NETWORK NEWS
AUGUST 2003 NEWSLETTER

Battle for Federal Funding
Threatens Transportation Alternatives

Many of the key funding programs for alternatives to traditional road and highway projects are under attack in the battle for reauthorization of the next six-year federal transportation funding bill.

The current federal transportation law, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, or TEA-21, expires at the end of September, although it is likely to be extended past that date. The majority of TEA-21 funding comes from the 18-cent per gallon federal gas tax. TEA-21 and its predecessor, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), greatly increased investment in public transit, biking, and walking and helped begin a process of diversifying transportation systems.

MINNESOTA DEPENDS ON FEDERAL FUNDING

Over the past six years, Minnesota has received over $400 million annually through TEA-21. Federal transportation funding is especially important in Minnesota where a narrow interpretation of the words "highway purpose" in the state constitution has limited the use of state gas tax and license tab revenues to roads.

OBERSTAR ENCOURAGES “THE JOYS OF HUMAN-POWERED TRANSPORTATION”

A number of provisions dealing with Amtrak funding, High Speed Rail and Safe Routes to Schools are also under consideration for possible inclusion in the final federal transportation bill. In late June, Rep. James Oberstar from Minnesota introduced the Pedestrian and Cyclist Equity Act of 2003 (PACE). PACE is a national Safe Routes to School program which would provide $250 million a year to fix unsafe conditions on roads near schools and encourage children to walk and bike to school. "This bill encourages children and adults to reacquaint themselves with the joys of human-powered
transportation," said Oberstar. (For more on Amtrak and High Speed Rail see www.elpc.org or www.apta.com)

KEY VOTES IN SEPTEMBER

Key votes on the reauthorization of TEA-21 are expected in September when Congress returns from its August recess.

In March, the Surface Transportation Policy Project released "Stay the Course: How to Make TEA-21 Even Better," a report on reauthorization. In June, the Joyce Foundation in Chicago released "Keep It Moving," which describes the ways states in the Midwest have invested TEA-21 dollars and identifies strategies for improving the next federal bill. For copies of the reports check www.transact.org and www.joycefdn.org, or contact the TLC office.

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WHAT YOU CAN DO
Please write your Congressional representatives and ask them to support a federal transportation bill that retains the flexibility of TEA-21, funds transit projects at the same 80 percent federal/20 percent local match as highways, and funds transit with the gas tax. For more information on TEA-21 reauthorization and how to send an e-mail or fax to your legislator, go to www.tea3.org or apta.com.

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IMPORTANT DATES

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What’s new at TLC?

McKnight Awards Grant to Support TLC Work
The two-year grant for $150,000 will support TLC’s research, education, and advocacy efforts. It will allow TLC to expand its grassroots base, form partnerships with a wide range of transit stakeholders, and continue as a resource for community, business and public leaders.

TLC Program Director Barb Thoman Speaks to 300 at the Center for Senior Citizen Education
Thoman spoke about the connection between public transit, transit-oriented development, and energy conservation at the seminar hosted by the University of St. Thomas. Many in the audience remembered when Minneapolis and St. Paul had an extensive transit system. "You could get on a streetcar in Minnetonka and go all the way to Stillwater," one participant reminisced. For a copy of the presentation, call 651-767-0298.

TLC Program Manager Sacha Peterson Presents at the U of M’s Center for Transportation Studies
Peterson previewed TLC’s upcoming report, "Sharing the Road: Encouraging Biking and Walking in Minnesota" at the Center’s annual conference. Barb Thoman also presented TLC’s report "The Myth of Free Parking."

Praise For TLC’s ‘The Myth Of Free Parking’
The report on parking costs, practices, and impacts, has been written up in the Star Tribune and featured on Minnesota Public Radio. National transportation expert Donald Shoup, professor of urban planning at UCLA, wrote that TLC’s report gave him some good ideas to incorporate into an upcoming book he is writing entitled "The High Cost of Free Parking." If you would like a copy, contact TLC at 651-767-0298 or click here.

