SF5085

Purpose

• Establish a statewide program to inventory every pedestrian crossing in Minnesota to determine ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance and bring all crossings into ADA compliance by December 31, 2035.
• Create rules, reporting requirements, and funding (including grants and bonds) to support modifications and inspections.
• Improve accessibility for pedestrians, with attention to communities that are smaller, lower-income, or historically disadvantaged.

Main Provisions

• Statewide Inventory and Classification

  • The Department of Transportation (and the Metropolitan Council) must inventory all pedestrian crossing points and classify each as fully compliant, partially compliant, noncompliant, or requiring inspection.
  • A public database will track compliance status across the state.
  • The process will include inspecting crossings that require attention and combining existing ADA inventories from cities, counties, and towns.

• Grant Program for Inspections and Modifications

  • Grants can be used to conduct expedited surveys, contract third parties to perform work, or repay debt tied to these activities.
  • The program prioritizes funding for:
  • small communities (population under 5,000)
  • areas with many crossings needing inspection
  • areas near transit routes, school zones, senior housing, high pedestrian-vehicle conflict, or high disability concentrations
  • Eligible recipients are road authorities.

• Regional and Local Delivery of Work

  • Modifications may be done by:
  • local road authorities
  • regional multiyear contracts (regional master contracts)
  • the department
  • Regions will be established that align with state transportation districts; contracts can be regional to maximize efficiency (standard designs, clustered work, multi-year commitments).
  • Local authorities can participate in regional master contracts; small towns may have reduced or eliminated cost participation to lower barriers.
  • Public sector road authorities may use their own maintenance capacity to perform some or all required work.

• Planning, Prioritization, and Deployment

  • A formal process will determine who performs each project (local, regional, or state).
  • Within regions, prioritization will focus on crossings near transit, schools, senior housing, high pedestrian-vehicle conflict areas, and areas with many residents with disabilities.
  • Contracts may use standardized designs and materials to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

• Workforce, Wages, and Accountability

  • Contractors bidding on regional contracts must submit a workforce plan that emphasizes training and use of registered apprentices, aiming to build a sustainable regional workforce.
  • Workers on funded projects must be paid the prevailing wage for the work.
  • Annual accountability and reporting requirements to the Legislature, including:
  • total estimated cost to bring all crossings into ADA compliance, by region
  • changes in estimates since prior reports
  • counts of noncompliant crossings and inspections
  • number of crossings brought into compliance
  • average cost per crossing, by region and approach
  • status of regional master contracts and local participation
  • unspent appropriations and list of grant recipients

• Other Provisions

  • A process to expand existing projects when that is more efficient than starting new work.
  • Expedited survey and inspection provisions to accelerate progress.
  • Rulemaking to implement and administer the program.

Funding and Financing

• General Fund Appropriation (Sec. 3)

  • In fiscal year 2027, a one-time appropriation from the general fund to the Department of Transportation for pedestrian crossing inventory grants (under Minnesota Statutes section 174.77), available through June 30, 2029.

• Bond Proceeds Appropriation (Sec. 4)

  • Bond proceeds are appropriated to fund grants for accessible pedestrian crossing points (under Minnesota Statutes section 174.78), including regional master contracts and eligible grants.
  • The State Management and Budget Office will sell bonds up to the specified amount under state law and constitution.

• On-Going Model

  • The program uses a mix of general fund grants and bond-financed grants to support inventory, survey, design, and construction activities to reach ADA compliance.

Significance and What Changes

• New statewide, ADA-focused funding and delivery model for pedestrian crossings.
• Move from local-only efforts to a coordinated statewide approach with regional master contracts and prioritized investment.
• Emphasis on equity, directing more resources to smaller communities and disadvantaged areas.
• Formalized reporting and transparency through a public compliance database and annual legislative reports.
• Integration with existing ADA frameworks (ADA definitions, transition plans) and established wage and apprenticeship requirements.

Significance to Minnesota Statutes

• Creates new or expanded processes within Minnesota Statutes sections 174.77 and 174.78 to implement the statewide ADA compliance program for pedestrian crossings.
• Establishes a funding structure combining general fund appropriations and bond proceeds for durable, multi-year projects.
• Introduces regional contracting, workforce development requirements, and annual accountability reporting.

Relevant Terms - Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - ADA compliance - pedestrian crossing point - noncompliant crossing - fully/partially compliant - eligible recipient - local road authority - regional master contract - regional multiyear contracts - public transit routes (transit routes) - school zones - senior housing - areas with high pedestrian-vehicle conflict - disadvantaged communities - inventory grants - accessible pedestrian crossings - Department of Transportation (DOT) - Metropolitan Council - ADA transition inventories - rulemaking - grant program - expedited survey - master contracts - workforce plan - registered apprentices - prevailing wage - contract cost and performance - regional regions aligned with department districts - fiscal year 2027 appropriation (general fund) - bond proceeds - bond sale - public database of compliance status - reporting to legislature (Sept. 15 deadline)