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Omnibus
Transportation Funding Bill (Summary)
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SF
7 – First Special Session
OVERVIEW
Article 1 of this bill
appropriates money to the department of transportation, department of
public safety (administration and transportation functions) and the
metropolitan council for metro transit. Article 2 contains transportation
policy provisions. Article 3 authorizes the department of transportation
to enter into design-build contracts for transportation projects.
Among the policy provisions of
this bill:
- a one-year moratorium on
the crosstown/35W reconstruction project
- a test of opening HOV
lanes on I-394 and I-35W to all vehicles
- an increase in the
filing fee for motor vehicle registrations
- restrictions on the
ability of MnDOT and the metropolitan council to impose "smart
growth" policies
- lifetime special license
plates for veterans
- provisions attempting to
protect emergency vehicles stopped on roadsides
- limits on the ability of
MnDOT and the metropolitan council to study commuter rail and light
rail transit
APPROPRIATIONS HIGHLIGHTS
(in thousands)
(Selected amounts – numbers
may not equal totals)
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Aeronautics
Base
AIR $27,596
(additional
funds over the base)
Increase
Airport Construction Grants AIR $1,000
Implement
GPS Navigation
AIR $1,200
Online
Aircraft Registration
AIR $ 450
Richfield
Property Acquisition
$ 0
Total
Aeronatics
THI
$ 22
GEN
$ 100
AIR
$41,115
Transit
Greater
Minnesota Transit
Base
$30,002
(additional
funds over base)
Service
Preservation
$ 5,000
Passenger
Rail Transit
$ 0
Total
Transit
GEN
$36,011
THI
$ 688
Railroads
and Waterways
Base
GEN $532
THI
$ 2,596
(additional
funds over base)
Corridor
Grade Crossing Safety
$ 300
Port
Development Assistance
$ 1,000
Rail
Service Improvement
$ 1,000
Total
Railroads and Waterways
GEN
$ 2,553
THI
$ 3,009
Local
Roads
2002
2003
County
State Aids
CSA $405,330 $418,113
Municipal
State Aids
MSA $106,469 $109,827
Technical
Assistance
Local
Bridge Matching funds
$0
Spring
Load Restrictions Study $0
Akeley
Area Bridge
$0
County
Turnbacks
$0
Municipal
Turnbacks
$0
Local
Road Improvement Fund $0
Total
Local Roads
CSA $823,443
MSA $216,296
State
Roads
State
Road Construction
Base
THI $1,043,414
(additional
funds over base)
Increase
in Construction Program THI $ 74,000
Metro
Interregional Corridors and Bottlenecks $ 0
Outstate
Interregional Corridors
$ 0
Advantages
for Transit
THI $ 2,000
(Allows
for use for shoulder bus lanes, bus park-and-ride facilities and bus
passenger waiting areas, but excludes LRT, commuter rail, and bus
facilities in LRT and commuter rail corridors.)
Advance
Right-of-Way Acquisition THI $ 10,000
(Prohibits
use of trunk highway funds to provide bus service to mitigate effects of
trunk highway construction.)