Founding Member John Levin Leaves TLC Board
After five years, John leaves to spend more time with his growing family. John brought a strong transit and planning background to the board and a keen understanding of the workings of non-profits. Look for John on bus route 94B to and from Metro Transit’s central office in downtown Minneapolis.

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Transit Voices Louder During the 2003 Legislative Session

Although transit funding was cut significantly, members of Transit for Livable Communities’ Transportation Choices Network (TCN) made their voices heard at the Capitol this year, emphasizing the message that transit is an essential part of a healthy transportation system in Minnesota. The efforts of thousands of citizens to defend transit funding helped save $17 million (restoring one third of the proposed cuts), and defeated the worst anti-transit provisions in the House bill.

TCN volunteers distributed and collected postcards, wrote letters-to-the-editor, attended legislator meetings, made hundreds of phone calls, and sent e-mails to legislators. More than 1,300 signed postcards were mailed or delivered to legislators.

POSTCARD CAMPAIGN MADE A DIFFERENCE

Senator Scott Dibble, a member of the Transportation Conference Committee, received more than 150 postcards. Dibble said, "the final bill was bad, however it would have been a lot worse without the postcard campaign." A number of Senate leaders received more than 50 postcards. Elaine Rider, TCN volunteer, got more than 230 postcards signed. She said "I really enjoyed interacting with my fellow bus riders and I felt like I helped make a difference."

TRANSIT FUNDING IS VULNERABLE

The $40 million in cuts to bus service will hurt thousands of people across the state — many of whom have few other transportation options. Because transit lacks a dedicated funding source like Minnesota has for roads, transit is vulnerable when the state’s budget is tight. TLC believes that Minnesota needs an increased and dedicated funding source for transit to enable both Greater Minnesota and the Metropolitan area to build expanded and robust transit systems.

Work for the 2004 session has already begun. This summer TLC will continue to build the Transportation Choices Network, strategize for the next session and hold an in-district meeting with legislators. We need your help. If you have ideas or want to volunteer please contact Dan Walsh at 651-767-0298 or email him at danw@tlcminnesota.org.

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Want to be a Transit Personality?
Do you have a photo of yourself or a friend riding transit here or in another city? Send us your transit photos and we may use them for a future newsletter or website article.

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Congestion Pricing is a "HOT" Topic

Some Twin Cities drivers will have a chance to pay their way into less congested highway travel, thanks to a law passed during the last legislative session. The new law allows MnDOT to implement a form of "congestion pricing," in the reversible high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane on I-394. With a High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lane, as this concept is called, solo drivers pay a fee by electronic toll to drive in the I-394 HOT lane. The revenues collected would be split between bus transit within the corridor and general corridor improvements. The new law had bipartisan support.

Minnesota has only two highways where HOV lanes operate — an approximately seven-mile stretch on I-35W south of downtown Minneapolis and the approximately nine miles on I-394 west of downtown Minneapolis.

HOV LANES PROVIDE IMPORTANT TRANSIT ADVANTAGE

While the HOV lanes on I-394 don’t carry as many vehicles as the general-purpose lanes, on average they carry twice as many people. They also provide an important transit time advantage to buses and carpoolers.

Supporters of the HOV lanes, including TLC, argue that the lanes get less use because of the small size of the regional transit system and the availability of free and subsidized vehicle parking. In addition, adequate enforcement has been cited as a key factor in HOV lane success, but a 2002 study of the HOV lanes in the Twin Cities found high violation rates by solo drivers using the HOV lanes due to lack of enforcement.

USER FEE FOR SOLO DRIVERS

Proponents of HOT lanes believe that charging drivers a fee makes drivers more aware of the costs associated with driving, thereby reducing the demand for limited highway space. Charging drivers a fee for driving solo in the HOV lane will increase the direct costs of driving for those who choose to pay the fee, but it is uncertain whether this fee will make more drivers aware of the heavily subsidized costs of driving.

Experts say that drivers facing congestion pricing will tend to shift to transit and carpooling when there are good transit alternatives available and when drivers are being charged for using existing lanes rather than for additional capacity. When highway capacity is added, congestion pricing will tend to lead to more driving. (Victoria Transportation Policy Institute, 29 July 2003, from www.vtpi.org).

