Transportation Advocates Take Action

By Jennifer Harmening Thiede, Communications & Member Engagement Manager

 

Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, 25 legislators, and other leaders accepted the Roll With Us Transit Challenge to raise awareness and understanding of transit needs in Minnesota.

 

Here we are: it’s mid-March and midway through the 2015 legislative session. Both Mother Nature and transportation advocates are turning up the heat.

Successful Day of Action

In recent weeks, Minnesotans from across the state came together for Transportation Day of Action at the State Capitol, united in support of a statewide, multimodal transportation solution. Transit riders from the metro and Greater Minnesota kicked things off at a press conference speaking up for greater investments in bus and rail. Supporters heard from state and coalition leaders and had meetings with their own legislators throughout the afternoon. Later in the day, a broad coalition of advocates delivered 10,000 Move MN‬ postcards, some from every district in Minnesota, calling on legislators‬ to fund all modes of transportation in 2015. Special thanks to the TLC members who joined us at the event and who contacted their state senators and representatives that day.‬

 

Transit Challenge Accepted

In early March, Transit for Livable Communities and allied groups followed up with the “Roll With Us” Transit Challenge. We wanted lawmakers considering transportation funding to experience the realities of today’s transit system firsthand, so we called on them to get around on the bus or train as many of their constituents do. A bipartisan group of twenty-five legislators accepted our challenge, with many documenting their transit trips on social media (see #HowWeRollMN on Facebook and Twitter). Some were regular riders, while others were new to the transit system.

Transit Challenge Week concluded with Minnesota's Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith highlighting the importance of investing in a modern transit system. Smith rode the #67 bus with Metropolitan Council Chair Adam Duininck, inviting media along, and holding a short press conference with transit riders and legislators to draw attention to the transit needs in our state.

 

Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, Rep. Frank Hornstein, Rep. Carolyn Laine, Met. Council Chair Adam Duininck, and a crowd of transit riders gathered to speak to the press about the importance of investing in transit. 

 

Big thanks to the legislators who participated in the Transit Challenge:

• Senator Scott Dibble (61, Minneapolis)
• Senator Eric Pratt (55, Prior Lake)
• Senator David Senjem (25, Rochester)
• Senator Patricia Torres Ray (63, Minneapolis)
• Representative Connie Bernardy (41A, Fridley)
• Representative Jim Davnie (63A, Minneapolis)
• Representative Raymond Dehn (59B, Minneapolis)
• Representative Laurie Halverson (51B, Eagan)
• Representative Alice Hausman (66A, Saint Paul)
• Representative Frank Hornstein (61A, Minneapolis)
• Representative Melissa Hortman (36B, Brooklyn Park)
• Representative Mike Freiberg (45B, Golden Valley)
• Representative Sheldon Johnson (67B, Saint Paul)
• Representative Clark Johnson (19A, North Mankato)
• Representative Carolyn Laine (41B, Columbia Heights)
• Representative John Lesch (66B, Saint Paul)
• Representative Leon Lille (43B, North Saint Paul)
• Representative Sandra Masin (51A, Eagan)
• Representative Rena Moran (65A, Saint Paul)
• Representative Dave Pinto (64B, Saint Paul)
• Representative Jennifer Schultz (7A, Duluth)
• Representative Erik Simonson (7B, Duluth)
• Representative Mike Sundin (11A, Esko)
• Representative JoAnn Ward (53A, Woodbury)
• Representative Ryan Winkler (46A, Golden Valley)

We encourage other legislators to take up the challenge and try transit in their home districts during the legislature’s upcoming Easter/Passover break.

Looking Ahead

The month ahead will be critical in the fight for multimodal transportation funding. There are many exciting, essential ways to get engaged and make sure your voice is heard before the session ends. Below are three big, upcoming dates to add to your calendar. If you want to see transit and safe connections for bicycling and walking funded in 2015, join us!

Senate Transportation Committee Bill Hearing
Friday, March 20, 11 AM, State Capitol, Rm. 107, Saint Paul

Help us pack the hearing room when the Senate Transportation Committee hears SF 87. The bill, introduced by Sen. Scott Dibble, would significantly increase dedicated funding for transit, bicycling, and walking, while also funding roads and bridges in Minnesota. This bill has TLC's enthusiastic support and also closely aligns with the Move MN proposal. Let's make a strong showing for multimodal transportation funding on Friday and ensure SF 87 moves forward.

Move MN Phone Bank (Sponsored by TLC)
Thursday, April 2, 6-9 PM, AFSCME Council 5, South Saint Paul

Transit for Livable Communities is sponsoring the Move MN phone bank on April 2. Volunteer with us! We'll be making calls to ensure a balanced, long-term transportation solution is passed by the state legislature this session. We will help everyone get started and provide a call script—and pizza! Returning volunteers and newcomers are welcome.

