The role of the Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities

1. www.metrocouncil.org

2. Created by the
Legislature in 1967 to:
• Plan for the orderly growth
of the seven-county area
• Coordinate services that
any one city or county could not
effectively provide

3. Problems that
confronted our region
• Inadequate sewers
• Deteriorating bus system
• Rapid growth
• Fragmented government

4. Council structure
and powers
• 16 members represent
geographic districts;
Chair serves at large
• Plan for future growth
• Coordinate delivery
of regional services

6. 1994 merger added
responsibility for
operating:
• Region’s largest transit system
• Metro Mobility for people
with disabilities
• Wastewater treatment system

7. Metro Transit
• Region’s first LRT line
• 900 buses; 113 routes
• 270,000 riders per weekday

8. Metro Mobility
• Dial-a-ride service for people
with disabilities
• 4,300 rides per weekday

9. Wastewater system
• 7 treatment plants
• 600 miles of regional sewers
• Serving more than
100 communities

10. Regional park system
• 49 regional parks
• 29 regional trails
• More than 33 million visitors

11. Metro HRA
• Serves nearly 100 suburban
and rural communities
• Provides federal housing
assistance to 6,000
low-income families

12. 2009 budget
expenditures
$750.1M

13. 2009 budget revenue
$737.6M

14. Regional planning process
• Regional Development
Framework
• Systems plans for transportation,
aviation, water resources, and
regional parks and open space
• Local comprehensive plans

15. 2030 transportation plan
• Expand bus system
• Add transit advantages
• Develop network of bus
and rail transitways

17. 2030 water resources plan
• Invest $3.7 billion to maintain,
replace and expand wastewater
treatment system
• Support local efforts to ensure
sufficient water supply
• Promote efforts to reduce
pollution from storm water runoff

18. 2030 regional parks plan
• Acquire land within
30 existing parks
• Add 3 new parks,
7 new trails by 2030
• Plan for 4 more parks post-2030

19. Regional
parks
plan

20. www.metrocouncil.org

21. www.metrocounci.org