This does not bode well for Minnesotans who are concerned about increased auto use, as the I-394 HOT lane plan would add capacity in several ways. First, SOV drivers will be permitted to use the existing HOV lanes starting in 2005. In addition, MnDOT is planning to create a third HOT lane for off-peak travel, expand the Highway 100 interchange, and improve merging at the Lowry Tunnel, all of which will accommodate increased driving.

Furthermore, the legislature cut transit funding for the fourth straight year, further reducing the choices available to commuters in this and other corridors.

A TWO-TIER TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM?

Much of the debate on HOT lanes has centered on whether it will create a two-tiered transportation system with the "haves" paying to avoid congestion and the "have-nots" stuck in traffic.

Opposition against HOT lane proposals has lessened when revenues collected are invested in public transit. Revenues from San Diego’s eight miles of HOT lanes in the I-15 corridor have paid for a new express bus, although studies show that ridership increases along this corridor lag far behind the rest of the region.

Furthermore, while there is support for the HOT lanes across incomes, HOT lane drivers are overwhelmingly upper income. Revenue projections on the I-394 HOT lanes will be available in mid-September, says a MnDOT official, but are expected to be "significant."

NEXT STEPS

The HOT lanes are expected to be operational by January 2005, with related corridor changes to be constructed later. Some proponents of Minnesota’s HOT lane proposal hope that the concept will lead to congestion pricing on a region-wide basis.

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TCN Member Spotlight: Diane Martin, Columbia Heights
“I started riding the bus in 1974 when I attended business college in downtown Minneapolis. After graduation, I got a job downtown and continued riding. I like riding the bus because I don’t enjoy driving a car and parking is very expensive. I’m glad to ride the bus on snowy days so I don’t have to worry about sliding all over the road.

My commute from Columbia Heights is about seven miles. Unfortunately, the transit system reorganization in 2000 changed my route and I now have a longer trip because I have to transfer. Luckily I enjoy reading and have also gotten to know several neighbors who ride the bus.

Metropass is great! My company, American Express, was one of the first to offer this benefit and it provides an economical and convenient way to ride the bus. Quite a few employees started using the bus after Metropass became available.

I will confess that I have fallen asleep on the bus a few times and missed my stop. One time I fell asleep but luckily the driver knew me and knew which stop was mine, so he woke me up when we pulled up to my corner.”

About Diane Martin
Occupation: Administrative Assistant
Average commute time: 50 minutes
Favorite thing to do in transit: Read or sleep
Transit tip: Leave plenty of time in between connections, because buses can run late.
Primary transit concern: Service has declined in the last several years, especially if you live away from a main road. Every three years, my suburb has to fight to keep our buses. My concern is that the legislature will eventually cut our service totally and we will have to find other ways to get to work.

We highlight a member in each newsletter. If you are interested in being highlighted, contact Dan Walsh at danw@tlcminnesota.org or 651-767-0298.

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Transit at the Legislature: Strike Four?

For the fourth straight year, public transit took heavy cuts during the legislative session—while highway funding increased.

Transit funding was reduced by more than $40 million, with cuts from expected funding levels for 2004-2005 of 11 percent. No new money was allocated for busway, commuter rail, or light rail projects. At the same time, the legislature approved $900 million of the Governor’s proposed four-year $1 billion plan for state bonding to accelerate road building.

Governor Pawlenty’s transportation proposal included cuts to transit of $55 million (a third of which were won back by Senate negotiators in the last hours of the session) and reduced state funding for the operating costs of the Hiawatha LRT line, which opens in 2004. The House’s transportation proposal included even deeper cuts.

NO GAS TAX OR TAB FEE INCREASE

Senate DFLers, as well as the Minnesota Transportation Coalition (TLC is one of its 250 members) and other groups, advanced legislative proposals that would increase funding for both roads and transit by raising the gas tax and license-tab fees, but they got little support even among traditional Republican allies. Senators Sharon Marko (DFL-Cottage Grove), Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis), and Dean Johnson (DFL-Willmar) fought particularly hard for transit in the Senate, and Representatives Alice Hausman (DFL-St. Paul), Frank Hornstein (DFL-Minneapolis) and Ron Erhardt (Rep-Edina) were vocal advocates in the House.

