Bill > SF3041

This bill modifies the allocation of regional transportation sales and use tax proceeds to provide a specific $15 million grant in fiscal year 2026 to the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents for the Washington Avenue Pedestrian Bridge. The grant is specifically earmarked for designing and constructing replacement pedestrian enclosure and suicide prevention barriers on the Twin Cities campus bridge. Notably, the bill requires the Board of Regents to consult with suicide prevention experts, organizations, and individuals personally affected by suicide during the project's design phase. The funding will come from existing active transportation funds allocated to the Metropolitan Council under Minnesota Statutes, and the bill explicitly states that this allocation is an exception to previous statutory provisions about fund distribution. This targeted funding aims to address safety concerns on a pedestrian bridge that has apparently been a site of suicide attempts, by implementing physical deterrent barriers and consulting with those who have expertise in suicide prevention.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF3041&ssn=0&y=2025