Move MN Transportation Rally featuring Governor Dayton
Thursday, April 16, 12-1 PM, State Capitol Lawn, Saint Paul

On April 16, TLC and our Move MN allies need you to join us for a massive transportation rally on the State Capitol lawn! Together we will call on legislators to fund all modes statewide before the 2015 session ends in May. The event will feature Governor Dayton and other leaders. Don’t miss it!

 

Fixing Transportation: The Latest Proposals

 

By Dave Van Hattum, Advocacy Director

 

TLC's Dave Van Hattum, co-chair of the Move MN campaign, with others at a January 8 press conference announcing Move MN's transportation proposal.

 

The legislative session got off to an exciting start this month for Minnesotans who want a better transportation system. All three leading voices at the State Capitol—Governor Dayton, Majority Leader Bakk, and Speaker Daudt—have identified transportation as a 2015 legislative priority. And now, three weeks in, there are a range of funding proposals on the table.

On Monday, Governor Dayton announced a comprehensive, ten-year plan to fix Minnesota’s transportation problem. In the lead-up to the announcement, TLC members and other Minnesotans called on the Governor to propose a long-term solution with dedicated, statewide funding for transit, bicycling, and walking (along with anticipated funding for roads and bridges). Thanks to all who took action! Your multimodal messages ensured Governor Dayton's transportation proposal does invest in all modes across the state! While Transit for Livable Communities thinks more funding is needed for transit and safe streets, we applaud Governor Dayton’s leadership and agree: it's time for the state legislature to pass a comprehensive transportation bill.

Already this session, Senator Dibble (Senate Transportation Committee Chair) has introduced an excellent bill that would fund all modes statewide, and provide the critical new investments in transit, bicycling, and walking that TLC has been fighting for. This Senate bill (SF 87) very closely aligns with Move MN’s proposal. The bill includes the ¾-cent metro sales tax needed to grow the metro-area bus and rail system as well as dedicated funding for Greater Minnesota transit and for pedestrian and bicycling improvements statewide. It also includes a 6.5 percent wholesale gas tax dedicated to road and bridge needs across the state.

Meanwhile, leadership in the Minnesota House has put forth a short-term plan focused exclusively on road and bridge needs. The House bill (HF 4) recently introduced by Representative Kelly (House Transportation Committee Chair) relies on funding from the one-time budget surplus, unspecified efficiencies, and GO bonding. It unfortunately includes zero additional funding for transit or for safe walking and bicycling routes. House leaders, however, have signaled a willingness to look closely at the transportation funding deficit and to discuss solutions as the session progresses.

TLC and Move MN supporters recognize that a statewide transportation solution will require new revenue from modest tax increases. Per the Governor’s numbers, the average cost to residents in the Twin Cities would be about $6 per week. Residents in Greater Minnesota would be about $2 less per week, as the metro sales tax increase for transit is proposed for only the seven-county metropolitan region. To put it in context, these costs add up to considerably less than a monthly cell phone bill. And we know that this smart investment in Minnesota’s future will pay for itself many times over via a stronger economy, healthier communities, and better access to jobs, opportunity, and affordable transportation options.

With your help, we have worked successfully to make this the “Transportation Session.”  Now we need to keep up momentum to convince the legislature to pass a strong bill that meets urgent needs in the metro region and in Greater Minnesota.

Get involved! On Thursday, February 12, join Transit for Livable Communities and Move MN for Transportation Day at the State Capitol! We will meet at the Minnesota Armory in Saint Paul from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. to hear from state and coalition leaders before delivering 10,000 postcards to lawmakers—reminding them that Minnesotans from across the state support a multimodal transportation solution in 2015. Let us help you schedule a February 12 meeting with your legislators so you can personally share your story about why transportation matters and why action is needed.

As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to send them our way.

 

Denver Continues to Grow and Improve Transit

 

By Barb Thoman, Executive Director

 

Union Station, Denver, Colorado.

The newly renovated Union Station in Denver was buzzing with activity when I visited it with my family over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The historic train station, on the north end of the downtown core, reopened as a major transit hub and boutique hotel this past July. Regional buses, light rail, free mall shuttles, and Amtrak trains all converge at the depot.

 

Denver's Union Station combines a major transit hub with hotel, restaurant, and retail options.

 

High-speed commuter rail service running 23 miles between the depot and the airport will begin operation in 2016. One of the new electric rail cars that will run on the East Rail Line was on display over the holiday weekend. The self-propelled train, which looks somewhat like an Amtrak passenger railcar, will operate at speeds of 79 mph on corridor adjacent to freight rail. Making just six stops, those trains will whisk riders between downtown Denver and Denver International Airport in 35 minutes. Some may remember that Denver moved its airport out of the city back in 1995, distancing jet noise and air emissions from populated areas of the region.

 

One of Denver's new high-speed commuter rail vehicles.