TRANSIT FARES INCREASED, SERVICES REDUCED

To balance its budget, Metro Transit reduced service on 40 bus routes and increased rush hour express fares beginning August 1. Fares on Metro Mobility also increased August 1. These cuts are likely to reduce annual transit trips by more than 1 million and increase drive-alone trips and traffic congestion.

Although the Governor and House Republicans say they didn’t raise taxes, transit riders will be "taxed" by higher fares, and drivers will face a greater "congestion tax."

WHAT WAS PASSED:

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Interview with Senator Sharon Marko

Senator Sharon Marko (DFL-Cottage Grove) was instrumental in restoring a portion of the proposed cuts to transit during the 2003 legislative session. Marko’s district is in the rapidly growing corridor along highway 61.

Q. What happened to transit at the legislature this year?
A. It’s clear to me from this session that many Republicans do not see transit as a legitimate government function. I’m afraid it’s going to take a crisis for some legislators to realize that transit needs to be part of the solution.

Q. Do you see any positives coming out of this session?
A. I don’t think that the Governor has turned his back on Northstar commuter rail; it could get funded next year. Also, transit riders from my district were very vocal in the Metropolitan Council’s hearings on proposed transit service cuts after they learned how best to get involved.

Q. Why is transit so important to you?
A. I ran for office specifically to address transportation issues. I grew up in the Chicago area and lived in Boston before coming to the Twin Cities, so I understand
the value of an integrated transportation system. If people have a chance to
experience rail, they will get on board.

Q. How do you think we need to keep building support for transit? What’s next at the legislature?
A. Many Minnesotans don’t care about transit because they have no experience with it. We should identify transportation problems in several suburbs and, where appropriate, offer transit as a solution.

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Transportation & Land Use News

LOCAL

Hiawatha LRT Update
The Hiawatha LRT (light rail transit) project is on schedule and on budget. The 11.6-mile line from downtown Minneapolis to Fort Snelling is scheduled to open in April 2004 and be completed to the Mall of America by the end of 2004. The first LRT vehicle is doing on-track testing between Cedar-Riverside and 46th Street and construction progress is visible from downtown to 46th. In June, the Metropolitan Council voted to add an additional $40 million to the $675 million project cost to move an LRT station from its planned site across the street from the Mall to the current bus transit station at the Mall. This change will make bus/rail transfers much easier, eliminates the need for rail transit customers to walk across a skyway bridge and through a parking ramp, and provides for additional park and ride parking near the Mall.

The Mall and the Federal Transit Administration must still approve the change. Federal money that would have been used for bus replacement would be used to pay a portion of the added cost. Light rail opponents claim the use of the federal money will hurt the Met Council’s plan to double the bus system. In truth, another reduction in transit operating funds due to legislatively mandated cuts is the real limit on the growth of the transit system. Until Minnesota reverses the cuts and commits to significant growth, the region’s current bus fleet, which is relatively new, will likely be adequate.

Northstar Commuter Rail on Hold
The Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) is not giving up on its plan to run commuter rail along Highway 10 from Minneapolis to St. Cloud/Rice. During the 2003 legislative session, no state matching funding was allocated for the project. The $300-million project needs a $120-million state match to earn a $150-million federal "New Starts" transit grant like that used for the Hiawatha LRT project. A recent economic analysis determined that the 15-year operating and capital costs of Northstar commuter rail would be half as much as the capital and operating costs of adding a lane in each direction to Trunk Highway 10. NCDA will ask legislators to bond for Northstar in the 2004 legislative session. For more information on the project check www.northstartrain.org.

County Provides Shelter for Transit Riders
East metro transit commuters have improved accommodations near the Sun Ray Shopping Center off I-94, east of White Bear Avenue. Metro Transit opened its new Transit Center, an attractive shelter with security, seating, lighting, and heat in winter. The new transit center, which serves five bus routes, was funded with a combination of state and federal money. Using a federal grant for the Riverview Corridor, Ramsey County and Metro Transit added more than 20 attractive shelters and new pedestrian-scale lighting in a corridor along West 7th/Fort Road through downtown and to the Maplewood Mall.

