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NETWORK NEWS
APRIL 2003 NEWSLETTER
SERVICE CUTS & FARE HIKES
 When Governor Pawlenty created his budget, he had an important decision to make: he could continue building momentum toward a cost-effective transportation system that gave commuters choices, or go back to an expensive and outdated transportation policy that emphasized roads alone. Governor Pawlenty chose the latter: his proposed budget would make significant cuts to transit while seeking money to continue expanding roads. The result would be to reduce our transportation choices, increase transportation costs, and reduce livability.
The Governor’s 2004-2005 budget includes over $55 million in cuts to transit statewide. The cuts include reducing transit operating support; failing to appropriate money allocated by legislature in a previous session; and only partially funding operation of the Hiawatha light rail transit (LRT) line. These severe cuts would occur on top of $10 million in cuts to transit’s base funding from 2001 and 2002 and are likely to may make our regional transit system one of the smallest and most poorly funded for a major metropolitan region.
The proposed budget cuts will require both a cut in service and a hike in fares, which will reduce ridership.
> Read the full article about Pawlenty's plan and what it will mean for transit
- > Full breakdown of changes: fare hikes, routes cut, and other issues
- YOU CAN HELP AVOID THE CUTS
- The most important thing you can do is to write your legislators and the Governor and make sure they know you want them to vote pro-transit. Over and over, legislators tell us that they don't hear enough from transit advocates. Your input will make a difference. Don’t know who your legislators are, or how to contact them? Follow the link below, and we’ll find them for you. Follow the link below for some simple steps to writing your legislator.
- > WRITE your LEGISLATORS NOW!
What about the Metro Transit Hearings? Maybe you have heard that Metro Transit is holding public hearings about the transit cut plan. Importantly, the cuts Metro Transit is proposing would all be a result of the actions of the Governor and the Legislature. Those actions leave Metro Transit with no power and no choice but to cut routes and raise fares — choices most staff would rather not make. Metro Transit is already known as one of the leanest and most efficient transit systems in the country. To truly improve transit and spare route cuts, your first step should be that you contact your legislator.
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