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In this Issue
Greetings District 8,
I am reaching out today to share a few opportunities with you about how you can engage with the Metropolitan Council and help us shape our budget and policies. We want to hear from you!
Comment now on our 2022 Metropolitan Council draft budget
We are accepting public comment on our 2022 draft budget through December 8. The budget totals about $1.2 billion, which includes the cost of operations, pass-through funding programs, and debt service (loan repayments). The budget reflects our legislative charge, overall mission, goals, and priorities for the current period.
Met Council revenue comes from four primary areas: customer payments, state funds, federal revenues, and local property tax, which is proposed at $91 million for 2022.
These revenues go to support planning and services, including:
- Metro Transit, which provides bus, light rail, and commuter rail services. We also operate Metro Mobility, for certified riders with disabilities, and contracted transit services. Overall, Met Council provided 94% of total regional transit ridership in 2020.
- We collect and treat wastewater for 111 communities, representing 90% of the region’s population.
- We partner with 10 regional park implementing agencies to plan, acquire land, and develop facilities for regional parks and trails.
- Our Metro HRA provides safe, stable, and affordable housing opportunities for about 7,200 households with low incomes.
- We support local community vitality through grant programs, local planning assistance, robust regional data collection and analysis, and other tools.
If you are interested in commenting on our budget, we would welcome your feedback. You can visit www.metrocouncil.org/budget for more information about the 2022 budget and ways you can comment.
Offer public comments at Metro Transit Police Work Group in December
We are also encouraging members of the public and advocates to join the Metro Transit Police Work Group at its meeting on December 17 to provide comments about safety and policing on our transit system.
The work group has been meeting twice a month since September to prioritize and discuss safety issues related to our transit system and the role the Metro Transit Police Department plays. The group discussions are building upon the public engagement and internal analysis regarding safety on our transit system.
There are a number of ways you can make sure your feedback is included in the December 17 meeting, which will be held virtually from 9 to 10:30 a.m.
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Sign up at info@metc.state.mn.us to make comments during the meeting.
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Record a message at 651-602-1500 to be played during the meeting (time permitting).
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Email your comments to info@metc.state.mn.us to be shared with work group members.
At the most recent meeting of the group, attendees discussed a survey of Metro Transit Police Department personnel, which revealed concerns about safety on the system and other long-term concerns about working conditions. Council members also discussed this survey at the November 17 Committee of the Whole meeting, which can be viewed online.
If you have thoughts on our budget or transit safety initiatives, I hope you will reach out with comments. I welcome any other thoughts or inquiries from you!
Sincerely,
Abdirahman Muse
The METRO Orange Line bus rapid transit line is planned to start service on December 4! This line will travel along I-35W, connecting Minneapolis, Richfield, Bloomington, and Burnsville, providing frequent, all-day service in both directions, seven days a week. This route will upgrade and replace the existing local Route 535 with enhanced service and amenities. New station features will benefit other transit riders along the I-35W corridor. We will also increase transit service along several routes that connect with the Orange Line. Learn more about the new connecting bus service.
Construction continues on the METRO Green Line Extension (also known as the Southwest light rail project). More than 50% of the construction is already complete, with 11 of the 16 stations under construction or nearly complete and the first tracks in place. Once the 14.5-mile line opens, it will connect the communities of Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie with existing service that extends into downtown Saint Paul. The line is spurring development in the region; we have already seen more than $1.5 billion of investment within a half-mile of the line. We have unfortunately run into construction delays due to the complexity of the line, which is not uncommon for projects as large as this one. We have not yet determined the anticipated opening date but will share that information as it is available. Subscribe to updates about the project to learn more about the new timeline and how the line will benefit the region.
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Over the summer and fall, METRO Blue Line Extension project staff held several open houses and community meetings and met with a great number of community members. This feedback will guide our decision-making as we work toward a truly community-supported alignment for the Blue Line Extension. This project will extend the existing METRO Blue Line from downtown Minneapolis to Brooklyn Park, with additional stops in Robbinsdale and Crystal. Our project team hopes to have a draft report recommending a route available in December, followed by a 45-day public comment period. We expect release of the final report in March 2022, followed by a 30-day public comment period. We hope to hear from you with feedback about the draft recommendations. In the meantime, you can stay up to date with all the latest news on the project’s website: www.BlueLineEXT.org.