Research
and Investment Management
MPO
Grants/Statewide Transportation Plan Update
THI $ 300
HOV
Lane Study
THI $ 100
Design
and Construction Engineering
Increase
in Construction Program THI $ 13,890
River
Crossing Studies for transit
projects
THI $ 500
State
Road Operations
Facilities
Maintenance Program THI $ 5,500
Pavement
Striping
THI $ 4,000
Road
Equipment and Support
THI $ 6,000
Highway
Systems Maintenance THI $ 1,750
Total
State Roads
GEN $ 18
THI
$1,964,835
Buildings
Operations
Building Projects
THI $ 7,716
Total
Buildings
THI $ 7,716
TOTAL
MNDOT
GEN $ 39,040
AIR
$ 41,255
THI
$2,088,554
CSA
$ 823,443
MSA
$ 216,296
METROPOLITAN COUNCIL TRANSIT
Base
$106,202
(additional
funds over base)
Service
Preservation
$ 30,000
Met
Council Transitways
(2000 Capital bill)
$ 19,000
(Specifies
that the agency’s base budget in 2004-2005 is $65,601 each year)
Total
Met Council Transit
GEN
$155,202
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
State
Patrol
Recruit
Training Academy and Staffing $ 4,294
Attorney
General Costs
$ 8
Patrol
Car Cameras
$ 0
Total
State Patrol
GEN
$ 6,801
HUT
$ 184
THI
$117,527
TOTAL
PUBLIC SAFETY
GEN $ 23,836
SR
$ 1,973
THI
$181,411
$ 22,489
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE
Transportation Revolving Loan
Fund
$ 0
Transfer to BOWSR Wetlands
Mitigation
$ 0
Transfer to HUTD June Tab Fee
Shortage
$ 11,725
TOTAL BILL SPENDING
$3,595,869
Study of Local Road Program.
Directs the commissioner to study alternative methods of establishing a
local road improvement program to distribute appropriations for local road
improvements other than through the county and municipal state-aid funds.
Requires consultation with local governments, local highway engineers and
highway users.
Stillwater Bridge Prohibits
the commissioner from canceling or removing from the statewide
transportation improvement project, the TH 36 bridge across the St. Croix
river until July 1, 2002.
HOV Lane Study
Requires study of opening vehicle lanes on I-394 and I-35W to all
vehicles. Requires contracting with independent consultant to study
effects on traffic flow and congestion, highway safety, and impacts on
other roadways. Prohibits any action that would result in loss of federal
funds to the state or delay in federally-aided state or local projects.
Requires a report to the legislature by February 1, 2002.
Capitol Security Funding
Prohibits using money from trunk highway fund for capitol security and the
permanent transfer of state troopers from patrolling highways to capitol
security. Prohibits transfer to capitol security of any money appropriated
for public safety administration, patrolling highways, commercial vehicle
enforcement and driver and vehicle services.
Busway location.
Amends the FY 2001 appropriation of $6.3 million to the metropolitan
council for bus transit ways, by allowing study of busways in the
northwest LRT corridor in Hennepin county, and that part of the southwest
LRT corridor in Hennepin county between Hopkins and Minneapolis. Requires
the study to consider alternative alignments including existing roads,
highways, and transportation facilities.
Crosstown project moratorium. Prohibits
the department of transportation from reconstructing the T.H. 62 (crosstown
highway)/35W interchange improvement until after May 1, 2002. Exempts
maintenance and preservation projects. Specifies that the restriction does
not affect MnDOT or metropolitan council decisions on transit enhancements
on 35W north of 50th street.
Requires the department to
contract with a consultant to prepare a report to legislative committees
by January 15, 2002.
Restriction on MnDOT and
metropolitan council authority over highway projects and funds. Prohibits
the commissioner of transportation from refusing to program or construct a
trunk highway project, or make any other decision concerning the location,
design, or timing of such a project, on the grounds that the city or
county in which the project is located has not complied with smart growth
policies.
State aid for cities.
Allows a city that has become ineligible for the municipal state-aid
system because of a population below 5,000 to remain eligible for the
system until June 30, 2004, if its population is between 4,900 and 5,000.
Trunk highway bond proceeds. Allows
the department of transportation, before the proceeds of trunk highway
bond sales are deposited in the trunk highway fund, to transfer money from
the general fund to the trunk highway fund, or authorize spending from the
trunk highway fund, up to the amount of the anticipated receipts. Requires
return of money to the general fund or replacement in the trunk highway
fund when the bond proceeds are received.
