HF749

HF749 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Northstar Commuter Rail line performance requirements and conditional termination established.

Related bill: SF2182

AI Generated Summary

This bill aims to set specific performance standards for the Northstar Commuter Rail line in Minnesota, which operates between downtown Minneapolis and Big Lake. If the rail line fails to meet these standards, it could be shut down. The performance requirements focus on:

Total ridership must be at least 450,000 every six months starting from June 1, 2025.
Annual ridership must be no less than 900,000 for each year starting from June 1, 2025.
The farebox recovery ratio (the percentage of operating expenses covered by fare revenue) must be at least 40% each calendar year starting from 2026.

If Northstar does not meet these targets:

A federal waiver will be sought to release the council from any related financial obligations to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The commuter rail services will be decommissioned, all associated services and agreements will be terminated, and all assets related to Northstar will be sold or disposed of.
Any revenue from the sale or disposal of assets will be deposited into the general fund.

This bill is designed to ensure the Northstar rail line operates efficiently and sustainably, with a stipulation for closure if it does not meet the set performance criteria.

Bill text versions

Introduction PDF file

Actions

Date	Chamber	Where	Type	Name	Committee Name
February 12, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Introduction and first reading, referred to	Transportation Finance and Policy
February 18, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Author added
February 26, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Author added

Citations

[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Performance-based conditions for agreement termination."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "The bill mandates termination of various agreements related to Northstar as per section 174.82.",
      "modified": [
        "Clarifies the obligations under existing statutory agreements."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "174.82"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Conditions for asset disposal and property conveyance."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "The bill references section 473.4057 for the termination of leases and conveyance of property related to Northstar.",
      "modified": [
        "Adjustment of responsibilities regarding Northstar's operational agreements."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "473.4057"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Guidelines for the sale and disposal of assets related to the terminated service."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "The bill stipulates that asset disposal related to Northstar must adhere to section 16B.2975.",
      "modified": [
        "Further clarification on the procedural handling of state-owned property."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "16B.2975"
  }
]