 

Adjacent to Denver’s Union Station is a new, modern, underground bus terminal that opened in May 2014. It primarily serves passengers riding regional, intercity, and express buses. Bus passengers wait in a bright, warm corridor separated by glass doors from the 22 bus bays. The facility even has restrooms! Light rail trains are one level up and just north of the bus facility.

 

A weekend stop at Union Station's new underground bus terminal.

 

All this new transit in Denver was made possible with the passage in 2004 of FasTracks, a major transit funding package. FasTracks increased the regional sales tax for transit to a full penny, less than in Seattle, but significant enough to build and operate 122 miles of new light rail and commuter rail, 18 miles of bus rapid transit, and a wider network of bus service. (In comparison, the regional sales tax for transit in the Twin Cities region is 1/4 cent.)

 

The area around Union Station has become a significant site of transit-oriented development. Formerly a freight rail yard, the 20-acre area is flourishing with high-density residential and commercial redevelopment.

 

 

Transit-oriented development is growing in the area around Union Station.

 

It’s amazing to see Denver and other peer regions around the country continue to benefit from increased investments in transit. Of course, if the Minnesota legislature votes to increase transit funding in 2015 as part of a comprehensive transportation funding package, the Twin Cities metro would be poised to join them.  

 

 

Success: Making Transportation a Top Issue

 

By Bethany Winkels, Move MN Field Director

 

With a new session on the horizon, elected officials are primed to address Minnesota's transportation needs, which span all modes and all areas of the state.

 

The last few months have been busy for the Move MN campaign. We have been traveling the state, meeting with supporters, businesses, and community groups—from Minnetonka to Duluth, Owatonna to Moorhead, and Worthington to Burnsville. It’s clear that people throughout Minnesota want to see greater investments in transportation. Thanks to the hard work of everyone involved in the campaign, we successfully made Minnesota’s urgent transportation needs a key issue this fall.

 

As we move forward, we are excited to report that transportation funding will be a top issue during the 2015 legislative session! Governor Dayton, Presumptive House Speaker Kurt Daudt, and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk have each acknowledged the need for a transportation solution next year. The type of solution will be up for debate. Move MN will continue to advocate for a funding package that is balanced, comprehensive, sustainable, and gimmick free. We know that we need investments statewide, from Greater Minnesota to the metro region, and suburbs to cities.

 

Minnesotans also favor a multi-modal approach. A recent poll released by the Minnesotans for Healthy Kids Coalition showed that a majority of Minnesotans from every region in the state want bicycle and pedestrian investments included in new transportation funding. We also need more public transit options both in the metro and in Greater Minnesota, and we need safe roads and bridges in all of our 87 counties. Our transportation system needs to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks per year. We need reliable, predictable funding to make sure that it can. No gimmicks!

 

 Are you among the significant majority of Minnesotans (65%) who support additional funding for bike/ped infrastructure? 

 

The only way to ensure that we see the right solution come out of a bill this legislative session is by staying engaged and organized. On February 12, Move MN will be holding a rally for Transportation Day at the State Capitol. Mark your calendars! We will be delivering 10,000 postcards to lawmakers in support of transportation funding. If you can’t attend in person, there will be other opportunities to get involved. In the meantime, check out the Move MN website and take action online. You can let your local community know that you support investments in transportation by writing a letter to the editor, contacting your lawmaker, or signing our petition. We can move Minnesota forward, but only if we have strength in numbers! Keep up the good work!

 

For more opportunities to get involved in the Move MN campaign, contact me at 651-789-1406 or [email protected].

 

 

Metro Transit Plans for a Better Bus System: Support (and Funding) Needed

 

By Barb Thoman, Executive Director

 

Photo credit: Val Escher 

 

A welcome plan to dramatically expand bus service in the metropolitan area was released on October 22 by the Metropolitan Council. The draft Service Improvement Plan, or SIP, identifies the proposed new local bus, express bus, and arterial bus rapid transit (BRT) service that Metro Transit will prioritize when new funding becomes available. The final plan will guide bus service improvements and expansion through 2030.

 

The SIP identifies 122 projects that would result in a 29 percent increase in service by 2030, with a majority happening in the next six years. We are thrilled to see planning for this level of growth in the bus system. While there have been specific plans for growth in transitways and bus rapid transit, there has not been a concrete plan for growth in regular route or express bus service. Expanded bus service would improve affordable access to jobs, school, and opportunity. It would improve service for current riders, while also helping to attract new riders.  

 

Before the plan is finalized and adopted, Metro Transit will host public informational meetings and accept comments through the end of November. Comments will be accepted at all the meetings. (See the schedule below.)

