Green Line Extension - Southwest LRT
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
The letter from the GOP to the federal government might be a moot point if Trump gets his way in modifying the 2017 budget.
http://t4america.org/2017/03/29/trump-a ... mediately/
http://t4america.org/2017/03/29/trump-a ... mediately/
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
They're just going all-out-crazy, aren't they.
Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
This is just outright economic warfare.
Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
I'm immediately skeptical of any argument that ends with, "my side is reasonable and willing to have 'tough' discussions but whoa that other side is all crazies that only cares about themselves and they are ignorant to boot."They're just going all-out-crazy, aren't they.
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
Good one. We all make mistakes. I humbly accept the criticism.
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
Huh? We're talking about efforts to immediately torpedo long-planned infrastructure projects for no good reason. Yes, it's completely 'crazy'. No better word for it.
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
FTA has extended the timeline for a decision on the federal funding grant agreement to December (it was July), for a couple of reasons:
1. The CTIB breakup situation remains unsettled, so the question of using Certificates of Participation as a local funding source is still unclear (if CTIB breaks up, Hennepin County will instead fill that funding gap directly and the Met Council can avoid issuing the CoPs)
2. The assumption on operating funding has always been that the state will pick up 50% of the cost, as they have done for the existing lines. The legislature is has passed transportation bills that state otherwise.
While Dayton is sure to veto the current GOP transportation bills, I just don't see the GOP agreeing to any compromise bill that leaves the state on the hook for operating costs. There are so many other battles that Dayton has to fight on the transportation bill, not to mention the whole state budget in general, that I don't think operating costs for Southwest is a hill he's willing to die on. CTIB really needs to break up and Hennepin will need to fully fund the operating costs for Southwest (and Bottineau). Honestly, they should have been planning on this all along.
1. The CTIB breakup situation remains unsettled, so the question of using Certificates of Participation as a local funding source is still unclear (if CTIB breaks up, Hennepin County will instead fill that funding gap directly and the Met Council can avoid issuing the CoPs)
2. The assumption on operating funding has always been that the state will pick up 50% of the cost, as they have done for the existing lines. The legislature is has passed transportation bills that state otherwise.
While Dayton is sure to veto the current GOP transportation bills, I just don't see the GOP agreeing to any compromise bill that leaves the state on the hook for operating costs. There are so many other battles that Dayton has to fight on the transportation bill, not to mention the whole state budget in general, that I don't think operating costs for Southwest is a hill he's willing to die on. CTIB really needs to break up and Hennepin will need to fully fund the operating costs for Southwest (and Bottineau). Honestly, they should have been planning on this all along.
Mark Fuhrmann, the Met Council’s program director for rail projects, said Monday that he still expects Southwest construction to begin this year in advance of the federal funding agreement.
The council can make that happen by getting FTA approval for a “Letter of No Prejudice,” which essentially allows the project team to use local funding sources as front money to proceed with limited scopes of work, he said.
Fuhrmann remains optimistic that the federal funds will come through.
“We are in contact with the FTA on a regular basis,” he said. “What we have heard from them is they are prepared to continue to work with us to advance the project.”
Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
I thought the deadline for the CTIB has passed. I thought the break up was off the table.
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
I believe they can pass another resolution if they feel a deal can be made. The March 30th deadline was self-imposed.
I'll be emailing McLaughlin about getting this done. SWLRT just cannot keep getting delayed.
I'll be emailing McLaughlin about getting this done. SWLRT just cannot keep getting delayed.
Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
We need to get the full funding grant agreement before Trump passes his new budget. This makes it even more urgent that the county transit improvement for disband as soon as possible.
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
Federal budget compromise makes funding for Southwest light rail official
https://www.minnpost.com/politics-polic ... l-official
https://www.minnpost.com/politics-polic ... l-official
It's finally over.Officials at the Metropolitan Council had been optimistic that the full-funding grant agreement would be reached this year. President Donald Trump’s budget blueprint injected some level of uncertainty: he proposed to cut funding for the feds’ so-called New Starts program, which funds SWLRT and other transit projects.
