Legislative Session number- 84

Bill Name: SF1712

Relating to transportation

ARTICLE 1 - CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

Proposing an
amendment to the Minnesota constitution, article XI, section 7 imposing certain
allocation requirements on transportation bonds and to article XIV increasing
gasoline and special fuel taxes and modifying the allocation of revenue from the
motor vehicle sales tax

ARTICLE 2 - TRANSPORTATION FUNDING

Prohibiting
appropriations from the general fund for operating assistance to public transit
systems after a certain date; requiring the commissioner of transportation (DOT)
to allocate a certain excess funds to state road construction projects primarily
intended to enhance mobility, improve safety and address traffic congestion;
creating a major project account in the trunk highway fund, requiring
commissioner deposit of proceeds from the sale of trunk highway bonds and the
increase in motor fuel taxes and certain money credited to the account into the
account and appropriating money in the account to the commissioner for certain
specified major trunk highway improvement and safety projects; requiring the
deposit of money received from the sale of excess lands and properties into the
right-of-way advance acquisition loan account to be created in the public
facilities authority transportation revolving loan fund in lieu of the trunk
highway fund; creating a metropolitan transit improvement fund for operating
assistance for transit operated or financially assisted by the metropolitan
council and for certain specified major transit improvement projects, requiring
a local match; modifying the allocation of revenue from the sales tax on motor
vehicles, dedicating a certain percentage to the metropolitan transit
improvement fund; providing for loans from the right-of-way acquisition loan
account to the state, counties, cities and towns for the purchase of property
within the rights-of-way of state trunk highways, restricting use and specifying
certain information to be considered by the commissioner in evaluating projects
for funding; appropriating money from the major projects account to the
transportation revolving loan fund for deposit in the advance acquisition loan
account; authorizing the issuance of state trunk highway bonds for major
projects, limit; appropriating money to the commissioner and authorizing the
issuance of state trunk highway bonds for the state road construction program;
appropriating money to the metropolitan council for implementation of
metropolitan transit improvement projects, authorizing council grants to the
commissioner for commuter rail projects and trunk highway improvements and
appropriating money to the commissioner for capital assistance to public transit
systems outside the metropolitan area, authorizing the issuance of state bonds


ARTICLE 3 - TRANSPORTATION STUDIES AND PILOT PROJECTS

Requiring and providing
for the commissioner of transportation to designate a certain number of trunk
highway improvement projects as local approval pilot projects, requiring a
report to the legislature on the results of the project; requiring and providing
for the commissioner to designate a certain number of trunk highway improvement
projects as pilot projects on performance based specifications, defining
performance based specifications and requiring a report to the legislature on
the results; requiring the commissioner to review existing studies of the
appropriate jurisdiction of state and local highways, specifying certain review
requirements and requiring a report to the governor and legislature by a certain
date; requiring the commissioner to designate a certain number of highways as
commodity corridors based on the importance of the corridors to interregional,
interstate and international trade and commerce and the ability of the highways
to safely accommodate vehicles of a certain size and weight, requiring the
commissioner to designate certain size and weight restrictions; requiring the
metropolitan council and the DOT office of transit to jointly conduct a study of
competitive procurement of transit service and report to the legislature by a
certain date

ARTICLE 4 - ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

Requiring the
commissioner of transportation (DOT) to designate a certain number of highway
improvement projects located entirely or primarily within the metropolitan area
as wetland replacement pilot projects, requiring application of wetlands
replacement requirements for greater Minnesota and a report of the results to
the legislature; requiring the commissioner to develop a process for early
coordination with and involvement by environmental interests in the planning,
design, engineering and construction of highway improvement projects, requiring
an activities report to the legislature by a certain date; requiring the
commissioners of the pollution control agency (PCA) and natural resources (DNR)
to develop a proposal to combine into single permits requirements for the
issuance by agencies of permits or other approvals for highway, bridge or
culvert projects and report to the legislature by a certain date; specifying the
legislative intent relating to cost savings resulting from major trunk highway
projects

ARTICLE 5 - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Requiring the governor by
a certain date to designate the department of transportation (DOT) as a charter
agency; requiring the governor and the commissioner of transportation to enter
into annual performance agreements for setting measurable organization goals for
the department and individual goals for the commissioner in key operational
areas of the agency for submission to the legislature; authorizing and providing
for the governor to set the salary of the commissioner, authorizing additional
compensation to the commissioner and department employees based on performance
evaluations; granting the commissioner certain personnel management and
procurement authority and providing rule flexibility for the commissioner;
requiring the commissioner of finance to reduce the appropriation from the trunk
highway fund to the department of transportation and to credit the major
projects account in the trunk highway fund by the amount equal to the
reduction
(ra)