 

Three primary criteria—productivity, social equity, and system connectivity—were used to evaluate and select the slate of new service proposed in the plan. Productivity, or ridership potential, was weighted at 50 percent. Social equity and system connectivity were each weighted at 25 percent. The SIP estimates ridership growth would be 16 million annually after full implementation. The estimated ridership growth from the new proposed arterial BRT lines is an additional 13 million.

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“Strong express and local bus service is critical to connecting residents to economic and recreational opportunities. The draft Service Improvement Plan provides a strong vision that builds on our existing network and will make our region better-connected than ever.”

Metro Transit’s General Manager Brian Lamb in an agency press release

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

The public investment needed for the service identified in the SIP is approximately $56 million per year. The estimated public investment need to operate new proposed arterial BRT lines is an additional $19 million. (The planned arterial BRT line on Saint Paul’s Snelling Avenue will be the first in the region.)

 

Credit: Metro Transit 

 

The cost estimates do not include other improvements that are a priority for Metro Transit, including more and improved bus shelters/lighting, passenger information, buses, or facilities. Those costs will also need to be included in a funding package for transit improvements (something we are working to secure at the State Capitol in 2015).

While we are enthusiastic about the prospect of significantly improving bus service over the next 15 years, it is important to note that Metro Transit’s SIP currently is not funded! In that regard, legislative action is needed to turn this plan into service on the street. Implementation of the SIP is one of many transit and bike/ped improvements that could be funded with a multimodal transportation funding bill next session. TLC’s top priority during the upcoming legislative session will be continuing to advocate for this funding with our Move MN coalition partners.

 

In the meantime, we strongly encourage our readers to attend the upcoming meetings and to weigh in on the service proposed in the SIP. TLC has been advocating for development of this plan and for new bus service for as long as the organization has been in existence!

 

Public Meetings:

• Wednesday, Nov. 5, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. , Hennepin County Central Library, Minneapolis

—served by multiple downtown routes, METRO Blue Line, METRO Green Line

 

• Saturday, Nov. 8, 1 to 3:30 p.m., North Community YMCA, Minneapolis

—served by route 14

 

• Thursday, Nov. 13, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Hennepin County Southdale Library, Edina

—served by routes 6, 538

 

• Saturday, Nov. 15, 1 to 3:30 p.m., Conway Recreation Center, Saint Paul

—served by routes 74, 80, 219

 

• Monday, Nov. 17, 6 to 7:30 p.m. , Anoka County Northtown Central Library, Blaine

 

• Tuesday, Nov. 18, 11:30 to 1 p.m., Metropolitan Council Chambers, Saint Paul

—served by multiple downtown bus routes, METRO Green Line

 

Can’t make an event? You can still submit your comments through November 30:

• By mail: Metro Transit Service Development, Attn: SIP, 560 Sixth Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411
• By email: [email protected]
• By phone: 651-602-1500 (leave a message)

 

The SIP contact at Metro Transit is Cyndi Harper, Manager of Route Planning, [email protected].

 

 

Metro Transportation Advisory Board Makes Historic Vote for Equity

 

By Dave Van Hattum, Advocacy Director

 

Editor’s Note: TLC’s Dave Van Hattum has served as one of two transit representatives on the Transportation Advisory Board since December 2011, and played a significant role in advocating for this greater emphasis on social equity. Thanks to Dave and to all who voted YES.

 

Walking on Saint Paul's East Side. Credit: Transit for Livable Communities.

 

On September 17, the region’s Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) took a historic vote to include social equity considerations in its scoring of project funding applications. The new equity points, among points in a number of traditional transportation criteria (usage, age of facility, etc.), do two essential things. One, they give a slight preference to projects (roads, transit, and bicycle/pedestrian) benefitting people of color, people living in poverty, and especially people in racially concentrated areas of poverty. Second, they connect transportation and housing outcomes, by aligning points with efforts by cities and counties to increase the availability of affordable housing.

The TAB, in coordination with the Metropolitan Council, allocates approximately $150 million in flexible (across mode and geography) federal transportation funds every two years through what is called the Regional Solicitation. Because transportation needs in the region far exceed funding available from a variety of sources (see www.MoveMN.org for more info), the selection of projects is very competitive. The 33-member TAB, per federal rules, is made up of a majority of local elected officials (city and county government), as well as appointed citizen, agency, and modal (transit, bike/walk, freight) representatives.

Over the past two years, the Metropolitan Council has undertaken an extensive evaluation of the Regional Solicitation. Led by a consultant team and involving the TAB, the Met. Council, and the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to the TAB, the evaluation was designed with two primary objectives:

1.  better align funding decisions with regional policy
2. simplify a complex and costly application process

TLC has long sought to direct a greater share of TAB funding to projects that provide greater access by transit, bicycling, and walking—particularly for those who can’t afford to, or choose not to, own a car. We have also advocated for road repair and retrofit projects rather than mostly building new and bigger facilities. Despite sustained advocacy and a new regional policy emphasis on social equity and sustainability as articulated by Thrive MSP, (the Met. Council’s long-range plan), changing transportation funding priorities was no easy task.

