Leading the Movement for Transportation Options in MN

TRANSIT WALKING BICYCLING CAR SHARING Our Vision Merged at the beginning of 2017 Minnesota’s leading transportation advocacy organization Based in Saint Paul, focused on making change in the metro region & beyond via community engagement, advocacy, innovative programming Nonpartisan, nonprofit The newly merged organization of Transit for Livable Communities and St. Paul Smart Trips is the largest transportation advocacy nonprofit in Minnesota. Focusing on community engagement, education, policy change, and innovative programming, TLC and Smart Trips work to advance transit, bicycling, walking, and sharing across the Twin Cities region and beyond and to ensure underserved groups have a voice in transportation decision-making.  Our merged organization is working to ensure every Minnesotan has access to transportation options that are safe, affordable, sustainable, and healthy. TRANSIT WALKING BICYCLING CAR SHARING

MOBILIZE GRASSROOTS SUPPORT ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY WORK COLLABORATIVELY ADDRESS BARRIERS MAKE IT PERSONAL MOBILIZE GRASSROOTS SUPPORT Our approach to the work.

LEGISLATIVE SESSION UPDATE _________________ CONTEXT - The system we have isn’t working for people. For decades, our communities and all kinds of systems have been set up to make it easy to drive (and comparably hard to get around in other ways) This affects quality of life for all, but especially limits access and opportunity for people who can’t—or can’t afford to—drive.

Our transportation system affects real people every day “When you miss the bus, you have to wait for an hour. It affects how you live, how you eat, how you shop, how you sleep. You don’t get to rest when you get home at 9 p.m. and have to wake up at 5 a.m. You don’t have time to do anything else but get up and go to work.” LesleyAnne Crosby, Minneapolis LesleyAnne Crosby spent so much time on the bus commuting between Minneapolis and the suburbs she had to leave a well-paying job. Our transportation system affects real people every day

Our transportation system affects real people every day “I live in downtown Minneapolis. Even though I’m in the center of Twin Cities transit, after 6 PM there are many areas where I can’t get to on the bus. I’m in the center of bike-friendly Minneapolis, but I don’t feel safe biking on the street in front of my apartment. Transit, bike, and pedestrian infrastructure need more funding so I can get where I need to go safely.” Tyler Schaw, Minneapolis ...in the city Our transportation system affects real people every day

Our transportation system affects real people every day “Bus stop locations around my area are pretty good. But I do not ride transit because the bus schedule does not work for when I need to get to my job. If the bus came more often, I would like to ride Metro Transit. Instead, I drive in traffic and pay for insurance, gas, car payments and maintenance, parking. We need better transportation options!” Maria Bondy, Roseville ...in the suburbs Our transportation system affects real people every day

Our transportation system affects real people every day “Transportation issues are increasingly an issue of commerce. Many of our employees would love to live downtown so they could walk or bike to work easily. Unfortunately, housing downtown is increasingly expensive as is parking. We need affordable transportation options to get people to work!” Brad Smith, Rochester ...in Greater MN Our transportation system affects real people every day

LEGISLATIVE SESSION UPDATE _________________ KEY ISSUES Bus system hasn’t grown in ten years. With plans for sales tax to replace 10% state share of transitway capital costs, and with uncertainly whether feds will be 50% partner for Green and Blue line X, Riverview and Gold lines, etc, the additional ¼ cent insures that we will grow the bus in concert with new transitways (critical to successful transitways and social and geographical equity).

options takes long-term funding Growing options takes long-term funding - Key for improving access to jobs and opportunity, retaining workers, addressing disparities - For years, legislature has refused to increase long-term funding for transportation options Peer regions are investing more than the Twin Cities Safe routes for people biking & walking, Metro Transit Bus Service Improvement Plan, and many transitways planned across the metro – e.g. Blue Line extension, Southwest LRT, Orange Line BRT all connecting to downtown Mpls Uncertainty around federal funding—making state/regional funding even more important

Power Shift DEFENSE GOOD BILLS - Unfortunately, more need for strong defense this year; Longtime champions of multimodal transportation Sen. Dibble & Rep. Hornstein (both Mpls) HAVE introduced positive omnibus funding bills; this is similar to legislation introduced last year; includes funding increases for transit and safe, biking and walking; TBD whether they will get hearings in House or Senate Governor likely to play role of backstop

