Met Council says funding cuts should not affect riders
Gov. Tim Pawlenty's proposed budget fix includes cuts in transit funding, but the Met Coucil says the cuts should not effect riders.
Metropolitan Council officials say Gov. Tim Pawlenty's proposed cuts amount to $3 million this biennium (years 2010 and 2011), and $3.7 million each year after that.
State representative Frank Hornstein, a Minneapolis Democrat, says the Met Council assures him if the proposed cuts are made it won't have an immediate effect on riders.
"The Met Council is telling us because of the actions we took last year in last years transportation finance bill where we took money from some other Met Council funds they are not anticipating either a fare increase or reduction route service," Hornstein said.
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Transit also relies on money from Minnesota's sales tax on vehicles. Reduced vehicle sales have cut into that money adding more uncertainty to the transit funding outlook.
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