State funding promises brighter future for transit

Council Chair

Peter Bell

The last few months have been a difficult period for transit advocates, customers and employees, as well as for the Metropolitan Council.

No one likes the idea of raising transit fares or reducing service. We know that’s a sure-fire formula for reducing transit ridership, just the opposite of what most of us would like to see.

However, faced with a $60 million budget shortfall in the coming two years, the Council was forced to raise transit fares by 25-cents across-the-board and approve a 3.5 percent service reduction— the bulk of which involves high-subsidy, low-ridership routes and route segments.

Fortunately, the global budget agreement negotiated by Gov. Tim Pawlenty and legislative leaders during the special session spared us from deeper service cuts that otherwise would have been necessary. That agreement, approved by the Legislature on July 13, provided an additional $40 million for regional transit services.

This action was an essential first step toward reversing recent ridership declines and moving instead toward growing our region’s transit system.

“
Along with the $40 million in additional operating funds, the bonding package represents a huge vote of confidence in the Council’s plan to improve our regional transit system, provide transportation options for more of our residents and slow the growth in traffic congestion.
”
- Peter Bell

The Council’s long-range transportation plan calls for increasing transit ridership 50 percent by 2020, and doubling it by 2030. The plan includes developing five new bus and/or rail “transitways” by 2020, as well as adding new express bus service, limited-stop routes, park-and-ride lots and other passenger amenities.

In its 2005 bonding bill, the Legislature provided resources to begin implementing our plan. The bill includes:

$37.5 million for the construction of the Northstar commuter rail line between Minneapolis and Big Lake.
$10 million for bus rapid transit in the Cedar Avenue corridor from the Mall of America in Bloomington to Lakeville.
$5.25 million for an 11-mile light-rail line or bus rapid transit in the Central corridor on University Avenue between the two downtowns. (A cost-benefit analysis of the two alternatives is currently underway.)
$500,000 for continued work on the Red Rock corridor from Hastings through downtown St. Paul to downtown Minneapolis.
$500,000 for work on the Rush Line corridor from downtown St. Paul through Ramsey, Washington, Chisago and Pine Counties.

Along with the $40 million in additional operating funds, the bonding package represents a huge vote of confidence in the Council’s plan to improve our regional transit system, provide transportation options for more of our residents and slow the growth in traffic congestion.

Peter Bell

July 2005