Relocation expenses. Allows
an authority acquiring property from a business to consider reimbursing up
to $50,000 in relocation expenses
Expenditures from town bridge
account. Expands eligibility
of certain high-cost town bridge projects for money in the town bridge
account (an account for town bridge replacement that comes from dedicated
highway user taxes). Under present law there is a separate set of
eligibility criteria for town bridges where the cost of approach work
exceeds $10,000 or the cost of replacement culverts exceeds $20,000. Under
this change the list is expanded to include bridges where engineering
costs exceed $10,000.
King of Trails.
Designates trunk highway No. 75 from the Canada border to the Iowa border
the "King of Trails." The commissioner is to erect appropriate
signs upon assurance of payment from nonstate sources.
Electronic bids.
Allows advertisements for bids on state trunk highway projects by the
department of transportation to be placed on the internet
MnDOT consultant contracts.
Defines the commissioner's duties in entering into a professional or
technical services contract exceeding $100,000, including certifying that
no current state employee could perform the service, the product will be
original in character, and reasonable efforts to publicize the
availability of the contract were made. Requires the commissioner to
report annually on all executed professional or technical services
contracts and to issue an annual fiscal year report summarizing contract
review activities.
Advance funding for
interregional corridor projects.
Allows local road authorities to make advances to the department to
expedite development of an interregional transportation corridor,
including costs of design, right-of-way, construction, and other related
expenditures. Allows repayment by the department with interest, subject to
be department's debt management policy limit or $10 million, which ever is
less. This section is effective immediately.
County state-aid disaster
account. Increases from one to
two percent the maximum percentage of total county state-aid highway
apportionments that may accumulate in the county state-aid disaster
account. The annual limitation on the disaster account of one percent of
the county state-aid highway fund is not increased. The disaster account
is reserved for aid to counties that incur hardship as a result of
disasters affecting their county state-aid highways.
Municipal state-aid disaster
account. Reduces from five to
three percent the maximum percentage of total municipal state-aid street
apportionments that may accumulate in the municipal state-aid disaster
account. The annual limitation on the disaster account of two percent of
the municipal state-aid street fund is not increased
Property purchased with
highway bond proceeds.
Provides for sale and lease of real property bought with proceeds from
trunk highway bonds.
One-ton vans taxed as autos.
Increases from 3/4 ton to one ton the maximum carrying capacity of a van
that is subject to licensing and taxation as a passenger automobile.
Lifetime trailer registration.
Requires trailers with a registered gross weight of 3,000 lbs. or less to
be registered for the life of the vehicle. Under present law such
registration is for a two-year period
Filing fee.
Increases the filing fee for motor vehicle transactions from $3.50 to
$4.50 for vehicle registration renewals, and to $7 for other transactions
(such as new vehicle registrations and vehicle title applications)
Exception to
keep-to-the-right. Adds an
exception to the general rule requiring motorists to drive on the right
half of the roadway. A driver need not drive on the right half of the
roadway when approaching an emergency vehicle stopped on the roadway,
subject to the next section.
Avoiding emergency vehicles. Requires
a driver to safely move the vehicle to a lane away from an authorized
emergency vehicle stopped on or next to the roadway, before passing that
vehicle. This section applies to highways with two or more lanes in the
same direction.
Surge brakes.
Allows surge brakes on trailers and semitrailers.
Pavement striping.
Allows MnDOT to bill its own operating units and local road authorities
for costs of a centrally managed pavement marking program. Creates a
separate account in the trunk highway fund to receive payments. Makes a
standing appropriation of money in the account to the department to pay
costs for which billings are made.
Light rail transit studies by
MnDOT. Prohibits the
commissioner of transportation from spending state funds to study light
rail transit unless the funds are appropriated in a law that identifies
the route to be studied, including origin and destination.
High-speed rail studies.
Requires the commissioner of transportation to notify legislative budget
chairs whenever the commissioner spends state funds to study high-speed
intercity passenger rail service.
Reports to major
transportation projects commission.