Shifting priorities to leverage improved social equity could be achieved through one of two key policy changes: One, spending an increased share of funds in areas of concentrated poverty or racially concentrated areas of poverty. Or two, keeping the same geographic distribution of funds (which has been closely attended by TAB members for decades), but shifting a greater share of total funding to transit and bike/walk options, which low-income residents and people of color disproportionately rely upon. TLC has long been a champion of both strategies. Ultimately, the historic TAB vote followed the first path. A vote next spring, when specific projects are selected, will determine the split between road, transit, and bicycle/pedestrian investments.

 

Map: Racially Concentrated Areas of Poverty & Areas of Concentrated Poverty in the Twin Cities region. Credit: Metropolitan Council

 

Substantive change is never easy.  Shifting priorities at TAB required a lot of policy analysis. Trust me: project scoring is a highly detailed, technical endeavor that primarily has been led by engineers on the Technical Advisory Committee to the TAB Policy Board.  Achieving a shift in priority also required working from the inside to build a supportive coalition among TAB members, while  advocates externally  made the case to TAB members to vote for change.

Leadership for change can be attributed to many players: A strong group of reform advocates on TAB, who I helped convene and shared technical expertise with; new and seasoned elected officials appointed to TAB, who knew their “vote for equity” would be on the right side of history; and bold agency voices, who departed from a long history of seeing transportation almost exclusively as an engineering endeavor, to instead embrace that transportation is ultimately about serving people.

Every YES vote for the new equity criteria deserves credit for this victory. Fair housing advocates also played a key role in achieving a scoring system that rewards localities doing their fair share to provide affordable housing. Equity advocates (including our allies at ISAIAH and the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability) contacted TAB members and showed up to provide critical support for this vote. Metropolitan Council staff also contributed key data, shared experiences from other metropolitan regions, and educated TAB members about the equity proposal.

 

Kenya McKnight speaking last year at a transportation funding rally in the State Capitol Rotunda. Credit: Transit for Livable Communities.

 

Finally, Kenya McKnight, District D Citizen Representative (and one of only two people of color on the TAB), eloquently, tactfully, and persistently spoke for increasing equitable access in her North Minneapolis community and across the metro region. Despite strong opposition to change, Kenya powerfully conveyed that social equity considerations were appropriate given past disinvestment in low-income communities, and would contribute to better access to opportunity for all residents in our growing, and increasingly diverse, metropolitan region.

Thanks to all!

The ultimate test of this policy change will be seen next spring when a new slate of projects is evaluated and selected for funding. Opponents (NO votes) fear this policy change will shortchange their communities. I believe, and TLC believes, that future allocation of federal transportation dollars should reflect geographical balance, but also tangibly contribute to reducing racial and economic disparities in our region. We will be among the proponents watching closely to ensure that new scoring for social equity considerations results in more equitable distribution of these federal funds.

 

TLC Supports Met. Council’s Proposed Shift to More Travel Options & Growth in Walkable Communities

 

By Barb Thoman, Executive Director

Post updated: 10/1/14.

 

 

Photo Credit: Metro Transit.

 

The Metropolitan Council’s draft 2040 Transportation Policy Plan (draft TPP), wisely calls for greatly expanding transit, bicycling, and walking options across the region and focusing on more compact, pedestrian-friendly development patterns. The draft TPP, an update of the plan developed in 2009, is out for public comment through Wednesday, October 1, at 5 p.m. TLC urges our members to send comment letters or e-mails to the Met. Council, offering their support for this proposed shift (see our sample comment letter at the bottom of this post). The Council is hearing pretty significant push back from proponents of the spread out, auto-focused, and costly development patterns of the last 50 years.

Demand for travel in the region is undergoing historic change. Young people are driving less and the Baby Boomer generation is starting to retire, both leading to fewer driving trips during peak periods. Ridership on transit is growing even as households in the region make fewer daily trips. Rates of bicycling are up, evidenced from data in the Met. Council’s Travel Behavior Inventory and from TLC’s 2013 Bike/Walk Count Report. The Council’s proposed approach in the draft TPP responds to these trends.

At more than 300 pages, the draft TPP is a long document. Here, we boil it down into thoughts on major topics. If you don’t have a day (!) to read the full plan, we suggest focusing on pages 67-125, which includes Vision and Strategies. Here goes:

• Land use – There is good language in this section (pages 126-148) that calls on cities and counties to prioritize walkable development, better connected streets, a mix of uses, development along transit, and more. This makes good economic and environmental sense and promotes equitable development and access for everyone. In coming years, cities in the metro will be required to update their comprehensive plans to be consistent with the TPPand other Met. Council plans. TLC believes that cities that want to access the funding streams available through the Met. Council (federal transportation, Livable Communities, and others) should be required to plan, zone, and invest in ways consistent with Met. Council plans. The region can no longer afford to subsidize expensive low-density development on farmland and open space at the edge of the region.
  
  
• Bicycle and pedestrian system – For ten years TLC has been calling for the identification of a regional bike system (pages 261-273) and it’s included in this plan! We applaud the statement on page 272 that “any new state transportation funding package should include additional funding for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure…”This is a foundation of the Move MN platform. We would like to see more attention to pedestrian access with a focus on major transit corridors, concentrated areas of poverty, access to schools, and access for seniors.
  
  
• Transit – The draft TPP acknowledges the transitway projects that can be completed with the current ¼-cent metro sales tax for transit (Southwest, Bottineau, Gateway, plus Orange Line bus rapid transit (BRT) on 35W). We have concerns about the region’s ability to also maintain existing transit infrastructure, including bus garages and already aging Blue Line rail stations. We also have concerns about counting on larger federal grant awards and expecting state motor-vehicle sales tax revenues for transit to remain steady, given the trend toward less driving.
  
  The increased revenue scenario is on par with what Seattle, Denver, and other peer cities are doing as they continue a rapid build-out of bus and rail across their regions. Additional revenue is essential for: bus system expansion (this requires more than the 1 percent per year proposed on page 234), construction of all arterial BRT lines, building a regional system of transitways in a timely fashion, and a better customer experience (via bus stop safety, comfort, access, and more information). We support the existing Transit Market Area approach to getting the most from regional transit investments by focusing those investments on areas with higher population and employment densities and demand for transit service. We were happy to see the transit chapter acknowledge the state legislative goal to increase the percentage of trips taken on transit—a goal TLC successfully worked on years ago. 

 

Transit Market Areas. Source: Metropolitan Council (PDF).

• Highway system– The draft TPP notes that the Twin Cities region has the eighth largest roadway system in the country and wisely proposes more attention to maintenance and preservation. We would spend even more on maintenance, plus increase the investment percentage for safety projects—including Complete Streets and treatments compliant with the Americans for Disabilities Act—on state, county, and local roads. In addition, we would carefully review the list of 50 proposed “spot capacity expansion” projects to ensure that these projects won’t just move congestion down the road. We support the proposal to add back the bus shoulder lane on I-94 between Minneapolis and Saint Paul (page 183).

Dave Van Hattum, TLC’s Advocacy Director, continues to call for all Met. Council and MnDOT plans—including this one—to have clear and measurable outcomes.

Don’t miss this opportunity to show your support for a new direction at the Council. Comments on the draft TPP are due Wednesday, October 1, at 5 p.m. Submit your comments by e-mail to [email protected].

 

SAMPLE COMMENT LETTER:

 

Subject: Comment on draft Transportation Policy Plan

 

I'm emailing to express my support for the direction the Met. Council has taken in the draft Transportation Policy Plan. 

 

I was very happy to see the call for greatly expanding transit, bicycling, and walking options across the region, as well as a focus on more compact, pedestrian-friendly development patterns. This makes good economic and environmental sense. 

 

Please continue to work on clear and measurable outcomes, but most importantly: Please don't buckle to the proponents of the status quo who want to continue the inequitable and costly policies of the last 50 years. The shift you have proposed will do much more to ensure we have a thriving metro region going forward, with better quality of life and access to opportunity.

 

Thank you.

 

[Your Name]

[Your Address]

 

 

Transportation on a Stick: TLC & Move MN Ramp Up Outreach at the State Fair—and Beyond

 

By Dave Van Hattum, Transportation Policy Director

 

Bethany Winkels, Field Director, talks up transportation at the State Fair. Credit: Move MN

 

It has been an action-packed summer for the Move MN campaign. Transit for Livable Communities and our Move MN allies have been busy spreading the word about urgent transportation needs all across our state. At events ranging from street festivals in Minneapolis and Moorhead to county fairs in Windom and Owatonna, we’ve connected with a broad base of Minnesotans who agree it’s time to invest in expanded bus and rail, safe bicycling and walking options, and road and bridge repair and modernization.

This week, that message is striking a cord at the Great Minnesota Get-Together, where two dozen TLC members are working alongside TLC staff and our allies at AFSCME Council 5 and other Move MN partner organizations to hear what Minnesotan’s are saying about transportation and to build even more support for making transportation a top priority in 2015.

 

Thanks to all TLC members, staff & allies volunteering together at the State Fair!
Credit: Move MN.

Many thanks to these enthusiastic volunteers for sparking great transportation conversations every day of the State Fair! Special thanks to our friends at AFSCME Council 5 for sharing their booth with us this year. If you’re headed to the fairgrounds between now and Labor Day, be sure to stop in to see us at the Labor Pavilion—and sign a Move MN postcard while you’re there.

