Relating to transportation

ARTICLE 1 - CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

Proposing an amendment to the Minnesota constitution, article XI, section 7 imposing certain allocation requirements on transportation bonds and to article XIV increasing gasoline and special fuel taxes and modifying the allocation of revenue from the motor vehicle sales tax

ARTICLE 2 - TRANSPORTATION FUNDING

Prohibiting appropriations from the general fund for operating assistance to public transit systems after a certain date; requiring the commissioner of transportation (DOT) to allocate a certain excess funds to state road construction projects primarily intended to enhance mobility, improve safety and address traffic congestion; creating a major project account in the trunk highway fund, requiring commissioner deposit of proceeds from the sale of trunk highway bonds and the increase in motor fuel taxes and certain money credited to the account into the account and appropriating money in the account to the commissioner for certain specified major trunk highway improvement and safety projects; requiring the deposit of money received from the sale of excess lands and properties into the right-of-way advance acquisition loan account to be created in the public facilities authority transportation revolving loan fund in lieu of the trunk highway fund; creating a metropolitan transit improvement fund for operating assistance for transit operated or financially assisted by the metropolitan council and for certain specified major transit improvement projects, requiring a local match; modifying the allocation of revenue from the sales tax on motor vehicles, dedicating a certain percentage to the metropolitan transit improvement fund; providing for loans from the right-of-way acquisition loan account to the state, counties, cities and towns for the purchase of property within the rights-of-way of state trunk highways, restricting use and specifying certain information to be considered by the commissioner in evaluating projects for funding; appropriating money from the major projects account to the transportation revolving loan fund for deposit in the advance acquisition loan account; authorizing the issuance of state trunk highway bonds for major projects, limit; appropriating money to the commissioner and authorizing the issuance of state trunk highway bonds for the state road construction program; appropriating money to the metropolitan council for implementation of metropolitan transit improvement projects, authorizing council grants to the commissioner for commuter rail projects and trunk highway improvements and appropriating money to the commissioner for capital assistance to public transit systems outside the metropolitan area, authorizing the issuance of state bonds

ARTICLE 3 - TRANSPORTATION STUDIES AND PILOT PROJECTS

Requiring and providing for the commissioner of transportation to designate a certain number of trunk highway improvement projects as local approval pilot projects, requiring a report to the legislature on the results of the project; requiring and providing for the commissioner to designate a certain number of trunk highway improvement projects as pilot projects on performance based specifications, defining performance based specifications and requiring a report to the legislature on the results; requiring the commissioner to review existing studies of the appropriate jurisdiction of state and local highways, specifying certain review requirements and requiring a report to the governor and legislature by a certain date; requiring the commissioner to designate a certain number of highways as commodity corridors based on the importance of the corridors to interregional, interstate and international trade and commerce and the ability of the highways to safely accommodate vehicles of a certain size and weight, requiring the commissioner to designate certain size and weight restrictions; requiring the metropolitan council and the DOT office of transit to jointly conduct a study of competitive procurement of transit service and report to the legislature by a certain date

ARTICLE 4 - ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

Requiring the commissioner of transportation (DOT) to designate a certain number of highway improvement projects located entirely or primarily within the metropolitan area as wetland replacement pilot projects, requiring application of wetlands replacement requirements for greater Minnesota and a report of the results to the legislature; requiring the commissioner to develop a process for early coordination with and involvement by environmental interests in the planning, design, engineering and construction of highway improvement projects, requiring an activities report to the legislature by a certain date; requiring the commissioners of the pollution control agency (PCA) and natural resources (DNR) to develop a proposal to combine into single permits requirements for the issuance by agencies of permits or other approvals for highway, bridge or culvert projects and report to the legislature by a certain date; specifying the legislative intent relating to cost savings resulting from major trunk highway projects

ARTICLE 5 - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Requiring the governor by a certain date to designate the department of transportation (DOT) as a charter agency; requiring the governor and the commissioner of transportation to enter into annual performance agreements for setting measurable organization goals for the department and individual goals for the commissioner in key operational areas of the agency for submission to the legislature; authorizing and providing for the governor to set the salary of the commissioner, authorizing additional compensation to the commissioner and department employees based on performance evaluations; granting the commissioner certain personnel management and procurement authority and providing rule flexibility for the commissioner; requiring the commissioner of finance to reduce the appropriation from the trunk highway fund to the department of transportation and to credit the major projects account in the trunk highway fund by the amount equal to the reduction
(ra)