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Dedicated Funding for Public Transportation Today, as people of faith, we are sharing our hopes for the promise of our democracy. This renewed vision acknowledges that our fates are intertwined with the fate of others across our region. Every day, Minnesotans choose jobs, homes, schools, places of worship and community activities by asking the question “Can I get there? Can I assure that I can get there every day, at the time I need to be there?” Every day, many find that the answer is ‘no.’ ISAIAH’s Dedicated Funding for Public Transportation campaign is about making the answer ‘Yes, I can get there.’ We want to use public investment to ensure that we can build and operate the transit service that we need. Today, transit in the Twin Cities metro region falls far short of that mark. In providing a stable, adequate source of funding for transit, we would move toward fulfilling the promise of a region that works for all its residents. When Minnesotans dedicate funding for transit we will remove a major barrier—the inability to reliably get from place to place—that prevents too many from accessing opportunity and participating fully in the life of our region. Transit breaks down barriers and enables full participation Increasingly, people in our communities are unable to drive, either because they don’t own a car, or because of health, disability, or age. This limits the opportunities that are open to them, disproportionately impacting people of low income. Transit can fill this gap—when the routes and frequency meet the needs of the rider. A dedicated funding stream for transit is a purposeful investment in the common good. Our metropolitan area is one community; it is our responsibility to create infrastructure that enables equity for all. This funding will build up the options available in the transit system and ensure that we have money to operate it. We are called by our faith traditions to think into the future, to consider our responsibilities to the generations beyond our own. Public transportation is an essential component of building a healthy, equitable and responsible community we can all be proud of. The need for transit is a regional problem that requires a regional solution. ISAIAH leaders are excited about the Metropolitan Council plan that will build seven new transit-ways (light rail trains, commuter rail, etc), and double the bus service. [See map following.] What is needed now is the dedicated money to execute the plan. Since 2004, ISAIAH has been working with transit allies from across the state to secure dedicated funding for public transportation. Transit campaign details
How much funding is necessary? Approximately $300 million/year in new funding for transit is needed to build the Metropolitan Council’s transit plan by 2020. Why dedicated funding? Transportation projects are funded primarily by federal money. However, the state only receives federal dollars after it demonstrates that it can provide its portion of the cost. Year to year budgeting doesn’t convince the Federal government to provide money—a dedicated tax does. In fact, MN dedicates the gas tax to road projects to ensure the federal matching funds. Now we need the same resource for transit. What funding source? A new ½ cent sales tax in the seven-county metro area for construction and operations of metro area transit. The regional sales tax model (1/4 to 1 cent) to build and operate a complete transit system has been used successfully in our peer regions (Denver, San Diego, Phoenix, etc.). What is ISAIAH’s history on this issue? As a founding member of the Transit Partners Coalition, we have been working since 2004 to elevate transit funding as a priority at the Minnesota State Legislature. The Coalition’s proposed legislation, “Transportation Choices 2020” has been a primary plan for generating the new revenue required to build the transit-ways and double bus service by 2020—the timeline in which we need it! We testified at House and Senate hearings on the legislation, and components of our plan were included in the Transportation (roads and transit) bill that passed both the House and Senate in 2005. Unfortunately, the governor vetoed the legislation, so our campaign continues. ISAIAH has been a leader in bringing Minnesotans to the Capitol speak with legislators, to testify at hearings on fare increase and service cuts to Metro Transit and writing letters to the editor about this issue. Who is in the Transit Partners coalition? ISAIAH, Transit for Livable Communities (TLC), Alliance for Metro Stability (AMS), Sierra Club, Minnesota Public Transportation Association (MPTA), Fresh Energy, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA), Minnesota Senior Federation, and Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU).
Transit-ways Transit Plan for Twin Cities
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Campaign Articles and Information
~ "Honest Abes" proclaim vision and wisdom on transportation funding
(February 12, 2008)
~ Federal Transportation Victory (August
2005) ~ ISAIAH’s Public Transportation
Campaign is On the Move!
(May 2005) ~ A brief timeline of ISAIAH’s leadership in the transportation campaign (February-May 2005) MORE |
The goal of ISAIAH’s
Dedicated Funding for Public Transportation Campaign is to build and maintain
a transit system that connects our communities and ensures access to opportunity
for all. Building a high quality transit system is a crucial investment in
our common future.