The METRO Blue Line Extension creates exciting opportunities to advance community visions for investment and economic development that can help residents and businesses build wealth in place and improve quality of life. Maximizing benefits means making sure those benefits are enjoyed by current corridor residents and businesses. Project partners are working together to develop and implement robust anti-displacement strategies. The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) at the University of Minnesota was chosen to establish an anti-displacement workgroup related to the METRO Blue Line Extension project. This investment in anti-displacement efforts is intended to support corridor residents, businesses, and equitable development in the area. You can learn more about anti-displacement efforts on the project’s website
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The Twin Cities region gained 314,000 residents over the last decade, bringing the total population to 3.16 million in 2020, according to decennial U.S. census counts released August 12. Significant growth occurred in both urban center cities and suburban edge cities. Not only has the seven-county area grown since 2010, it continues to transform: the share of residents who identify as Black, Indigenous or people of color (BIPOC) now stands at 31%, up from 24% in 2010. Learn more about the changing demographics of our region.
Earlier this year, the Met Council voted to dedicate more than $2 million to parks agencies across the region to advance equity work and programming. This is the second year of awarding equity grants for projects in the regional parks. 23 projects were funded, including funding for a BIPOC Ambassador Program in Saint Paul regional parks, accessibility improvements in Washington County regional parks, mental health and nature-based wellness programming in Scott County, and many more. A full list of projects funded can be found on our website.
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The Met Council’s nine wastewater treatment plants continue to earn high honors for compliance with their federal clean water discharge permits. Earlier this year, all nine plants were recognized during the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) Peak Performance Awards program. Based on their performance through 2020, six plants earned Platinum Awards for achieving five or more consecutive years of full compliance with their clean water discharge permits. Our plants combined now have 117 years of consecutive compliance.
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After a successful 2019 pilot, Metro Transit is hoping to grow the Residential Pass program to include more multi-family properties located on transit lines. The hope is to make passes available to residents in up to 20 properties this year, and to continue expanding the program in the future. The pilot showed residents are more likely to ride with a Residential Pass. Property owners pay $14 a month to buy passes for each building unit; a typical parking stall can cost up to $20,000. “Giving transit passes and building fewer parking spots are among the best strategies for developers to get a permit to build,’’ said Michael Krantz, a development analyst with Metro Transit’s Transit-Oriented Development office. For more information about the Residential Pass program, please email tod@metrotransit.org.
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Congratulations to the City of Minneapolis for receiving Livable Communities Act funds for predevelopment for three projects. The Met Council’s Livable Communities Fund supports investment in local projects that promote jobs, housing choices, development and redevelopment, and connections between where people live and the places they want to go. Minneapolis was awarded grants for:
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The Phoenix— $75,000 to evaluate development scenarios and document community engagement impacts on redevelopment of a site destroyed in civil unrest in 2020. Redevelopment will provide incubator space for new and displaced community-serving businesses near the Chicago-Lake Transit Center BRT Station, preserving and creating new jobs, and generating business activity.
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921 West Broadway— $75,000 for a feasibility study, engagement, and site planning for redevelopment into mixed-use commercial and office space, as well as market-rate and potentially affordable housing.
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2415-2017 West Broadway— $75,000 for site and concept planning and a feasibility study to determine development plans for four parcels. Redevelopment will include an outdoor public realm to connect residents with amenities such as small local businesses.
Metro Transit is committed to reducing vehicle emissions by bringing more electric buses into its fleet. The Met Council is responsible for developing a Zero-Emission Bus Transition Plan and revising the plan once every five years. The plan will identify short-term (2022-2025), medium-term (2026-2030), and long-term (beyond 2030) opportunities, risks, and implementation strategies to transition Metro Transit's bus fleet to zero-emission technology. Metro Transit is engaging interested stakeholders and communities in our region and hosted facilitated workshops in November that can be viewed here. Get involved and take a survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N85Y9CQ.
We are currently planning for the purchase of eight 40-foot electric buses that will be used on local routes beginning in 2023, electric bus charging equipment in the new Minneapolis Bus Garage, and the purchase of up to 70 electric buses in 2025, some of which will be used on the planned METRO Gold Line and METRO Purple Line.
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 Like many transit agencies, Metro Transit is facing a significant driver shortage, which means we don’t have enough staff to meet our schedules. We apologize to anyone who has experienced times when a bus or train was not there when it was scheduled to be there. Since March, we’ve been working hard to hire more drivers with monthly one-day hiring events. These events streamline the hiring process and are providing on-site CDL training. We also offer hiring and referral bonuses. Drivers start at more than $21 per hour – even during training – and receive outstanding benefits, including paid training, health care, annual salary increases, a pension plan, an unlimited-ride bus pass, and a $1,000 hiring bonus. Combined with upcoming service adjustments, we hope to continue to deliver the quality service we strive to provide to our riders.
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