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MN legislators propose public transit changes

Democratic lawmakers are proposing legislation that would decriminalize transit fare evasion. It would also create a Transit Ambassador Program.

ST PAUL, Minnesota — Minnesota Democratic lawmakers are proposing a bill that they say would increase safety on public transit and make it more equitable. 

The legislation would reduce the penalty for those caught riding public transit without paying from a misdemeanor to a petty misdemeanor, statewide. The bill, HF 3085, would also create a Transit Ambassador Program. 

"It has become clear that our current system is not working on handling fares, on the system for collecting fares citations, and making sure that system works for all of Minnesotans," said Rep. Brad Tabke, DFL-Shakopee, co-author of the bill. 

Metro Transit currently issues a warning the first time a rider is not able to show proof of payment. After the second offense, it's a $180 fine. 

"This is a misdemeanor and it's on par with a DUI, or with a $500 property theft, or assault, and we don't think that is correct," Rep. Tabke said. 

Less than 3% of fare evasion citations are actually collected. 

"It puts a huge burden on the judicial system and so there's a huge cost of trying to collect these fares," Rep. Tabke said. 

The bill, if passed, would decriminalize fare evasion on public transit. It would become a petty misdemeanor, similar to a parking ticket. The fine would be reduced to $35. 

Rep. Jon Koznick, R-Lakeville, said while it's a starting point, the proposed legislation does not go far enough. 

"We just got to do something different than just... simply decriminalizing it is not the way to go. We want more enforcement but we also want to have some more consequences for those who are repeat offenders," Rep. Koznick said. 

Rep. Koznick said safety on the light rail is an important issue they've been working to address for the past few years. He said he wants to work with his colleagues on this but added, "The issues are much deeper and certainly we need to do a more robust look at this and I hope we continue to work towards that."

According to Metro Transit, for the first 10 months of last year, the five shared blue and green lines stops in downtown Minneapolis saw violent crime jump 10% from the same time frame in 2018.

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Rep. Tabke and Rep. Frank Hornstein, DFL-Minneapolis, are proposing that money from the fines go to support a Transit Ambassadors Program. Unarmed ambassadors would appear on light rail and bus rapid transit lines across the seven-county Twin Cities metro area. 

"They will be checking fares, they will be connecting people with services, they will be trained in de-escalation so we can help with safety issues as they come up," Rep. Tabke said. 

Other cities have similar programs including the San Francisco area. 

"They have had an increase in fare collections, as well as a drop in crime," Rep. Hornstein said. 

St. Paul City Council Member Mitra Jalali is in support of the bill and said, "In St. Paul, we're talking a lot about the concept of community-first public safety. So how do we make investments in our community, in addition to and beyond traditional policing and law enforcement, that actually reduce crime?" 

There are still some questions, including how many ambassadors would be involved and the cost. Rep. Tabke expects to have a better idea before a hearing on the bill next week. 

The program would set a goal of inspecting fare compliance for at least 10% of riders by 2024. 

Meanwhile, Rep. Koznick, chair of the Legislative Commission on Metropolitan Government, will be part of a Commission meeting on Wed. Feb. 5 at noon to discuss security on Metro Transit. A GOP bill is proposing a light rail transit safety assessment. 

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