In This Issue:
Transit Safety Report Released
The Citizens League published a final report following stakeholder engagement efforts around safety and Metro Transit. One of the primary duties of an established Metro Transit Police Work Group is digesting the findings from the Citizen League report and using it to inform recommendations and future conversations at the Metropolitan Council.
The Citizens League employed a variety of methods to conduct this work including in person and virtual interviews, small group discussions, online surveys, and larger community forums. The results show that the perception of safety is crucially important to ridership trends. Many respondents spoke about the influence of other passengers’ behavior on one’s ability to feel safe while using transit. The report found that during the COVID-19 pandemic people have felt less safe using transit because fewer people are on busses and trains. Finally, the report found that the presence of an authority figure on platforms, busses, and trains makes people feel safer, but also that safety does not simply mean stricter enforcement of things like fare payment.
The report pulls together a variety of perspectives and offers two specific recommendations for the Metropolitan Council. The first is to conduct a review of other transit systems from across the country to learn about best practices. The second is to continue these engagement efforts. The project team points out that the high-profile conversations around policing as well as the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted people’s eagerness or ability to participate in this process. Click HERE to view the final Metro Transit Safety report.
State Revenue Update
The state revenue review for August shows net general fund revenues for the state are $124 million, or 7.5%, above what was forecast in February. Revenues were higher than what was forecast in the categories of income, sales, and corporate taxes. For FY2022, revenues are now $192 million, or 6.6%, more than what was previously forecast. As always, the State Office of MN Management and Budget (MMB) cautions that revenue results are preliminary. The next full budget and revenue forecast will be released later this year.
2050 Water Resources Policy Plan Advisory Group
The Metropolitan Council is establishing a work group to advise the council through the process of updating the water resource policy plan (WRPP). The group includes representation from counties, cities, and watershed districts. The group will meet two to three times per year. This group will help the Council make connections with other relevant stakeholders as the 2050 WRPP is put together. They will also review and provide comments on final policy and implementation strategies before the WRPP is put forward for public review. Click HERE to view a brief presentation on the group, which includes the recommended advisory group membership. Metro Cities will monitor the work of this group as it goes forward.