HF 230

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 01/21/2021 01:00pm

A bill for an act
relating to transportation; establishing microtransit rideshare pilot program;
establishing a microtransit rideshare account; requiring a report; appropriating
money.

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

Section 1. new text begin MICROTRANSIT RIDESHARE PILOT PROGRAM.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Pilot program established. new text end

new text begin The Department of Transportation, in
coordination with the Metropolitan Council, the University of Minnesota Center for
Transportation Services, local government entities, and private business organizations, must
develop a microtransit rideshare pilot program to provide needed mass transit options to
underserved areas of the state, offer more flexible mass transit options, and explore the use
of autonomous vehicles to deliver mass transit to the people of Minnesota.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the
meanings given.
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new text begin (b) "Autonomous vehicle" means a motor vehicle equipped with an automated driving
system, designed to function without an operator, and classified as level four or level five
by the "Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to Driving Automation Systems for
On-Road Motor Vehicles" published by SAE International in September 2016.
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new text begin (c) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of
Transportation.
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new text begin (d) "Department" means the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
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new text begin (e) "Electric vehicle" has the meaning given in Minnesota Statutes, section 169.011,
subdivision 26a.
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new text begin (f) "Flexible-route" means a vehicle route updated by algorithm-based software using
mapping and GPS technology in real time based on traffic or ride requests and is not fixed
to a singular path between origin and termination points.
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new text begin (g) "Geo-targeted advertising" means delivering electronic advertisements to potential
program users based on their geographic locations.
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new text begin (h) "Greater Minnesota" means the area of the state outside the metropolitan area.
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new text begin (i) "Metropolitan area" has the meaning given in Minnesota Statutes, section 473.121,
subdivision 2.
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new text begin (j) "Natural gas vehicle" means a motor vehicle capable of being propelled by natural
gas, including compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas.
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new text begin (k) "On-demand" means a ride may be requested at any time during regular operation
hours by a user, causing a vehicle within a predetermined zone to deviate from its current
route to pick up the user. On-demand does not include vehicle stops at particular locations
at predetermined times.
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new text begin (l) "Service area" means an area of no more than five square miles in the metropolitan
area or 15 square miles in greater Minnesota designated by the department within which
the microtransit rideshare program operates.
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new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Request for proposals. new text end

new text begin (a) Consistent with subdivisions 4 and 5, the department
must issue a request for proposals to vendors to design, launch, and maintain:
new text end

new text begin (1) algorithm-based software designed to create and update flexible routes, dispatch
vehicles to on-demand ride requests, and provide drivers with turn-by-turn directions to
complete users' on-demand rides; and
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new text begin (2) a mobile device application to serve as a user gateway into the microtransit rideshare
program.
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new text begin (b) Final vendor selection and contracts for services are subject to Minnesota Statutes,
chapter 16C.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Software development. new text end

new text begin (a) The algorithm-based software required under
subdivision 3 must be capable of completing at least the following tasks:
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new text begin (1) map routes to all verified pick-up and drop-off sites within a service area;
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new text begin (2) identify and cordon off zones within a service area where a limited number of vehicles
are assigned by the software to operate, thus maximizing the efficiency of pick-ups and
drop-offs within the service area;
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new text begin (3) receive and prioritize on-demand requests from the user application developed under
subdivision 5;
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new text begin (4) dispatch the nearest vehicle to a pick-up site nearest the most recent on-demand
request within the vehicle's operation zone within the service area, including alerting the
driver that a new pick-up site has been added to the route;
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new text begin (5) reroute a vehicle in real time based on new, on-demand requests;
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new text begin (6) reroute a vehicle in real time to accommodate previously scheduled pick-ups;
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new text begin (7) reroute a vehicle in real time to new pick-up sites within a zone within a service area
up to the passenger capacity of the vehicle and prioritize the route to drop-off sites to ensure
ride times of no more than 20 minutes per user;
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new text begin (8) track individual ride times;
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new text begin (9) reroute a vehicle in real time based on traffic patterns to ensure the quickest possible
route to the next destination is taken;
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new text begin (10) alert the driver when the route is being recalculated; and
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new text begin (11) give the driver audible, turn-by-turn directions to complete the current route.
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new text begin (b) The software must be capable of operating on a small to midsize tablet or other
mobile device that can be mounted on the dashboard of the vehicle.
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new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin User application development; data privacy. new text end

new text begin (a) The user application required
under subdivision 3 must allow users to perform at least the following tasks:
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new text begin (1) review a map of their service area, including pick-up and drop-off sites;
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new text begin (2) set up a user profile;
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new text begin (3) securely store credit or debit card information;
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new text begin (4) request an on-demand ride;
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new text begin (5) schedule a ride up to seven days in advance;
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new text begin (6) pay fares;
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new text begin (7) receive text message or e-mail alerts when the rideshare vehicle is near the pick-up
location; and
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new text begin (8) provide feedback about the user's experience with the rideshare program, including
feedback about the driver, vehicle, rideshare punctuality, ride time; quality and convenience
of pick-up and drop-off sites, and overall satisfaction.
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new text begin (b) All personal data about the user collected under this section are private data subject
to Minnesota Statutes, chapter 13.
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new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Service areas. new text end

