7. OTHER BUSINESS 02-05-2007 - Laserfiche WebLink

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, A RESOLUTION REQUESTING COMPREHENSIVE ROAD AND TRANSIT FUNDING IN 2007 WHEREAS, all Minnesota communities benefit from a sound, efficient and adequately funded transportation system that offers diverse modes of travel; and WHEREAS, due to budget constraints, cities are increasingly deferring maintenance on the over 39,000 lane miles under municipal jurisdiction of the 277,607 total lane miles in Minnesota; and WHEREAS, local cost participation requirements for trunk highway and county projects are onerous and are contributing to strains on city budgets; and WHEREAS, existing local funding mechanisms, such as Municipal State Aid (MSA), property taxes, special assessments and bonding, have limited applications, leaving cities unable to adequately address growing transportation needs; and WHEREAS, the recently approved constitutional amendment that phases in dedication of 100 percent of the motor vehicle sales tax (MVST) for transportation purposes will address only a fraction of the transportation funding needs in Minnesota, and total MVST revenues are not meeting projections; and WHEREAS, transportation analysts in consultation with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) estimate Minnesota will have to invest an additional $1.5 billion per year in transportation infrastructure for the next ten years in order to meet identified needs; and WHEREAS, transportation infrastructure maintenance and improvement costs significantly contribute to rising property taxes; and WHEREAS, lack of state funding has delayed regionally significant road construction and reconstruction projects across Minnesota; and WHEREAS, Minnesota's transportation system is failing to meet the capacity needs necessary to sustain population growth and promote economic development; and WHEREAS, congestion, inefficient transportation systems and lack of transportation choices lead to greater dependence on foreign oil, increased environmental degradation, and economic disadvantages for Minnesota's businesses and residents; and WHEREAS, many rural roads are not built to modem safety standards and are not meeting the needs of industries that depend on the ability to transport heavy loads; and WHEREAS, current funding for roads and transit systems across all government levels in Minnesota is inadequate, and this under-investment hinders Minnesota's progress as a national business, economic and civic leader.