Thanks to Legislative Inaction: Fare Hikes & Service Cuts? Photo: Metro Transit For years, legislature has refused to increase long-term funding for transportation options, this is the result - drop in leased motor vehicle sales tax revenue and high demand for metro mobility putting extra strain on budget - met council weighing multiple options – all project a drop in ridership - not right to ask people who are transit dependent to pay more and do with less when system isn’t working for them as it is - we should all be concerned about impact on low-income riders, communities of color, employees commuting to work, and the employers who rely on them fare box recovery proposals rhetoric around fare evasion Thanks to Legislative Inaction: Fare Hikes & Service Cuts?

Light Rail Anti- light rail rhetoric is high at the legislature, and a number of bills introduced this year would curtail metro and inter-city rail development Notable lip service to bus - and yet no significant metro-and bus expansion in 10 years thanks to limited funding. Hmmm.....

Bicycling & Walking Recent statewide polling shows clear public support for funding bicycling and walking as part of transportation package Support among state leaders has not been as strong – need for public pressure Pedestrian fatalities at 25-year high in MN

Rhetoric Around Driverless Cars Graphic: Sangram Aglave Driverless cars ARE coming. This is NOT a valid reason not to invest in transit, biking & walking. Rhetoric Around Driverless Cars

possible Counties Transit Improvement Board dissolution – watching this closely; consequence of regional tensions (with Dakota County leaving, now rejecting dissolution) and legislature not taking action to increase transit funding, impact on regional system/riders TBD, opens door for counties to increase their own sales tax for transportation to ½ cent. - Met Council reform is again a hot topic Regional Governance

LEGISLATIVE SESSION UPDATE _________________ ADVOCACY Bus system hasn’t grown in ten years. With plans for sales tax to replace 10% state share of transitway capital costs, and with uncertainly whether feds will be 50% partner for Green and Blue line X, Riverview and Gold lines, etc, the additional ¼ cent insures that we will grow the bus in concert with new transitways (critical to successful transitways and social and geographical equity).

Transportation Forward A statewide campaign seeking new investments in transportation to improve mobility, economic health, and quality of life in communities across Minnesota. We are calling on the legislature to increase funding for all modes—bus, rail, bicycling, walking, roads, and bridges. -TLC-ST leads this campaign www.transportationforwardmn.org

Coalition Partners AARP Minnesota Fresh Energy Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG) AFSCME Council 5 Growth & Justice Minnesota Public Transit Association Alliance for Metropolitan Stability Housing Justice Center Minnesotans for Healthy Kids Coalition Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005 I-494 Corridor Commission MN350 American Council of Engineering Companies of MN American Heart Association ISAIAH National Multiple Sclerosis Society Izaak Walton League Minnesota Division Jewish Community Action New American Academy American Institute of Architects (AIA) Minnesota North Minneapolis Bicycle Advocacy Council American Planning Association Minnesota Chapter The Arc Greater Twin Cities Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota Quality Bicycle Products River Valley Action League of Women Voters Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers Avenue Design Partners Saint Paul Bicycle Coalition Sierra Club Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota Midtown Greenway Coalition BLEND Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition Suburban Transit Association Bloomington Bicycle Alliance Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Minnesota Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Minnesota Cancer Alliance Summit Academy OIC Transit for Livable Communities & St. Paul Smart Trips Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy The Trust for Public Land Communications Workers of America, Minnesota State Council Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities We Bike Rochester Minnesota Environmental Partnership Conservation Minnesota Minnesota FoodShare The Cornerstone Group Minnesota Housing Partnership Cycles for Change Minnesota Public Health Association Note breadth of coaltion groups: labor, environment, healthy, equity, development, etc.

Coalition partners in action: We are stronger, more effective advocates when we’re speaking with one voice at the Capitol and in communities around the state.

This work is not confined to the legislative session. We are putting a lot of energy into long-term base-building work to deepen relationships with community and empower advocates. This is essential to creating change over the long-term. Building the Movement

Get Involved www.transportationforwardmn.org www.tlcminnesota.org Join the Transportation Forward campaign Show visible support via letters to the editor & calls to elected leaders Support bike & walk along with transit Learn more & connect with us online: www.transportationforwardmn.org www.tlcminnesota.org www.smart-trips.org