HF 2880

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 05/22/2016 12:10pm

A bill for an act
relating to transportation; establishing a local bicycle infrastructure pilot
program; requiring a legislative report; appropriating money.

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

Section 1. APPROPRIATION; LOCAL BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE PILOT
PROGRAM.

$10,000,000 in fiscal year 2017 is appropriated from the general fund to the
commissioner of transportation for the local bicycle infrastructure pilot program under
section 2. Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 16A.28, this appropriation is
available for two years after the year of appropriation. This is a onetime appropriation.

Sec. 2. LOCAL BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE PILOT PROGRAM.

Subdivision 1.

Pilot program established.

Upon availability of funds, the
commissioner of transportation must implement a local bicycle infrastructure pilot
program to support bicycling activities as provided in this section. The pilot program is
for discretionary grants to political subdivisions for projects that improve cyclist safety
and convenience.

Subd. 2.

Program administration.

(a) The commissioner of transportation must
establish: (1) a grant application process that creates minimal applicant burdens; (2)
objective criteria for evaluation of applications; (3) a process and committee for competitive
project review and selection; and (4) procedures for payment of financial assistance.

(b) The commissioner must make reasonable efforts to publicize each solicitation for
applications to all eligible recipients and provide assistance in creating and submitting
applications.

(c) The commissioner may expend no more than one percent of total funds made
available in a fiscal year for the program on program administration.

Subd. 3.

Program requirements.

(a) The commissioner of transportation must
establish pilot program requirements, which must include:

(1) project eligibility, which must involve planning or infrastructure work that (i)
improves bicyclist safety and convenience, and (ii) meets functional bicycle commuting
needs;

(2) existence of a bicycle system plan or nonmotorized transportation system plan,
whether municipal or regional, that applies to the jurisdiction of the grant applicant;

(3) project consistency with the statewide bicycle system plan;

(4) a local match commitment from nonstate and nonfederal sources of funds that
equals at least ten percent of the total project cost estimate; and

(5) a maximum single recipient grant award that is no more than 25 percent of total
funds made available in a fiscal year for the program.

(b) The only eligible recipients of grant awards under the program are political
subdivisions.

(c) The commissioner must specify permissible uses of funds provided under the
program, which must include but are not limited to: bicycle-related planning, bikeway
design and engineering, right-of-way acquisition, bikeway construction, bikeway
maintenance or improvement, bicycle-related traffic control, secure bicycle parking,
elimination of hazardous bicycle conditions, and elimination of bicycle travel or bicycle
network connection barriers.

Subd. 4.

Legislative report.

By February 1, 2018, the commissioner of
transportation shall submit a report on the pilot program to the chairs and ranking minority
members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over transportation policy and
finance. At a minimum, the report must include:

(1) an overview of the pilot program design, including project selection criteria and
general program requirements;

(2) a summary of funded projects, with categorization by project type;

(3) a fiscal summary; and

(4) an analysis of the pilot program and its outcomes, including recommendations
regarding continuation of the program and any programmatic changes.