Performance requirements and conditional termination of the Northstar Commuter Rail Line establishment

SF 2182 establishes performance thresholds for Minnesota's Northstar Commuter Rail line, directly affecting the Metropolitan Council (which operates the service) and the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The bill requires the line to meet specific ridership targets (less than 450,000 riders in any six-month period or less than 900,000 annually) or maintain a farebox recovery ratio above 40% in any calendar year starting in 2026. If these thresholds are not met, the bill mandates the permanent termination of the rail service, including decommissioning stations, ending all related agreements, and returning assets to the state. The law applies to the Minneapolis-Big Lake corridor and requires the Metropolitan Council to seek federal waivers if performance targets are missed.