1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to transportation; requiring consultation for 
  1.3             route and schedule changes; establishing route and 
  1.4             schedule planning review process; authorizing a study 
  1.5             and report by the metropolitan council concerning 
  1.6             coordination of transit services; requiring assessment 
  1.7             of electric vehicle technology; authorizing issuance 
  1.8             of free bus passes; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, 
  1.9             sections 473.375, by adding subdivisions; and 473.408, 
  1.10            by adding a subdivision; proposing coding for new law 
  1.11            in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 473. 
  1.12  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.13     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 473.375, is 
  1.14  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.15     Subd. 19.  [ROUTE OR SCHEDULE CHANGE.] The council, or the 
  1.16  operator or local government unit with which it has contracted, 
  1.17  shall consult with representatives of affected municipalities 
  1.18  and neighborhoods before changing existing transit routes or 
  1.19  schedules or implementing new routes or schedules. 
  1.20     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 473.375, is 
  1.21  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.22     Subd. 20.  [ROUTE AND SCHEDULE PLANNING AND REVIEW.] The 
  1.23  council shall select a minimum of five metropolitan area 
  1.24  municipalities or organized neighborhood groups each year to 
  1.25  participate in a community route and schedule planning and 
  1.26  review project.  The council, or the operator or local unit with 
  1.27  which it has contracted, shall review existing transit services 
  1.28  within the selected municipalities or neighborhoods and identify 
  2.1   any changes necessary to meet the transit needs of the 
  2.2   municipalities or neighborhoods and achieve the transit program 
  2.3   goals in section 473.371, subdivision 2.  The council may 
  2.4   implement the identified changes or other services requested by 
  2.5   the municipalities or neighborhoods. 
  2.6      Sec. 3.  [473.381] [TRANSIT SERVICES COORDINATION STUDY.] 
  2.7      The metropolitan council may conduct a preliminary study of 
  2.8   certain transit services provided within the metropolitan area, 
  2.9   as defined in section 473.121, subdivision 2, in order to advise 
  2.10  the legislature concerning possible improvements in transit 
  2.11  services coordination.  The study may include, but is not 
  2.12  limited to: 
  2.13     (1) an identification of all transit services provided in 
  2.14  the metropolitan area by state agencies, counties, metropolitan 
  2.15  agencies, local government units, school districts, and 
  2.16  nonprofit organizations for health, human services or social 
  2.17  services, employment, or education purposes; 
  2.18     (2) a characterization and count of the users of each type 
  2.19  of identified transit service; 
  2.20     (3) an analysis of the cost, funding source, and revenue 
  2.21  for each type of transit service; 
  2.22     (4) recommendations concerning combining, coordinating, or 
  2.23  centralizing identified transit services relating to health, 
  2.24  human services or social services, and employment to achieve 
  2.25  greater efficiency or cost effectiveness; 
  2.26     (5) recommendations concerning combining, coordinating, or 
  2.27  centralizing identified transit services relating to education 
  2.28  to achieve greater efficiency or cost effectiveness; 
  2.29     (6) an assessment of the feasibility of combining special 
  2.30  transportation in the metropolitan area, as defined in section 
  2.31  473.386, with identified transit services and specifically with 
  2.32  special education transportation; 
  2.33     (7) recommendations concerning providing greater access to 
  2.34  regular route transit for the handicapped and elderly; 
  2.35     (8) an estimate of cost and proposed sources of funding for 
  2.36  any recommended transit coordination; and 
  3.1      (9) recommendations and cost estimates concerning possible 
  3.2   demonstration projects to test the efficacy of coordinated 
  3.3   transit services. 
  3.4      The council may submit a written report of the results of 
  3.5   the study to the transportation and public transit committees of 
  3.6   the legislature. 
  3.7      Sec. 4.  [473.395] [ELECTRIC VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY.] 
  3.8      The council shall monitor development of electric vehicle 
  3.9   technology and shall make a preliminary assessment of the 
  3.10  applicability of electric vehicle transportation to transit in 
  3.11  the metropolitan area.  The council shall submit a written 
  3.12  report of its assessment to the legislature no later than 
  3.13  February 1, 1996. 
  3.14     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 473.408, is 
  3.15  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  3.16     Subd. 8.  [FREE BUS PASSES.] The council may offer free 
  3.17  one-month passes for regular route bus service to students in 
  3.18  grades 5 to 8 who complete study of a transit curriculum.  The 
  3.19  transit curriculum shall encourage personal use of transit and 
  3.20  increase awareness of the value and availability of transit 
  3.21  services. 
  3.22     Sec. 6.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.23     Sections 1 to 5 apply to the counties of Anoka, Carver, 
  3.24  Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington.