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Urge Your Senator to Provide the Funding Needed to Achieve the Vision for Transit in the Twin Cities Region
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A Regional Sales Tax for Transit is Needed
Senator Steve Kelley has advanced a bill to the Senate floor that would increase the sales tax in the seven county metro region by one-half cent, with transit receiving half of the new revenue and stadiums receiving the other half. This would immediately generate $110 million annually in new revenue for transit. After the stadiums are paid off (approximately 2014), all the revenues from the new sales tax would go to metro area transit.
As a transportation choices advocacy organization, TLC does not have a position on how sports stadiums should be funded. Ideally transit funding wouldn’t be attached to stadium funding proposals. That is why TLC has pushed a separate transit bill (Transportation Choices 2020) this session and last. Nonetheless, having this bill on the Senate floor offers a welcome opportunity to raise the visibility of the need to expand funding of the Twin Cities’ transit system. If passed by the full Senate, this bill would still face a monumental challenge in conference committee.
Due to repeated funding cuts since 2000, transit fares in the Twin Cities have increased nearly 50% while dozens of bus routes have been cut and service frequency has been reduced. Passage of the MVST constitutional amendment this fall would only provide a third of the funding the Metropolitan Council needs to accomplish its long planned doubling of the bus system and construction of a regional network of transitways. This new proposed sales tax would finally enable the Council to move forward on its entire plan.
A region-wide sales tax is the most common transit funding mechanism used by other major regions across the country. In the 2005 session, the Transportation Choices 2020 bill (which relied on a ½ cent regional sales tax) received hearings in the House, passed two committees in the Senate, and influenced the major transportation funding package that was vetoed by the Governor. This session, TLC has worked with legislative allies to reintroduce the TC2020 bill, but serious consideration of it will likely have to wait until next year.
Whatever your feelings about public funding for stadiums, please take advantage of the heightend attention now on transit by contacting your state Senator today and urging them to support increased funding for transit.
Your message will be sent to each of the following targets:
Your State Senator
A sample message appears below, which you may edit before sending.
Provide Metro Residents and Commuters With Real Transportation Choices
Dear Senator,
The Twin Cities region needs increased funding for transit in order to implement the Metropolitan Council’s long planned expansion of the regional transit system. To achieve this plan, Minnesota needs to increase transit funding through the passage of the MVST constitutional amendment, through the use of general obligation bonding, and through an increase in the regional sales tax.
Repeated cuts in state funding since 2000 have shrunk the Twin Cities transit system and forced fares to increase nearly 50%. It is time to provide metro residents and commuters with real transportation choices.
The MVST amendment, if passed, will only meet a third of the planned need. Most major metropolitan areas fund their transit systems with a portion of a regional sales tax. It is time for Minnesota to also recognize the important contributions public transit makes to energy conservation, economic competitiveness, and quality of life by supporting a regional sales tax for transit.
Sincerely,
Your name and address here
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This Action Alert Campaign is Closed.
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