Bethany Winkels, our new Move MN Field Director, is leading the charge on these essential outreach efforts at the State Fair and beyond. An experienced organizer, Bethany hit the ground running earlier this summer and is doing a fantastic job to engage Minnesotans in every region of our state. Bethany, who works out of the TLC office, recognizes that transportation affects people every day.  As she puts it, “This isn’t a theoretical issue. Public safety, smart government, opportunity, and good jobs are all tied to transportation.”

TLC & Move MN at Franklin Avenue Open Streets earlier this month. Credit: TLC.

 

As summer turns to fall, TLC and Move MN are looking ahead to new opportunities to raise awareness about Minnesota’s transportation problem and our call for a balanced and sustainable solution. Look for us at these community events in September:

• Sept. 5 & 6 - Burnsville Fire Muster
• Sept. 7 - Saint Paul Classic Tour
• Sept. 20 - Bloomington Heritage Days
• Sept. 20 - Aurora Legendary Laurentian
• Sept. 21 - Saint Paul Open Streets
• Sept. 27 - Minneapolis Urban League Family Day

If you’re interesting in volunteering with us at any of these events, contact Bethany at [email protected].

We also encourage you to sign Move MN’s online petition encouraging Minnesota's next governor to make transportation the top priority in 2015. This petition will send a strong message to the three major party candidates, reminding them that Minnesota’s outdated and crumbling transportation system negatively impacts us all. As the petition says, in the spirit of the Great Minnesota Get-Together, let’s get together and fix transportation! Take action: sign the "Great Transportation Get-Together" petition now.

 

 

Transit Fares in the Twin Cities

By Barb Thoman, Executive Director, and Michael Petesch, Nonmotorized Transportation Research and Evaluation Specialist

Photo: Metro Transit 

 

Transit for Livable Communities has just updated a policy brief on transit passenger fares from peer regions across the country, and we found that there’s good news and bad news about transit fares in the Twin Cities.

 

Fares & Service

 

In years past, when state-allocated revenues to transit declined, Twin Cities transit fares were increased several times until they were higher than many other places. The good news today, though, is that our transit fares have not risen since 2008. During the same period, fares in many other regions have increased, making transit fares in the Twin Cities metro about average compared to our peers.

 

Nevertheless, while many regions have fares comparable to the Twin Cities, those regions also have more extensive systems, meaning transit fares in those regions buy access to more frequent service on more routes.

 

Passes & Programs

 

In the Twin Cities, the cost of a monthly transit pass ranges from $59 to ride local service off-peak, $85 for local service during peak hours, or $113.50 for peak express service. This makes our average monthly pass slightly more expensive than in peer regions, and more than many residents who are looking for work or in low-wage jobs can afford. Metro Transit and many regional businesses and schools have done an admirable job in providing lower fares for their employees and students through the Metropass, UPass, College Pass, and Student Pass programs, but not everyone is eligible for those programs.

 

In fact, suburban riders tend to get some of the largest fare discounts, not to mention free parking at park-and-ride lots, while riders of urban bus routes tend to have smaller fare discounts and fewer transit amenities such as heated shelters. There is a real opportunity to address this equity imbalance. This might mean charging for parking at park-and-rides (something TLC supports) or it might mean creating new fare discount programs for low-income riders.

 

Transfers

 

When it comes to transfers, our region offers a unique benefit. A transit rider here is allowed unlimited free transfers for 2 hours and 30 minutes and the transfer is good for round-trip travel. Many regions charge for transfers or limit the time period for a transfer to only two hours. Only one-third of regions allow a transfer to be used for round-trip travel. Metro Transit’s 2.5-hour transfer with round-trip travel was instituted in 1998. The idea came from Brian Lamb, the agency’s current general manager.

 

The percentage of transit operating costs paid by riders in the Twin Cities
metro is slightly above the average in peer regions. Photo: TLC.

 

Farebox Recovery

 

This year, TLC also added information on farebox recovery rates to our analysis. Farebox recovery is the percentage of the transit budget that is covered by passenger fares. The most current data from the Federal Transit Administration show that transit fares in the Twin Cities region cover 29 percent of transit expenses—somewhat more than the average of 25 percent for the 20 peer regions. The lowest farebox recovery ratio was in Dallas at 10 percent and the highest was in Washington DC at 46 percent.

 

Farebox recovery is a useful data point in comparing routes and metro-wide transit systems. At the same time, it is critical to note that the public investment in transit provides huge benefits for individuals, organizations, businesses, and entire communities. It is also important to recognize that the full costs of roads and parking are not paid directly by drivers. The cost of local roads and parking are heavily subsidized by property taxes.