Metro Transit Buses Get Bike Racks by the End of the Year
By the end of 2003, all 900-plus Metro Transit buses should be equipped with bike racks. Metro Transit has issued a request for proposals and plans to award a contract soon. Currently about 30 percent of Metro Transit buses are equipped with racks, including all of the buses on routes No. 3 and No. 6 serving the University of Minnesota campuses. For more information on the project, contact Kelci Stones at Metro Transit, 612-349-7686.

Local Engineers Trained to Design for Pedestrians
In workshops in May and June, 120 engineers, planners, and advocates from Minnesota cities, counties, and MnDOT learned how to better design roads to accommodate safe pedestrian travel. Michael Ronkin, Pedestrian Coordinator for the state of Oregon, and Charlie Zegeer, Associate Director of the Highway Safety Research Center at the University of North Carolina, teamed up for the training. MnDOT plans to make a tape of the training available. For information, phone Kristie Billiar at MnDOT, 651-296-5269, or check the web site www.walkinginfo.org.

NATIONAL

San Diego to Increase Investment in Transit
Mobility 2030, the regional transportation plan for the San Diego metropolitan area, calls for "transit to be the first choice for many trips" and projects that over 10% of trips will be on public transit during the peak hours. Of the $20 billion in major capital investments planned for 2002-2030, $8.5 billion (42 percent) is for transit; $6.6 billion (37 percent) is for HOV, managed lanes, and HOV connectors; and $4.1 billion (21 percent) is for highway system completion, highway widening, and freeway connections. San Diego currently has 57 miles of light rail, 42 miles of commuter rail, and a number of bus transit providers. In 2001, San Diego’s four transit systems carried 79 million riders. (Transit agencies in the Twin Cities region carried 73 million riders in 2002).

Calgary Light Rail Runs on Wind Power
C-Train, the 18-mile light-rail transit system in Calgary, Alberta, is powered entirely by electricity generated by 12 windmills. The three line C-Train system carries about 190,000 riders each day. Calgary Transit buys electrical power from two wind farms. In 2002, Calgary Transit provided 76 million rides on transit to a metropolitan area of 1 million people.

Traffic Deaths Up in U.S. and Minnesota
Traffic deaths nationally rose 1.7 percent in 2002, to the highest number since 1990, according to preliminary estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The fatality rate per 100,000 persons rose by .7 percent for the year. Pedestrian and bicyclist deaths remain over-represented in the total — 13 percent of the estimated 42,850 people killed nationwide. In Minnesota, 657 people died in vehicle crashes — the highest number in 20 years. Ten percent were bicyclists and pedestrians. For the "Minnesota Crash Facts" report see www.dps.state.mn.us. (Information from Transfer, May 2003, Surface Transportation Policy Project.)

BART Opens Service to San Francisco Airport
In June, the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) opened a 9-mile extension with three new stations, extending the 95-mile heavy rail system south to San Francisco International Airport. The $1.45-billion extension was funded in part by the Federal Transit Administration. BART now serves four counties with a total population of nearly 4 million people. The four new stations are at South San Francisco, San Bruno, the airport, and Millbrae. The Millbrae stop is an inter-modal station where passengers can transfer seamlessly to Caltrain commuter rail or local buses operated by the San Mateo County Transit District. In 2002, BART provided 95 million trips. (Information from APTA’s Passenger Transport.)
International

INTERNATIONAL

Congestion Fee is a Success in London
London’s experiment in congestion pricing appears to be working. In February, the city of London began charging weekday commuters who travel in private vehicles into the city center a daily congestion fee of 5 pounds ($8). The fee has increased transit use, biking, and walking; reduced private vehicle trips by approximately 20,000 per day; and increased overall travel speeds. Approximately 1 million people each day commute into central London — 85 percent traveling on the city’s extensive bus and rail system. Revenues from the fee will be used to pay for costs of the program and to improve public transit. For more information see the report by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute at www.vtpi.org.

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