new text begin (a) The department must select four initial pilot service areas
to introduce the microtransit rideshare program, including two service areas in the
metropolitan area, one service area in Rochester, and one service area in greater Minnesota.
The department must determine service area eligibility based on the following criteria,
specific to each service area:
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new text begin (1) current access to mass transit options;
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new text begin (2) need for additional mass transit options;
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new text begin (3) current mass transit ridership;
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new text begin (4) whether current mass transit options are operating at or below capacity;
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new text begin (5) whether the addition of flexible-route, on-demand mass transit may alleviate transit
concerns; and
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new text begin (6) availability of additional local, state, and federal funds.
new text end

new text begin (b) After the initial launch of the microtransit rideshare program, the department may
designate additional service areas. The department must expand the program in both the
metropolitan area and greater Minnesota as equally as is practicable. Additional service
areas must be determined by the criteria in paragraph (a).
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new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Vehicles and drivers. new text end

new text begin (a) The department must procure a fleet of vehicles for
each service area. Metropolitan service areas must be served by no fewer than ten vehicles.
Greater Minnesota service areas and the Rochester service area must be served by no fewer
than three vehicles. Program vehicles must seat no more than 20 passengers, including the
driver, and may either be purchased new as funds are available or may be refurbished surplus
vehicles.
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new text begin (b) The department is encouraged to include electric vehicles and natural gas vehicles
in each fleet when the program launches. By 2026, one-half of each fleet must consist of
electric or natural gas vehicles.
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new text begin (c) The department is encouraged to immediately begin testing the use of autonomous
vehicles within at least one service area at launch. By 2028, at least one service area must
have at least one operational autonomous vehicle in its fleet. By 2030, each service area
must have at least one operational autonomous vehicle in its fleet.
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new text begin (d) All drivers must be properly licensed and must be trained on the use of onboard
devices that utilize the algorithm-based software developed under subdivision 4.
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new text begin Subd. 8. new text end

new text begin Fares; account established. new text end

new text begin (a) The department must set user fares for the
program. Fares must not exceed 150 percent of the current metropolitan-area rush-hour bus
fare. All fares collected must be deposited in the microtransit rideshare account created
under paragraph (b).
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new text begin (b) A microtransit rideshare account is established in the state transportation fund. Money
in the account is annually appropriated to the commissioner for expenditures related to the
rideshare program under this section.
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new text begin Subd. 9. new text end

new text begin Marketing. new text end

new text begin Prior to launch, the department must conduct a marketing campaign
to ensure potential users of the rideshare program are aware of the program and understand
how to use the service. Advertising materials should include direct mailers to local businesses
and residences, informational brochures at transit stations and on existing bus and light rail
routes, and web-based and mobile-based geo-targeted advertising with links to a website
maintained by the department and dedicated to the microtransit rideshare program.
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new text begin Subd. 10. new text end

new text begin Additional requirements. new text end

new text begin (a) All pick-up and drop-off sites must be vetted
for safety by the department. Users must be able to safely walk to and from each site.
Vehicles must be able to safely load and unload passengers at each site.
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new text begin (b) The department must designate a sufficient number of pick-up and drop-off sites to
ensure users must walk no more than five minutes to or from any site.
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new text begin (c) All rides must take no more than 20 minutes from pick-up to drop-off. Ride time
does not include walking to or from pick-up and drop-off sites.
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new text begin (d) To ensure a smooth launch and for continued testing purposes, the rideshare program's
initial operating hours may be restricted to off-peak times, such as 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on
weekdays. The department must strive to increase the hours of operation to include weekends
and rush hour availability.
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new text begin (e) The department may establish a call center for users who do not have access to the
mobile device application or the Internet. Users may call to request an on-demand ride or
schedule a ride up to seven days in advance. Representatives in the call center may receive
users' requests and input them into the user application under subdivision 5 to reserve a ride
for the caller.
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new text begin Subd. 11. new text end

new text begin User feedback. new text end

new text begin At least quarterly, the department must review user feedback
regarding the efficacy of the rideshare program. In consultation with stakeholders and
vendors, the department must modify the rideshare program to meet user concerns and
maximize the program's utility for riders. This may include but is not limited to modifying
the algorithm-based software, expanding or contracting a service area, eliminating service
areas, adding new service areas, adjusting the features of the application, opening a call
center, adding or removing vehicles from a service area's fleet, adjusting fares or hours of
operation, adjusting marketing strategies, increasing user education, or selecting new pick-up
and drop-off sites.
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new text begin Subd. 12. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin Annually by January 1 the commissioner must submit a report to the
chairs and ranking minority members of the committees of the legislature with jurisdiction
over transportation. The report must outline the pilot program's current objectives and
outcomes; discuss resources, technology, and research required for the next phase of the
pilot; detail the program's current costs and concerns; and make recommendations for
legislation to advance the program.
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Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION; MICROTRANSIT RIDESHARE PILOT PROGRAM.
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new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2022 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of
transportation for the microtransit rideshare pilot program under section 1. Any balance in
the first year does not cancel and is available in the second year.
new text end