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Transportation <br />distribution of available funding. <br />MetroCitiesrecognizestheneedforflexibility intransitsystemsforcitiesthatbordertheedges <br />of the seven-county metropolitan area to ensure users can get to destinations outside of the <br />seven-county area. Metro Cities encourages the Metropolitan Council to coordinate with collar <br />countiessothatriderscangettoandfromdestinationsbeyondtheboundariesoftheregion. <br />Metro Cities opposes statutory changes restricting the use of local funds for planning or <br />construction of transit projects. Restricting local planning and funding limits the ability of <br />citiestoparticipateintransitcorridorplanninganddevelopment.State andregional <br />policymakersmust coordinatewithlocalunitsofgovernment asdecisionsaremadeat thestate <br />level ontransitprojectsthat alsoinvolvemunicipalplanning,funding,and policydecisions. <br />Metro Citiesisopposedto legislativeorMetropolitan Council directivesthatconstrainthe <br />ability of metropolitan transit providers to provide a full range of transit services, <br />includingreversecommuteroutes,suburb-to-suburbroutes,transithubfeederservicesor <br />new, experimental services that may show a low rate of operating cost recovery from the <br />farebox. <br />In the interest of including all potential options in the pursuit of a regionally balanced <br />transit system, Metro Cities supports the repeal of the gag order onthe Dan Patch <br />CommuterRailLineand opposestheimposition oflegislativemoratoriumsonthestudy, <br />planning,design,or constructionofspecifictransitprojects. <br />Intheinterestof safetyandtrafficmanagement,MetroCitiessupportsfurtherstudyofrail <br />safety issues relating to water quality protections, public safety concerns relating to <br />derailments, traffic implications from longer and more frequent trains and the sensitive <br />balance between rail commerce and the quality-of-lifeimpacts on the communities through <br />whichtheypass. <br />The COVID-19 crisis has had dramatic effects on public transit service, including changing <br />business practices that are likely to substantially reduce transit demand for the foreseeable future. <br />Adverseeconomiceffectsthreatenrevenuesavailabletofundtransitoperations.Suburbantransit <br />providers areconcernedthatfundingchallenges maybeusedtoattempttojustifyarepealof <br />their authorizing legislation and to consolidate transit services into a single regional entity. This <br />would result in reverting to conditions existing nearly 40 years ago when inadequate service <br />causedtwelvesuburbstoelectnottobepartofthetraditionaltransitsystem. <br />Metro Cities strongly supports the autonomy of suburban transit providers to conduct <br />operations to meet demonstrated and unique needs in their designated service areas <br />independentfromthe operations ofotherregionaltransitproviders. <br />5-CTransitFinancing <br />Shifting demographics in the metropolitan region will mean increased demand for various modes <br />of transit in areas with and without current transit service. MVST revenue projections are <br />2022 Legislative Policies <br />57 <br /> <br />