7/30/2019 Sales Tax Funding Resolution for Transit

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Proposed Transit/Bike Resolution

of the Seward Neighborhood Group

to Our State Legislators and Governor Dayton

To:

Governor Mark Dayton, Minnesota State Senators Keri Dziedzic and Patricia Torres Ray,Minnesota State Representatives Phyllis Kahn and Jim Davnie

Whereas, a quality transit system that connects Seward to the whole metro area is vital to thelivability of the Seward Neighborhood, and

Whereas, a quality biking and walking infrastructure that connects Seward to the rest ofMinneapolis and St. Paul is vital to the livability of the Seward Neighborhood, and

Whereas, non-automobile transit options are vital to low and moderate income residents ofSeward, and

Whereas, to have a quality biking, walking and transit infrastructure, increased and stablefunding is required, and

Whereas, the Twin Cities is behind similar regions that have approved significant metropolitanarea wide sales tax dedicated to transportation options (including Dallas, Denver, Houston, St.Louis, San Jose, Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, San Francisco and Seattle), and

Whereas, in this legislative session, Minnesota has an historic chance to invest in transit(motorized and non-motorized) through dedicated funding, and

Whereas, the State Senate is proposing to replace the existing insufficient of a penny five-county sales tax with a of a penny seven-county tax, dedicated to alternative transportation,and the Senate bill would allow this region to stop building one LRT line per decade andinstead build a real regional transit system, and

Whereas, approval of the Senate bill would provide the first-ever dedicated state funding forbiking and walking ($10-12 million a year in the Twin Cities), which will support importantlocal projects like sidewalks, bike lanes, and safe crosswalks, and

Whereas, waiting for rural areas of Minnesota to support investing state dollars in metro areatransit perpetuates the very slow progress on transit in the states largest metropolitan area, whileother metropolitan areas across the nation have stopped waiting and build transit systems througha metro-only sales tax, and

Whereas, while it would be great to fund all government services through a progressive incometax, that is not realistic, and the most regressive approach is to not build a regional transit system,not provide transportation choices for seniors, students, low income families and others to get towhere they need to go, whether it is to work, school, doctor, place of worship, etc., and

Whereas, without additional funding for transit this session, Metro Transit will have to cutservice and/or raise transit fares,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Seward Neighborhood Group calls upon theGovernor and our legislators to approve a of a penny sales tax increase ( cent total)dedicated for safe, convenient and accessible transit, bicycling and walking similar to what theSenate is proposing.