Committee hears request to restore annual state funding for 494 Corridor Commission commuter services

Senate File 1001, which would provide $300,000 per year to the 494 Corridor Commission and its Commuter Services program, was presented to the Minnesota Senate Transportation Committee on Feb. 10 and laid on the table for possible inclusion in future finance discussions.

Senator Johnson Stewart said the 494 Corridor Commission is a joint powers organization of Bloomington, Richfield, Edina, Eden Prairie and Minnetonka that works to reduce congestion on the most-congested stretch of Highway 494 and to limit cut-through traffic on local streets. Melissa Madison, executive director of the 494 Corridor Commission and Commuter Services, said the organization works with about 1,200 employers and converts roughly 5,500 drive-alone commuters each year into alternative commute modes. She told the committee the program estimates about 56 million vehicle miles are avoided annually as a result of their outreach, translating to about 23,000 metric tons of CO2 avoided.

Madison described Commuter Services' employer-focused assistance: matching carpool partners, helping start vanpools, providing customized transit itineraries and two free passes to trial transit options, bicycle-commuting resources, and telework program support. She said the program is largely funded by federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grants that require local match; the five member cities have struggled to provide the required local match and the commission has received intermittent legislative support in prior years.

Senator Johnson Stewart said he would like a more stable funding source for TMOs (transportation management organizations) and suggested lawmakers keep the bill available for future finance negotiations. The committee placed Senate File 1001 on the table for possible inclusion in a future financing bill; no roll-call vote was recorded in the transcript.