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Transportation <br /> TransportationPoliciesandFundingIntroduction <br />MetroCitiessupportsacomprehensivetransportation systemasavitalcomponentin <br />planning for and meeting the physical, social,and economic needs of the state and <br />metropolitanregion. <br />A comprehensive transportation system includes streets and bridges, transit, and multi-modal <br />solutionsthat work cohesively tobest meet state,regional and local transportationneeds. <br />Adequate andstablesourcesoffundingare necessarytoensure thedevelopmentand <br />maintenance of a high quality, efficient and safe transportation system that meets these needs and <br />that will position the state and region to be economically competitive in the years ahead. Failure <br />to maintain a functional transportation system will have adverse effects on the stateÓs ability to <br />attractandretainbusinesses andcreatejobs. <br />Transportation funding and planning must be a high priority for state, regional and local <br />policymakers so that the transportation system can meet the needs of the stateÓs residents and <br />businesses as well as projected population growth. Funding and planning for regional and <br />statewidesystemsmust becoordinated atthefederal,state,regional and locallevelsto optimally <br />achievelong-termneeds andgoals. <br />5-ARoadandBridgeFunding <br />Under current financing structures that rely primarily on local property taxes and fees as well as <br />the motor vehicle sales tax (MVST) receipts, road and bridge needs in the metropolitan region <br />continue to be underfunded. Metro Cities strongly supports stable, sufficient,and <br />sustainablestatewide transportation funding and expanded local tools to meet the <br />transportationsystem needs of the region and local municipal systems. Consideration <br />should be given tousing new, expanded,and existing resources to meet these needs. Metro <br />Cities supports the useofdedicatedtaxesandfeestofundtransportationinfrastructure. <br />In addition, cities lack adequate tools and resources for the maintenance and improvement of <br />municipal street systems, with resources restricted to property taxes and special assessments. It is <br />imperative that alternative revenue generating authority be granted to municipalities and that <br />state resources be made available for this purpose to aid local communities and relieve the <br />burden on the property tax system. Metro Cities supports Municipal State Aid Street (MSAS) <br />funding. MSAS provides an important but limited revenue source that assists eligible cities with <br />streetinfrastructureneeds andis limitedtotwentypercentofacityÓsstreetsystem. <br />Metro Cities supports state funding to assist cities over-burdened by cost participation <br />responsibilitiesfromimprovementprojectsonthestateÓsarterial systemandcountystate <br />aidhighway(CSAH)systems. <br />Metro Citiessupportsstatefundingforstatehighway projects,includingcongestion, <br />2022 Legislative Policies <br />55 <br /> <br />