 

Moving Forward

 

While transit fares in this region are comparable with those in other regions, the bad news is that for many residents, including many that are most reliant on transit to get around, the cost of the fare is still a barrier to riding buses and trains and limits the access to opportunity that transit can provide. TLC believes that lower fares for riders in need, and more equitable fares, would make transit service more attractive and would increase access to opportunity for many people in the region with low incomes.

 

At the same time, we know that without more funding for transit operations, other parts of the transit budget would likely be cut to lower fares. That is why TLC believes the region needs more funding for the transit system overall. And that’s why we are a leader in the Move MN campaign. Additional funding is needed not only to expand local and express bus service, and build more light rail and bus rapid transit lines, but also to keep fares affordable, to provide fare discounts for low-income riders, to provide better customer amenities, and to create bicycle and pedestrian connections to transit in neighborhoods across the region.

 

Notes:  Transit fare data is from agency web sites. Farebox recovery ratios are from 2012.

 

 

Celebrating the Green Line & Building Support for a Strong Transit System

By Joe Klein, Move MN Organizing Intern (TLC)

 

June 14: Passengers wait to board a westbound Green Line train on its first day of service.
Photo credit: Transit for Livable Communities.

 

The past two weeks have been very exciting for transportation in Minnesota! 

 

A Grand Opening

 

Last Saturday, we celebrated the grand opening of Green Line light rail. Despite the wind and rain, over 45,000 people came to ride the Green Line on its first day of service, taking advantage of the free rides available all weekend. Stations and neighborhoods up and down the line hosted festivals and outdoor events to celebrate the historic occasion. Some of these unfortunately were cut short by stormy weather. Nevertheless, it was fantastic to see people from around the region come together to enjoy the years of work on the Green Line finally paying off!    

 

The Green Line grand opening drew tens of thousands of riders despite stormy weather.
Photo credits: Transit for Livable Communities.

 

 For the first time in over 60 years, the Twin Cities are joined by rail once again. Congratulations to all who have worked to make this project a reality and especially to the residents, businesses, and organizations along the corridor. It's been incredible seeing how light rail has already changed the metro, and we look forward to the future progress that will come about because of this new line and new bus, bike, and sidewalk connections as well.

 

Opening day festivities: Executive Director Barb Thoman spoke at the Raymond Station ceremony near our office just before the first trains started rolling. Our large-scale interactive map highlighed neighborhood destinations and easy ways to reach them from Raymond Station. (Thanks to MCEA for partnering on this project!) Photo credits: TLC.

 

TLC and the Sierra Club teamed up and recruited over 60 volunteers to talk to community members about the Move MN campaign during the grand opening. We had hundreds of conversations—on trains, on platforms, and at station celebrations—about why transportation funding must be a priority in 2015. Our amazing volunteers collected nearly 800 postcards from individuals that support Move MN and want Minnesota to keep moving forward on transit! It was very exciting to see so much enthusiasm for the Green Line and also to build momentum for more great projects like it.

 

Big thanks to all who celebrated and volunteered with us at the Green Line grand opening!
Photo credits: Transit for Livable Communities and Sierra Club North Star Chapter

 

A Committed Coalition

 

Earlier this month, dozens of organizations from across the state came together for a coalition-wide Move MN meeting. The day was an important opportunity for coalition members to exchange ideas and reinforce their commitments to the campaign. We reflected on the progress that we’ve made together so far, and discussed how to move forward to ensure a strong bill is passed in 2015 to fund transit, bicycling and walking connections, and good roads. 

 

Representative Frank Hornstein and Senator Scott Dibble—two of the legislature’s strongest transportation champions—dropped by to energize the crowd. The room was filled with a diverse group of allies who represented many different organizations and areas, but all were united in their support for Move MN.

 

A large gathering of the Move MN coalition, with special guests Rep. Hornstein and Sen. Dibble, the House and Senate Transportation Committee Chairs. Photo credit: Move MN

 

A Key Announcement

 

We are very pleased to announce that Dave Van Hattum, TLC's Senior Policy Advocate, is now a co-chair of the Move MN campaign. Dave will be leading coalition efforts along with Margaret Donahoe, Executive Director of the Minnesota Transportation Alliance. TLC has always been a leader in the movement for a well-connected, multimodal transportation system in Minnesota, and Dave's role as a Move MN co-chair reflects this. At the same time, this campaign is truly a team effort. TLC and Move MN are lucky to have many invaluable partners in this coalition, and we all will be working closely with one another to make transportation a top priority at the Capitol next year.

 

With the opening of the Green Line, and the growing support for Move MN, we continue to build momentum for a stronger transportation system in Minnesota! Stay tuned for more summer volunteer opportunities with TLC, and look for Move MN at these upcoming events:

• Saturday, June 21 - Hennepin County Fair, Corcoran
• Saturday, June 21 - Imagine Ayd Mill Linear Park, Saint Paul
• Sunday, June 29 - Twin Cities Pride Parade, Downtown Minneapolis