Section 473.388 Replacement Service Program
473.388 REPLACEMENT SERVICE PROGRAM.
Subdivision 1.Program established.
A replacement service program is established to continue the metropolitan transit service demonstration program established in Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 174.265, as provided in this section.
Subd. 2.Replacement service; eligibility.
The council may provide assistance under the program to a statutory or home rule charter city or town or combination thereof, that:
(a) is located in the metropolitan transit taxing district;
(b) is not served by the council bus service or is served only with council bus routes which begin or end within the applying city or town or combination thereof; and
(c) has fewer than four scheduled runs of council bus service during off-peak hours as defined by the Metropolitan Council.
Eligible cities or towns or combinations thereof may apply on behalf of a transit operator with whom they propose to contract for service.
The council may not provide assistance under this section to a statutory or home rule charter city or town unless the city or town,
(i) was receiving assistance under Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 174.265, by July 1, 1984,
(ii) had submitted an application for assistance under that section by July 1, 1984, or
(iii) had submitted a letter of intent to apply for assistance under that section by July 1, 1984, and submits an application for assistance under this section by July 1, 1988. A statutory or home rule charter city or town has an additional 12-month extension if it notified the former regional transit board before July 1, 1988, that the city or town is in the process of completing a transportation evaluation study that includes an assessment of the local transit needs of the city or town.
Subd. 3.Application for assistance.
An application for assistance under this section must:
(a) describe the existing service provided to the applicant by the council, including the estimated number of passengers carried and the routes, schedules, and fares;
(b) describe the transit service proposed for funding under the demonstration program, including the anticipated number of passengers and the routes, schedules, and fares; and
(c) indicate the total amount of available local transit funds, the portion of the available local transit funds proposed to be used to subsidize replacement services, and the amount of assistance requested for the replacement services.
Subd. 4.Financial assistance.
(a) The council must grant the requested financial assistance if it determines that the proposed service is intended to replace the service to the applying city or town or combination thereof by the council and that the proposed service will meet the needs of the applicant at least as efficiently and effectively as the existing service.
(b) The amount of assistance which the council must provide to a system under this section may not be less than the sum of the amounts determined for each municipality comprising the system as follows:
(1) the transit operating assistance grants received under this subdivision by the municipality in calendar year 2001 or the tax revenues for transit services levied by the municipality for taxes payable in 2001, including that portion of the levy derived from the areawide pool under section 473F.08, subdivision 3, clause (a), plus the portion of the municipality's aid under section 273.1398, subdivision 2, attributable to the transit levy; times
(2) the ratio of (i) an amount equal to 3.74 percent of the state revenues generated from the taxes imposed under chapter 297B for the current fiscal year to (ii) the total transit operating assistance grants received under this subdivision in calendar year 2001 or the tax revenues for transit services levied by all replacement service municipalities under this section for taxes payable in 2001, including that portion of the levy derived from the areawide pool under section 473F.08, subdivision 3, clause (a), plus the portion of homestead and agricultural credit aid under section 273.1398, subdivision 2, attributable to nondebt transit levies, times
(3) the ratio of (i) the municipality's total taxable market value for taxes payable in 2006 divided by the municipality's total taxable market value for taxes payable in 2001, to (ii) the total taxable market value of all property located in replacement service municipalities for taxes payable in 2006 divided by the total taxable market value of all property located in replacement service municipalities for taxes payable in 2001.
(c) The council shall pay the amount to be provided to the recipient from the funds the council receives in the metropolitan area transit account under section 16A.88.
Subd. 5.Other assistance.
A city or town receiving assistance or levying a transit tax under this section may also receive assistance from the council under section 473.384. In applying for assistance under that section an applicant must describe the portion of its available local transit funds or local transit taxes which are not obligated to subsidize its replacement transit service and which the applicant proposes to use to subsidize additional service. An applicant which has exhausted its available local transit funds or local transit taxes may use any other local subsidy funds to complete the required local share.
Subd. 6.
[Repealed, 1994 c 628 art 3 s 209]
Subd. 7.Local levy option.
(a) A statutory or home rule charter city or town that is eligible for assistance under this section may levy a tax for payment of obligations issued by the municipality for capital expenditures for transit and other related activities, provided that property taxes were pledged to satisfy the obligations, and provided that legislative appropriations are insufficient to satisfy the obligations.
(b) This subdivision is consistent with the transit redesign plan. Eligible municipalities opting to operate under this subdivision shall continue to meet the regional performance standards established by the council.
(c) Within the designated Americans with Disabilities Act area, Metro Mobility remains the obligation of the state.
Subd. 8.Service incentive.
A replacement transit service shall receive an additional two percent of available local transit funds, as defined in subdivision 4, if the service increased its ridership for trips that originate outside of the replacement transit service's member communities and serve the employment centers in those communities by at least five percent from the previous year, provided the service operates within regional performance standards. A replacement transit service that is receiving the maximum amount of available local transit funds may receive up to two percent over the maximum amount set in subdivision 4 if it increases its ridership as provided in this subdivision. The additional funding received under this subdivision may be reserved by the replacement transit service for future use.
History:
1984 c 654 art 3 s 123; 1986 c 444; 1987 c 278 s 16; 1992 c 511 art 2 s 36; 1994 c 628 art 3 s 87-90; 1995 c 236 s 13; 1996 c 455 art 5 s 3,4; 1996 c 464 art 2 s 4; 1997 c 31 art 3 s 17; 1Sp2001 c 5 art 3 s 70,71; 2007 c 143 art 2 s 6; 2009 c 86 art 1 s 73