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TP-1 ROAD AND BRIDGE FUNDING Metro Cities supports a comprehensive transportation system as a vital component in planning for and meeting the physical, social, and economic needs of the state and metropolitan region. A comprehensive transportation system includes streets and bridges, transit, and multi- modal solutions that work cohesively to best meet state, regional and local transportation needs. Adequate and stable sources of funding are necessary to ensure the development and maintenance of a high quality, efficient and safe transportation system that meets these needs and that will position the state and region to be economically competitive in the years ahead. Failure to maintain a functional transportation system will have adverse effects on the state’s ability to attract and retain businesses and create jobs. Transportation funding and planning must be a high priority for state, regional and local policymakers so that the transportation system can meet the needs of the state’s residents and businesses as well as projected population growth. Funding and planning for regional and statewide systems must be coordinated at the federal, state, regional and local levels to optimally achieve long-term needs and goals. Under current financing structures that rely primarily on local property taxes and fees as well as cities’ share of the Highway User Tax Distribution (HUTD) Fund, road and bridge needs in the metropolitan region continue to be underfunded. Metro Cities supports stable, sufficient, and sustainable statewide transportation funding and expanded local tools to meet the transportation system needs of the region and local municipal systems. Consideration should be given to using new, expanded, and existing resources to meet these needs. Metro Cities supports the use of dedicated taxes and fees to fund transportation infrastructure. In addition, cities lack adequate tools and resources for the maintenance and improvement of municipal street systems, with resources restricted to property taxes and special assessments. It is imperative that alternative revenue generating authority be granted to municipalities and that state resources be made available for this purpose to aid local communities and relieve the burden on the property tax system. Metro Cities supports Municipal State Aid Street (MSAS) funding. MSAS provides an important but limited revenue source that assists eligible cities with street infrastructure needs and is limited to twenty percent of a city’s street system. Metro Cities supports state funding to assist cities over-burdened by cost participation responsibilities from improvement projects on state or county highways. TRANSPORTATION POLICIES AND FUNDING INTRODUCTION 29