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Transportation <br />bottleneckandsafetyimprovements.MetroCitiesalsosupportsstatefinancialassistance, <br />as well as innovations in design and construction, to offset the impacts of regional <br />transportationconstructionprojectsonbusinesses. <br />MetroCitiesopposesstatutorychangesrestricting theuseoflocal fundsfortransportation <br />projects.MetroCitiesopposesrestrictionsonaesthetic relatedcomponentsof <br />transportation projects, as these components often provide important safety and other <br />benefitstoprojects. <br />Metro Cities supports further research into the policy implications for electric and <br />automatedvehiclesonroadways,transit,andothercomponentsoftransportationsystems. <br />Metro Cities encourages the state to study the impact of electric and automated vehicles on <br />transportationrelatedfundingandpolicies. <br />5-BRegionalTransitSystem <br />The Twin Cities Metropolitan Area needs a multi-modal regional transit system as part of a <br />comprehensive transportation strategy that serves all users, including commuters and the transit <br />dependent. The transit system should be composed of a mix of high occupancy vehicle (HOV) <br />lanes,high occupancytoll(HOT)lanes,anetworkofbike andpedestriantrails,busrapidtransit, <br />express and regular route bus service, exclusive transit ways, light rail transit, streetcars, and <br />commuter rail corridors designed to connect residential, employment, retail,and entertainment <br />centers. The system should be regularly monitored and adjusted to ensure that routes of service <br />correspondtotheregionÓschangingtravelpatterns. <br />Currentcongestionlevelsandforecastedpopulationgrowthrequireastable,reliable,and <br />growing source of revenue for transit construction and operations so that our metropolitan region <br />can meet its transportation needs to remain economically competitive. Metro Cities supports an <br />effective,efficient,andcomprehensiveregionaltransitsystemas aninvaluablecomponent <br />in meeting the multimodal transportation needs of the metropolitan region and to the <br />regionÓs economic vibrancy and quality of life. Metro Cities recognizes that transit service <br />connects residents to jobs, schools, healthcare,and activity centers. Transit access and service <br />frequencylevels shouldrecognize theroleofpublictransitinaddressingequity,includingbut <br />not limited to racial and economic disparities, people with disabilities and the elderly. Metro <br />Citiessupports strategic expansionoftheregionaltransitsystem. <br />Metro Cities supports a regional governance structure that ensuresa measurablyreliable <br />and efficient system, recognizes the diverse transit needs of our region andaddresses <br />fundingneedsforallcomponentsof thesystem.Thesestructuresmustwork withand be <br />responsivetotheneedsofthecommunitiestheyserve. <br />Metro Cities supportsan open and collaborative regional transportation planning process <br />that fully engages all public transit providers as partners in ongoing policy development to <br />achieve desired outcomes, including establishment of transit project criteria that promote <br />fair and equitable selection of projects throughout the region and transparent regional <br />2022 Legislative Policies <br />56 <br /> <br />