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Transportation <br />Metro Cities supports state funding for state highway projects, including congestion, <br />bottleneck and safety improvements. Metro Cities also supports state financial assistance, <br />as well as innovations in design and construction, to offset the impacts of regional <br />transportation construction projects on businesses. <br />Metro Cities opposes statutory changes restricting the use of local funds for transportation <br />projects. Metro Cities opposes restrictions on aesthetic related components of <br />transportation projects, as these components often provide important safety and other <br />benefits to projects. <br />Metro Cities supports further research into the policy implications for electric and <br />autonomous vehicles on roadways, transit, and other components of transportation <br />systems. Metro Cities encourages the state to study the impact of electric and autonomous <br />vehicles on transportation related funding and policies. <br />5-13 Regional Transit System <br />The Twin Cities Metropolitan Area needs a multi -modal regional transit system as part of a <br />comprehensive transportation strategy that serves all users, including commuters and the transit <br />dependent. The transit system should be composed of a mix of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) <br />lanes, High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes, a network of bike and pedestrian trails, Bus Rapid <br />Transit, express and regular route bus service, exclusive transit ways, light rail transit, streetcars, <br />and commuter rail corridors designed to connect residential, employment, retail and <br />entertainment centers. The system should be regularly monitored and adjusted to ensure that <br />routes of service correspond to the region's changing travel patterns. <br />Current congestion levels and forecasted population growth require a stable, reliable and <br />growing source of revenue for transit construction and operations so that our metropolitan region <br />can meet its transportation needs to remain economically competitive. Metro Cities supports an <br />effective, efficient and comprehensive regional transit system as an invaluable component <br />in meeting the multimodal transportation needs of the metropolitan region and to the <br />region's economic vibrancy and quality of life. Metro Cities recognizes that transit service <br />connects residents to jobs, schools, healthcare and activity centers. Transit access and service <br />frequency levels should recognize the role of public transit in addressing equity, including but <br />not limited to racial and economic disparities, people with disabilities and the elderly. Metro <br />Cities supports strategic expansion of the regional transit system. <br />Metro Cities supports a regional governance structure that can ensure a measurably <br />reliable and efficient system that recognizes the diverse transit needs of our region and <br />addresses the funding needs for all components of the system. <br />Metro Cities recognizes the need for flexibility in transit systems for cities that border the edges <br />of the seven -county metropolitan area to ensure users can get to destinations outside of the <br />seven -county area. Metro Cities encourages the Metropolitan Council to coordinate with collar <br />counties so that riders can get to and from destinations beyond the boundaries of the region. <br />2019 Legislative Policies <br />52 <br />