Title
Supporting the Move MN Campaign.
Body
WHEREAS, investments in transportation, including roads, bridges and public transit, provide gains in jobs, economic competitiveness and quality of life for all Minnesotans; and
WHEREAS, MnDOT's future revenue projections show that little or no highway funds will be available for work beyond maintenance and preservation that would expand or further improve highways for the next 20 years; and
WHEREAS, transit funding for the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area currently supports only existing bus operations and rail and BRT commitments with no bus or rail service expansion and will require funding increases in future years just to maintain existing transit service levels; and
WHEREAS, a balanced transportation funding package must be:
· Comprehensive, including funding for roads, bridges, transit, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities throughout Minnesota;
· Balanced across transportation modes and between Greater Minnesota and the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area;
· Sustainable, including long-term solutions that will grow with the economy to meet the state's growing transportation needs; and
· Dedicated to transportation.
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul supports an increase in state transportation funding to allow for improvements to roadways, bridges and transit service, while also reducing the pressure on local property taxes to pay for needed infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, the Move MN coalition is comprised of a diverse group of stakeholders reflective of the state's significant transportation funding program; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the City of Saint Paul supports the Move MN campaign and its work to support the passage of a transportation funding package during the 2014 Legislative Session.