(December 2005 Newsletter - Lead Article)
Transit for Livable Communities has brought together a coalition of nine organizations that are effectively advocating for the balanced transportation system Minnesota needs.

Despite of the success of the Hiawatha LRT line and the increased interest in transit after this summer’s gas price spike, the Twin Cities transit system is in trouble. Over the past five years, annual bus service cuts and two major fare increases have eaten away at transit ridership. While the Metropolitan Council has long planned to expand transit to serves the needs of a growing region, the actual funding provided by the state has forced the Twin Cities transit system to shrink year after year.

Transit for Livable Communities has been leading the fight to finally fund the transit system this region needs. Every year since 2001, TLC’s Transportation Choices Network has approximately doubled as we have connected with citizens who are willing to do more for a better transit system. Together, TLC staff, volunteer leaders, and nearly 9,000 thousand of citizen-activists have successfully kept the transit funding cuts from being much worse.

As proud as we are of these accomplishments, in the end the Twin Cities’ transit system is still shrinking. It is clear we need to do even more to fight the powerful status quo interests that continue to treat transit as an afterthought.

Thankfully, the ailing Twin Cities transit system has drawn the attention of a growing number of community, civic, and business organizations that recognize how important an affordable and sustainable transportation system is for all Minnesotans.

In late 2004, TLC united with several of these interests to form the Transit Partners coalition – a core group of nine organizations able to commit the time and resources necessary to realize a vision for an expanded statewide transit system.

The Transit Partners Coalition is:

Alliance for Metropolitan Stability
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005
ISAIAH
Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA)
Minnesota Public Transit Association (MPTA)
Minnesota Senior Federation
Minnesotans for an Energy Efficient Economy (ME3)
Sierra Club - Northstar Chapter
Transit for Livable Communities

Together we are more powerful because each organization brings different resources to the table – such as policy knowledge, advocacy skills, or membership activism. Also, each has different perspectives on the need for more transit – from improving access to good jobs and affordable housing, to promoting more efficient use of land and energy resources, to increasing the mobility for all.

As the coordinator of the Transit Partners coalition, TLC facilitates meetings. TLC also contributes experienced policy analysis to the coalition, including a first-of-its-kind Transit Needs Analysis Report that realistically estimated the cost of implementing the Met Council’s goals for transit by 2020. The report gave the Transit Partners and other allies a key tool to battle for transit’s fair share of state transportation funding.

Together, the TLC and the Transit Partners worked to develop an historic funding plan for transit in the 2005 legislative session - the Transportation Choices 2020 Initiative (TC2020). It stopped additional cuts proposed for transit, expanded transit service to all Minnesota counties, provided funds for more biking and walking facilities, and fulfilled the Met Council’s transit expansion goals by 2020: doubling the metro bus system and building at least 6 more regional transitways. In short order, a broad range of 25 community organizations signed on to TC2020. (See the list of TC2020 supporting organizations as of the 2005 legislative session.)

The Transit Partners eventually succeeded in getting the TC2020 Initiative introduced by a bi-partisan group of 17 legislators. It also received committee hearings in both the House & Senate, and was passed by the Senate Transportation Committee. But the ultimate measure of the Transit Partners’ success was the House and Senate’s passage of a major bipartisan transportation bill authored by Rep. Ron Erhardt (R-Edina) that would have provided over $200 million in additional annual funding for transit. This level of funding was only possible because TC2020 supporters convinced key decision makers of the real needs of Minnesota’s transit system.

Despite the Governor’s veto of the bill, its passage through the legislature in this politically fractured time was a major victory for Transit Partners coalition. Significantly, the Governor could not veto the portion of the bill that created a November 2006 constitutional referendum to dedicate at least 40% of the motor vehicle sales tax (MVST) to transit. (See more on the MVST Referendum HERE)

The Transit Partners’ efforts also made transit a priority in the negotiations that ended the budget stalemate during the special session. Key legislators forced $46 million for transit into the final agreement to reduce the Governor’s proposed cuts to service. While these funds did not meet the full $66 million shortfall, they did keep a bad situation from being much worse.

TLC and the Transit Partners are already preparing for a busy 2006. Our priorities include reintroducing the Transportation Choices 2020 Initiative at the legislature, and seeking bonding money for new buses, facilities and transitways (including the Central Corridor and Northstar Corridor). We will also be supporting the November 2006 MVST Referendum, including fighting transit-foes’ likely attempts to modify the current language.

The successes of 2005 not only reaffirm TLC’s commitment of time and effort to the Transit Partners coalition, but they also show the effectiveness of TLC's core strategies as we head into 2006: researching transportation policy, educating the public and decision makers, organizing transit supporters, and forming partnerships with key community and business organizations.