Republican negotiators in D.C. did not see those cuts through to the budget agreement, and agreed to provide over $1.6 billion to New Starts programs.
Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
I'll believe that when I see construction mobilize. This is a good sign, though.
Joey Senkyr
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
Still needs to be signed.
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
A good sign, but we're not out of (the tunnel under) the woods yet.
Once the FFGA is signed, you can rest easy. In the meantime, you still have two big unanswered questions:
1) The GOP-led MN legislature has passed bills with major cuts to current levels of operating dollars for bus and LRT. And they propose to prohibit operating $ for any new LRT lines. We could be headed for a government shutdown at the end of this month if Dayton and the GOP can't find compromise on the budget.
2) Status on the CTIB breakup is still unclear. At this moment it's still dead or on hold, pending Dakota County's planned exit at the end of 2018. If CTIB can't break up sooner, Met Council is stuck using the Certificates of Participation to fund part of the local share. Literally no one wants that stopgap measure to be used. The CTIB breakup and $0.25 increase (effective July 1, 2017) would have allowed Hennepin County to fill that gap, instead of Met Council issuing the CoPs, which will cause the organization other budgetary issues due to higher interest rates. The Feds are still waiting on a final answer on the interrelated issues of CTIB and CoPs. Ideally we would settle all of that before the FFGA.
Once the FFGA is signed, you can rest easy. In the meantime, you still have two big unanswered questions:
1) The GOP-led MN legislature has passed bills with major cuts to current levels of operating dollars for bus and LRT. And they propose to prohibit operating $ for any new LRT lines. We could be headed for a government shutdown at the end of this month if Dayton and the GOP can't find compromise on the budget.
2) Status on the CTIB breakup is still unclear. At this moment it's still dead or on hold, pending Dakota County's planned exit at the end of 2018. If CTIB can't break up sooner, Met Council is stuck using the Certificates of Participation to fund part of the local share. Literally no one wants that stopgap measure to be used. The CTIB breakup and $0.25 increase (effective July 1, 2017) would have allowed Hennepin County to fill that gap, instead of Met Council issuing the CoPs, which will cause the organization other budgetary issues due to higher interest rates. The Feds are still waiting on a final answer on the interrelated issues of CTIB and CoPs. Ideally we would settle all of that before the FFGA.
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
3) somewhat related to 2, but more pressing: the MNGOP has proposed (though I'm not sure if it's included in any bills still) stripping the Met Council of the ability to pay for LRT using CoPs. Which, even if they're not optimal to use due to higher debt costs, the Met Council (and counties, etc) would likely still prefer that to nothing.
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
What's really worrying is Dayton's apparently willingness to compromise on a lot of important stuff. He's signaled support for preemption and increased protest penalties. The only thing I've heard on transportation is his willingness to abandon a gas tax. While that's expected, it's really unclear what his views on policy are. I would suggest we all call his office and tell him funding for transit, including SWLRT needs to be a top priority. He cannot compromise that away.
And tell him to oppose preemption, increased protest penalties and a whole bunch of other *really* bad policy headed his way.
And tell him to oppose preemption, increased protest penalties and a whole bunch of other *really* bad policy headed his way.
Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
It sounded pretty firmly dead to me when I talked to Jim McDonough (Ramsey County Comissioner) this weekend.2) Status on the CTIB breakup is still unclear. At this moment it's still dead or on hold, pending Dakota County's planned exit at the end of 2018.
- VacantLuxuries
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
Seems pretty foolish to not be willing to pick talks up again once Dakota isn't there to throw a wrench in the works.
Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
Well Ramsey county will need Hennepin's help to get anything built, and they're hoping to get a CTIB increase from the legislature (odds of the DFL doing well next year are decent). If 2018 doesn't go well I would imagine they'll revisit disbanding once Dakota County is gone.
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Re: Southwest LRT (Green Line Extension)
Sounds like a mess. Anybody have a guesstimate of the current chances for seeing SWLRT make it through all of this? The actions from the right are infuriating me, but that's not a new trend.
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