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Transportation <br />requiring, through omission, that cities bear the burden of maintaining major state roads. <br />MnDOT should be required to meet standards adopted by cities through local ordinances, or <br />reimburse cities for labor, equipment and material used on the state's behalf to improve public <br />safety or meet local standards. Furthermore, if a city performs maintenance, the city should be <br />fully reimbursed. <br />Metro Cities supports MnDOT taking full responsibility for maintaining state-owned <br />infrastructure and property, including, but not limited to, sound walls and right of way, <br />within city limits. Metro Cities supports cooperative agreements between cities and <br />MnDOT, which have proven to be effective in other parts of the state. <br />5-0 Transit Taxing District <br />The transit taxing district, which funds the capital cost of transit service in the Metropolitan Area <br />through the property tax system, is inequitable. Because the boundaries of the transit taxing <br />district do not correspond with any rational service line nor is being within the boundaries a <br />guarantee to receive service, cities within and outside of the taxing district are contributing <br />unequally to the transit service in the Metropolitan Area. This inequity should be corrected. <br />Metro Cities supports a stable revenue source to fund both the capital and operating costs <br />for transit at the Metropolitan Council. However, Metro Cities does not support the <br />expansion of the transit taxing district without a corresponding increase in service and an <br />overall increase in operational funds. To do so would create additional property taxes <br />without a corresponding benefit. <br />5-P Complete Streets <br />A complete street may include: sidewalks, bike lanes (or wide paved shoulders), special bus <br />lanes, comfortable and accessible public transportation stops, frequent and safe crossing <br />opportunities, median islands, accessible pedestrian signals, curb extensions, narrower travel <br />lanes and more. <br />A complete street in a rural area will differ from a complete street in a highly urban area, but <br />both are designed to balance safety and convenience for everyone using the road. <br />Metro Cities supports options in state design guidelines for complete streets that would give <br />cities greater flexibility to: <br />• Safely accommodate all modes of travel; <br />• Lower traveling speeds on local streets; <br />• Address city infrastructure needs; and <br />2019 Legislative Policies <br />57 <br />