to $6.00 gas in the not too distant future? Do they factor in a graying population and new housing and transportation preferences of younger generations?  

When Mn/DOT defines congestion as speed of 44 mph or slower and calls for more roads, we need to counter by asking why the bigger priority isn’t addressing the region’s abysmal record of access to buses and trains and walkable destinations. When the Met Council appropriately notes that we can’t afford to build our way out of traffic congestion, we need to ask what plans they have to guide communities across the region to embrace greater density and more in-fill development?  And, finally when a plan for more housing or commercial density comes to our neighborhood, we need to ask ourselves if we are part of the problem or part of the solution?

 

Governor Dayton's Roundtable on Transit

From Dave Van Hattum, Policy & Advocacy Program Manager

On April 21st, 2011, Governor Dayton hosted a transit round-table at which a wide range of stakeholders shared why transit is important to them and their broader community. Pastor Grant Stevenson, an ISAIAH representative, noted these roundtables, which bring together a diversity of voices, are a healthy example of how government can move beyond rhetoric to consensus-building and effective solutions.

Here’s what people said:

1. Transit is important to businesses and economic competitiveness. Todd Klingel, President of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber, told how corporate site selectors increasingly direct clients to cities and regions with strong public transit systems.
2. Students, the future employees, want to locate where transit is a real option. Attracting and retaining employees--and employers--is a good investment for Minnesota.
3. Progress on building light rail lines is an important job creator. In 2008, Metro counties stepped up to impose a ¼ cent sales tax to fund transitways.  Cutting transit would jeopardize the Twin Cities growing success at leveraging federal funding and spurring economic development along key transit corridors.
4. Keeping transit affordable is critical to current and future riders. Rising gas prices provide a greater need to keep transit affordable. Raising fares to account for rising gas prices is myopic; in the long run our best bet against rising fuel prices is to use less gas – transit makes that possible.
5. Maintaining current transit service is critical for the disabled. Those who can’t drive need convenient access to jobs, education, and services.
6. Communities across the state would be devastated by the transit cuts advanced in the House and Senate bills. Many counties in Greater Minnesota would experience cuts to transit service; transit in these locations is a lifeline to independence for many residents and an important contributor to small town vitality.

We appreciate Governor Dayton’s leadership in convening the roundtable. More importantly, we note that his budget plan, relying on new revenue (a return to more historic individual tax rates?), keeps transit whole!

TLC Members and Organizer, Owen Duckworth
speak at the Governor's transit listening session.
(photo: Amber Collett)

Consider the TAB—Application Deadline April 18

TLC is urging supporters to consider applying for the Metropolitan Council’s Transportation Advisory Board (TAB). This powerful body oversees the allocation of nearly $150 million dollars in federal funding for roads, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and other projects. 

The TAB has 33 members who represent a variety of interests across the 7-county metro area. If you live in one of the open Districts (see list below), please consider applying. The deadline is April 18, 2011.

TLC believes it’s important to fill these positions with people who:

• Have a genuine personal interest in transportation policy.
• Support a balanced transportation vision that includes: 1) road repair (as opposed to expansion), 2) more transit, bicycling, and walking, and 3) less development at the region’s edge.
• Are able to actively participate in the monthly TAB meeting (held the third Wednesday at 1:30 – 3:30 pm) and an additional subcommittee meeting.

These positions require a significant time commitment (6-8 hours per month) because the TAB's processes are complicated and take a while to master. Serving on TAB is a very interesting and informative experience and a great stepping stone for work in the transportation field. See TLC’s action alert for information or visit the Met Council’s web site page about the TAB.

If you live in one of the following Districts, please consider applying. 

• North Metro (aka District E, Council districts 9 and 10) represents the Anoka County cities of Andover, Anoka, Bethel, Blaine, Circle Pines, Coon Rapids, East Bethel, Ham Lake, Lexington, Oak Grove, Ramsey, St. Francis, and Linwood; and the Ramsey County cities of Arden Hills, Blaine, Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, Mounds View, New Brighton, North Oaks, Roseville, Shoreview, and Spring Lake Park. Term expires Jan. 2013.
• Saint Paul & Southeast Metro (aka District G, Council districts 13 and 14) represents all of St. Paul and the Dakota County cities of Lilydale, Mendota, Mendota Heights, Sunfish Lake, and West St. Paul. Term expires Jan. 2013.
• Dakota County (aka District H, Council districts 15 and 16) represents most of Dakota County except the northernmost cities. Term expires Jan. 2013.
• Minneapolis (aka District D, Council districts 7 and 8) represents most of Minneapolis, except the southwest portion of the city. Term expires Jan. 2012.
• Transit - One “modal” representative to represent urban, suburban and specialized public transit interests. Term expires Jan 2012.

If you want to know more about serving on TAB, feel free to contact TLC’s Executive Director Barb Thoman, who served on TAB for five years.