Adopt Resolution #20-083 Authorizing Letter of Support for Ramsey Boulevard/Highway 10 Grade-Separation Improvements Regional Solicitation Application

Purpose:
The purpose of this case is to adopt Resolution #20-083 authorizing a letter of support for Anoka County to apply for Regional Solicitation funding through the Metropolitan Council for Ramsey Boulevard grade-separation improvements at Highway 10 and the BNSF railway crossing.

Background:
In September of 2014, the Cities of Ramsey and Anoka, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), the Anoka County Highway Department, and the Metropolitan Council, completed the Highway 10 Access Planning Study. This Study included an Implementation Plan that identified 21 proposed improvement projects along the Highway 10 corridor through Anoka and Ramsey. Each of the identified projects were prioritized in the implementation plan as immediate, short-term, mid-term, or opportunity/ development/safety driven projects. On October 28, 2014, the Ramsey City Council adopted the Highway 10 Access Planning Study, thereby supporting the mutual goals and objectives of the various agencies to improving the operations and safety of Highway 10 in balance with local community values.

After the Highway 10 Access Planning Study was complete, the City of Anoka hired Bolton and Menk to develop a singular plan for improvements to Highway 10 through the City of Anoka, which they named the Anoka Solution.  The Anoka Solution plan includes $85 million in proposed improvements to Highway 10 including grade-separation of the intersections at Fairoak Avenue and Thurston Avenue, frontage road connections on both sides of Highway 10, and improvements to the existing grade-separated intersection of Main Street and Highway 10. After developing their plan, the City of Anoka applied for external funding through various state and federal grant programs and recently announced that their project is fully funded with construction scheduled to start in 2022.

The City of Elk River was recently awarded full funding for grade-separating intersections along Highway 169 through their City, which means the City of Ramsey will have the only two at-grade signalized intersections on US 10/169 after Anoka and Elk River complete their improvements.

In 2018, the City of Ramsey hired Bolton and Menk to develop a singular plan to improve operations and safety along Highway 10 through the City of Ramsey, consistent with the Highway 10 Access Planning Study. Through most of 2019, City Staff worked with Bolton and Menk, Anoka County, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Agency, and the City of Elk River to develop the Ramsey Gateway plan.  This plan includes grade separation improvements for Highway 10 at the intersections of Sunfish Lake Boulevard and Ramsey Boulevard, frontage road improvements on both sides of Highway 10, and grade separation improvements for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railway crossings of Ramsey Boulevard and Sunfish Lake Boulevard.

To ensure that the Ramsey Gateway improvements can be constructed as soon as possible, external funding applications must continue to be submitted as opportunities arise. An opportunity currently exists to apply for federal grant funds through the Metropolitan Council’s Regional Solicitation program, which is a competitive process to award federal transportation funding to projects that meet regional transportation needs. Attached to this case is a document titled Introduction: Regional Solicitation for Transportation Projects that includes detailed information on the goals and processes involved with the Regional Solicitation program.
 
Available Funds
A total of approximately $180 million in federal funds is anticipated to be available in this solicitation for program years 2024 and 2025. This funding will be spread across numerous transportation modal categories including roadways, transit, bicycles and pedestrians.  The maximum allowable request for our application, which is included in the Strategic Capacity (Roadway Expansion) category, is $10 million.  See table 3 on page 5 of the attached introduction document.

Cost Sharing
The Federal share of total costs for projects funded under this solicitation must not exceed 80 percent,   This means at least 20-percent of estimated project costs must be provided through a local match. The estimated total cost of this project, based on the best available information at this time, is $29.3 million.  If the full ask of $10 million is awarded to this project, this would require $19.3 million to be funded through local match funds.  Currently, local match funds are identified as coming from Anoka County, the City of Ramsey, MnDOT, and BNSF railroad as noted in the attached one-page project description.

Application Deadline
Applications for funding under the 2020 Regional Solicitation are due May 15, 2020.
 
Anoka County is taking the lead role in this Regional Solicitation application effort and is asking the City of Ramsey to submit a letter of support for their application. Attached is a draft letter of support proposed to be signed by City Administrator Kurt Ulrich on April 29, 2020, following Council authorization. The signed letter of support will then be submitted to Anoka County immediately via email, with a hard copy to follow in the mail.

Notifications are not required for this case.

Observations:
Attached is a preliminary layout of the proposed improvements, as well as a one-page project description, both of which are proposed to be submitted with the grant application.
 
Anoka County is currently selecting an engineering consultant to complete final design efforts and prepare plans and specifications for the proposed Ramsey Boulevard grade separation improvements, which would allow construction to begin as early as 2022, pending procurement of full project funding.
 
Anoka County and City Staff feel strongly that this project will rank very well against other regional solicitation applications within the same category.

Alternatives:
Alternative #1 – Adopt Resolution #20-083 authorizing a letter of support for Anoka County to apply for Regional Solicitation funding through the Metropolitan Council for Ramsey Boulevard grade-separation improvements at Highway 10 and the BNSF railway crossing.

No costs are required for this request at this time.  However, if regional solicitation funds are awarded for construction of the proposed improvements to Ramsey Boulevard, the City will ultimately be required to contribute its share of local costs, with other contributions coming from Anoka County, MnDOT and BNSF as noted in the attached one-page project description.
 
It should be noted that other external funding sources will also be sought for the proposed improvements to Ramsey Boulevard before construction begins, and that such funds may also be applied to the local cost share, reducing the City’s overall project cost share. 

Staff recommends approving alternative #1 for reasons noted in this case. 

Adopt Resolution #20-083 authorizing a letter of support for Anoka County to apply for Regional Solicitation funding through the Metropolitan Council for Ramsey Boulevard grade-separation improvements at Highway 10 and the BNSF railway crossing.