Transportation bill focused on roads, bridges motors toward full House

A transportation bill that places heavy emphasis on roads and bridges — and, its critics say, neglects metro area transit needs — is headed for the House Floor.

The House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday approved an amended version of HF4, the omnibus transportation funding and policy package that proposes to spend $6.6 billion on the state’s transportation system over the next two years and makes Minnesota’s roadways its top transportation priority.

The bill proposes to redirect existing revenue streams toward funding roads and bridges. Those measures — the proposed shift of more than $410 million in revenues from vehicle-related sales taxes over the next two years out of the General Fund — were amended out of the bill earlier this week and could be carried in an omnibus tax bill.

MORE: What's in the bill? Previous Session Daily coverage of HF4

HF4’s passage would set up potentially difficult negotiations with the Senate, whose DFL majority has proposed a much different funding package that would introduce a new fuel tax and expanded metro area transit-dedicated sales tax to provide more transportation funding.

Rep. Tim Kelly (R-Red Wing), chair of the House Transportation Policy and Finance Committee, praised the bill as a step toward moving away from an “antiquated” transportation funding system that relies heavily on the state’s gas tax.

“We’re very proud of the bill in front of you,” he said.

Included in HF4 are measures that would increase funding to the Corridors of Commerce program aimed at busy commercial routes in Greater Minnesota; create a program for aid to cities under 5,000 residents that aren’t eligible for municipal state-aid street funds; and transfer $228 million of the state’s budget surplus from the General Fund for local highway and Greater Minnesota transit projects.

The House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday adopted an amendment that removed two further tax-related provisions — sections that would reduce base appropriations related to the motor vehicle sales tax to the Metropolitan Council and restrict the council’s ability to issue debt. Those may also be included in an omnibus tax bill.

Painful transit reductions?

Opponents repeated their displeasure with a bill they say will force painful reductions in Metro Transit bus service and that takes from the state’s General Fund at the expense of other funding needs.

Rep. Frank Hornstein (DFL-Mpls) also criticized the bill’s level of investment in funding rail crossing improvements along heavily-traveled oil train routes. An amendment adopted by the transportation committee Monday would appropriate $5 million for grade separation projects at busy crossings; the Department of Transportation has identified more than $300 million in needs.

“That’s not even enough to fund one grade separation” project, Hornstein said.