5.5. SR 03-24-2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Section 4: Key Findings / Policy Options The previous sections of this report have provided general information on the current city road and bridge infrastructure, current funding mechanisms, and future funding challenges. The back~ound information provided in the "transportation primer" contained in Sections 1 - 3 is critica! to understanding the broad trends and policies that affect city policy makers as they strive to maintain and improve their transportation infrastructure while providing the best possible value to the taxpayer. In this section of the report, the focus is shifted to a discussion of key findings relating to current road and bridge infrastructure investment trends, and their impact on Minnesota cities' ability to invest in road and bridge maintenance and improvements. Following the discussion of the key findings, the report suggests specific policy options that merit consideration by state policy makers as a means of providing tools to assist cities in their efforts to maintain their road and bridge capital assets. The findings and policy options presented in this section are organized such that the findings and policy options involving certain types of city roadways are contained in a single subsection. The only exception is the first subsection, which contains findings and policy options that apply to all roadway types, regardless of city size or the funding source. The purpose for organizing the key findings and policy options in this manner is to facilitate review of the report by policy makers and others who are primarily interested in the findings and policy options that involve specific city road and bridge systems. For that reason, the subsections are organized as follows: All City Systems: This subsection presents key findings and potential policy responses that apply to all Minnesota cities, regardless of size or roadway classification. Locally Funded City Streets - Cities under 5,000: This subsection addresses 100 percent of roadways located in Minnesota's 724 cities with populations under 5,000. These cities are not eligible to receive state aid for local road and bridge funding from the Municipal State Aid program, and are obligated to finance all of their local road and bridge projects with their own revenue sources. Locally Funded City Streets - Cities over 5,000: This subsection addresses the 80 percent of city roadways (excluding state trunk highway and county roadways) located in Minnesota's 130 largest cities that receive no state funding through the state aid formula known as Municipal State Aid (MSA). These roadways are appropriately funded with locally generated revenues. State Funded City Streets - Cities Over 5,000: This subsection addresses 20 percent of city roadways in Minnesota's largest 130 cities that receive state aid funding from the MSA program. The findings reported in this section come from two primary sources. First, two divisions of the Minnesota Department of Transportation: the State Aid for Local Transportation Group and the Office of Transportation Data and Analysis generously provided staff assistance as well as a number of valuable written and electronic reports focusing on the roadway construction and maintenance needs of Minnesota cities. (For example, the "Legislative Study of State Funding for Local Road Improvements" prepared by Mn/DOT's State Aid for Local Transportation Group at the request of the 2000 Legislature was a primary source of information used in this report.) 21