SF 2752

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/02/2018 08:26am

A bill for an act
relating to transportation; requiring the Metropolitan Council to identify the budget
assumptions used to develop transportation and transit plans and forecasts;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 473.13, by adding a subdivision;
Minnesota Statutes 2017 Supplement, section 473.4485, subdivision 2.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 473.13, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Budget assumptions. new text end

new text begin (a) As part of the budget submission to the legislature
under section 16A.11, the council must explicitly identify the assumptions used (1) to prepare
the budget submission, and (2) for any underlying documentation or plans regarding
transportation and transit.
new text end

new text begin (b) As part of the budget submission to the legislature under section 16A.11, the council
must include copies of any report, application, or related document submitted to the Federal
Transit Administration since the previous budget submission was provided to the legislature.
In the budget submission, the council must explicitly identify the assumptions used to
prepare each of the reports, applications, or related documents.
new text end

new text begin (c) In the budget submission to the legislature under section 16A.11, the council must
include a section that provides a detailed explanation of the impact each assumption identified
in paragraphs (a) and (b) has on the council's financial forecast.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2017 Supplement, section 473.4485, subdivision 2, is amended
to read:

Subd. 2.

Legislative report.

(a) By October 15 in every even-numbered year, the council
must prepare, in collaboration with the commissioner, a report on comprehensive transit
finance in the metropolitan area. The council must submit the report electronically to the
chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over
transportation policy and finance.

(b) The report must be structured to provide financial information in six-month increments
corresponding to state and local fiscal years, and must use consistent assumptions and
methodologies. new text begin The report must explicitly identify and explain the assumptions and
methodologies used to prepare the report. new text end The report must comprehensively identify all
funding sources and expenditures related to transit in the metropolitan area, including but
not limited to:

(1) sources and uses of funds from regional railroad authorities, joint powers agreements,
counties, and cities;

(2) expenditures for transit planning, feasibility studies, alternatives analysis, and other
transit project development; and

(3) expenditures for guideways, busways, regular route bus service, demand-response
service, and special transportation service under section 473.386.

(c) The report must include a section that summarizes the status of (1) guideways in
revenue operation, and (2) guideway projects (i) currently in study, planning, development,
or construction; (ii) identified in the transportation policy plan under section 473.146; or
(iii) identified in the comprehensive statewide freight and passenger rail plan under section
174.03, subdivision 1b.

(d) At a minimum, the guideways status section of the report must provide for each
guideway project wholly or partially in the metropolitan area:

(1) a brief description of the project, including projected ridership;

(2) a summary of the overall status and current phase of the project;

(3) a timeline that includes (i) project phases or milestones, including any federal
approvals; (ii) expected and known dates of commencement of each phase or milestone;
and (iii) expected and known dates of completion of each phase or milestone;

(4) a brief progress update on specific project phases or milestones completed since the
last previous submission of a report under this subdivision; and

(5) a summary financial plan that identifies, as reflected by the data and level of detail
available in the latest phase of project development and to the extent available:

(i) capital expenditures, including expenditures to date and total projected expenditures,
with a breakdown by committed and proposed sources of funds for the project;

(ii) estimated annual operations and maintenance expenditures reflecting the level of
detail available in the current phase of the project development, with a breakdown by
committed and proposed sources of funds for the project; and

(iii) if feasible, project expenditures by budget activity.

(e) The report must include a section that summarizes the status of (1) busways in revenue
operation, and (2) busway projects currently in study, planning, development, or construction.

(f) The report must include a section that identifies the total ridership, farebox recovery
ratio, and per-passenger operating subsidy for (1) each route and line in revenue operation
by a transit provider, including guideways, busways, and regular route bus service; and (2)
demand-response service and special transportation service. The section must provide data,
as available on a per-passenger mile basis and must provide information for at least the
previous three years. The section must identify performance standards for farebox recovery
and identify each route and line that does not meet the standards.

(g) The report must also include a systemwide capacity analysis for transit operations
and investment in expansion and maintenance that:

(1) provides a funding projection, annually over the ensuing ten years, and with a
breakdown by committed and proposed sources of funds, of:

(i) total capital expenditures for guideways and for busways;

(ii) total operations and maintenance expenditures for guideways and for busways;

(iii) total funding available for guideways and for busways, including from projected or
estimated farebox recovery; and

(iv) total funding available for transit service in the metropolitan area; and

(2) evaluates the availability of funds and distribution of sources of funds for guideway
and for busway investments.

(h) The capacity analysis under paragraph (g) must include all guideway and busway
lines for which public funds are reasonably expected to be expended in planning,
development, construction, revenue operation, or capital maintenance during the ensuing
ten years.

(i) Local units of government must provide assistance and information in a timely manner
as requested by the commissioner or council for completion of the report.