What began in January
as a comprehensive initiative to ensure that each of Minnesota’s
87 counties had some form of accessible transit ended in frustration,
as the 2007 session ended with little progress on transit issues.
“We had high hopes and a sound strategy,” said Joel Ulland,
public policy director for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society-MN
Chapter, “but in the end we have very little to show for it.”
What lawmakers ultimately
passed was referred to as a “lights
on” transportation and transit funding package with limited
new policies and projects. No provisions from the disability package
were included.
The Minnesota Consortium
for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD), a cross-disability coalition
of more than 100 disability advocacy and provider organizations,
spent months crafting and promoting its “14
by 2010” plan, which sought to implement 14 hours of accessible
transit in every Minnesota county. Today there are seven counties
with no accessible transit service and another handful with only
limited options in or near the county seat. Despite the strong support
of House and Senate Transit Subcommittee Chairs Frank Hornstein and
Scott Dibble, respectively, limited dollars and gas tax politics
prevented the passage of the plan.
Efforts late in the session to scale back the proposal and produce
a study that would develop a strategic plan and resource estimate to
achieve the 14-hour service goal were also unsuccessful.
“In the end, even the transit policy bill, which didn’t
have a dime of funding in it, was also left unfinished,” Ulland
said.
Disability advocates
weren’t the only constituency left shaking
their heads due to the stalled transportation proposals. A strong
coalition of business, transit, and low-income groups pushed hard
for a gas tax increase that would both expand and accelerate road
construction and transit projects.
On the day after the
session ended, one transit advocate wrote in an e-mail: “So, that’s it then? Nothing for transit again?
Wasn’t there anything that could have been done to save parts
of the bill?”
While overwhelming majorities
in both legislative bodies approved gas tax increases between 5
and 10 cents per gallon to increase transportation funding, in
the end, they could not overcome the veto of Governor Pawlenty.
An attempt to do so in the session’s waning hours
fell five votes short of the two-thirds majority required by the
state constitution.
Other elements of the MN-CCD proposal included:
• the promotion of regional one-stop call centers to ease the scheduling
of transportation rides, regardless of age or eligibility status for
public programs
• intercounty agreements that would eliminate the current practice
of changing vehicles at a county line in order to complete a scheduled
ride
• same-day ride guarantees for trips of 25 miles or less
• scheduling of rides up to four days in advance
Other areas of the budget
that affect transportation for people with disabilities also produced
mixed results. Metro Mobility service will remain as is, with no
changes in service levels or fare increases. The Medical Assistance
transportation system, which is run by a broker in the seven-county
metro area, will see the elimination of the brokered system for
special transportation services when the contract expires next
year. While there have been customer service issues with the brokered,
or MNET, system, many advocates opposed an outright repeal, believing
that a call center approach, if done well, offers many more consumer
benefits than obstacles. ![]()