Deletes the provision that requires that annual reports by MnDOT to the
major transportation projects commission must include potential major
projects only if they do not have a draft environmental impact statement.
Definition of major
transportation project.
Redefines "major transportation project" in the law establishing
the major transportation projects commission, by deleting the criterion
that a project have a total cost of more than $5 million and substituting
a criterion that a project cost more than 25 percent of its district's
annual construction budget.
Commuter rail studies.
Prohibits the commissioner of transportation from spending state funds to
study commuter rail unless the funds are appropriated in a law that
identifies the route to be studied, including origin and destination.
Quiet zones.
Authorizes cities, counties, and towns to establish "quiet
zones" in which the sounding of railroad horns, whistles, and other
audible warnings is regulated or prohibited. Requires quiet zones to be at
least one-half mile long. Requires quiet zone ordinances and regulations
to conform to federal law and regulation.
Rail bank excess property. Allows
the department of transportation to lease rail right-of-way in the state
rail bank to a public or private entity for non-transportation purposes.
Utilities on railroad
right-of-way. Expands the
authority of the department of public service over use of railroad
right-of-way by utilities for lines crossing or paralleling railroad
right-of-way. Under present law this authority applies to electric wires
and natural gas pipelines. Under this change it would also apply to
telephone, telegraph, telecommunications, cable, and fiber optic providers
and facilities.
Gas tax revenue attributable
to snowmobiles. Increases from
.75 percent to 1 percent the percentage of gasoline tax revenues that is
presumed to be attributable to snowmobiles. Under other law this revenue
is dedicated to the snowmobile trails and enforcement account.
Sales tax exemption Exempts
vehicle and repair parts for light rail transit equipment purchased by the
Metropolitan Council from the state sales tax.
Motor vehicle sales tax
revenue. Dedicates 30.86
percent of motor vehicle sales tax revenue in fiscal year 2002 to the
highway user tax distribution fund. The present dedication of 32 percent
of this revenue to this fund for fiscal 2003 and beyond would remain in
effect.
Transportation revolving loan
fund. Adds maintenance and
operation facilities to the list of eligible transportation projects.
Specifies that the highway account in the TRLF is for projects eligible
for federal aid under the highway chapter of the U. S. Code. Specifies
that the transit account in the TRLF is for projects eligible for federal
aid under the transportation chapter of the U. S. Code.
Establishes a new "state
funds general loan account" for projects eligible for funding under
state law but not eligible for federal aid. Allows establishment of other
accounts in the TRLF as necessary
Recreational vehicles on
highway right-of-way. Adds to
the list of claims from which local governments are immune from tort
liability claims arising from the use of recreational motor vehicles
(snowmobiles, ATVs, other off-road vehicles) on the right of way of any
highway. Denies the exemption where the local government engages in
conduct that would entitle a trespasser to damages against a private
person.
Light rail transit operating
costs in budget. Requires the
metropolitan council, in any budget submitted to the legislature or
governor that requests operating funds for light rail transit, include
those funds separately from any other operating assistance.
Transportation advisory board.
Specifies the membership of the metropolitan council's transportation
advisory board. Requires ten elected officials of cities within the
metropolitan area, appointed by the association of metropolitan
municipalities, with one each coming from Minneapolis and St. Paul and
seven elected officials of counties, appointed by each county board.
Provides that the board elects its own chair. Under current practice the
local elected officials and chair are appointed by the council.
Metropolitan council studies
of commuter rail and LRT. Prohibits
the metropolitan council from spending state funds to study light rail
transit or commuter rail unless the funds are appropriated in a law that
identifies the route to be studied, including origin and destination..
Land use plans.
Provides that land use plans adopted by local governments must include the
local government's goals, intentions and priorities concerning aggregate
and other natural resources, transportation infrastructure, land use
compatibility, habitat, agricultural preservation, and other planning
priorities.
Design-build for major
projects. Allows the
department of transportation to award design-build contracts for major
projects.
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