SF 3498

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 05/09/2025 09:49 a.m.

A bill for an act
relating to transportation; allocating a portion of regional transportation sales tax
revenue to SouthWest Transit; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section
473.4465, subdivision 2.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 473.4465, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Use of funds; Metropolitan Council.

(a) Sales tax revenue is available as
follows:

(1) five percent for active transportation, as determined by the Transportation Advisory
Board under subdivision 3; and

(2) 95 percent for transit system purposes under sections 473.371 to 473.452, including
but not limited to operations, maintenance, and capital projects.

(b) The council must expend a portion of sales tax revenue in each of the following
categories:

(1) improvements to regular route bus service levels;

(2) improvements related to transit safety, including additional transit officials, as defined
under section 473.4075;

(3) maintenance and improvements to bus accessibility at transit stops and transit centers;

(4) transit shelter replacement and improvements under section 473.41;

(5) planning and project development for expansion of arterial bus rapid transit lines;

(6) operations and capital maintenance of arterial bus rapid transit;

(7) planning and project development for expansion of highway bus rapid transit and
bus guideway lines;

(8) operations and capital maintenance of highway bus rapid transit and bus guideways;

(9) zero-emission bus procurement and associated costs in conformance with the
zero-emission and electric transit vehicle transition plan under section 473.3927;

(10) demand response microtransit service provided by the council;

(11) financial assistance to replacement service providers under section 473.388, to
provide for service, vehicle purchases, and capital investments related to demand response
microtransit service;

(12) financial assistance to political subdivisions and tax-exempt organizations under
section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code for active transportation; and

(13) wage adjustments for Metro Transit hourly operations employees.

new text begin (c) The council must share regional transportation sales tax revenue with all replacement
service providers. SouthWest Transit must receive an amount equal to 3.7 percent of the
regional transportation sales tax collected in the metropolitan area under section 297A.9915,
subdivision 2.
new text end