Consider Revisions to the City's Minnesota State Aid (MSA) Street System

The municipal state aid (MSA) street system consists of collector roadways which are designated by the City, and reviewed and approved by MnDOT.  These roadways become eligible for funding from state gas tax revenues for both construction and maintenance.  In 2012 the City will receive $1,070,753 as its total apportionment.  We currently elect to receive $374,764 (35%) of this allocation for general maintenance purposes, $117,500 for bond interest on previous projects, and $578,489 for construction.

The total allocation the City receives each year is dependent upon two factors; population and the estimated amount of dollars needed to bring the designated MSA system up to the required standards.  In 2012 participating cities will receive $19.76 per person and $13.72 per $1,000 of documented need, which is based upon a MnDOT formula for computing needs.  The needs for each city participating in the program are updated annually and submitted to MnDOT for review and approval.  The purpose of this case is to discuss potential modifications to the system that fit the planned transportation system and development scenarios of the City, and maximize the amount of funding that could be captured.

The City is allowed to designate up to 20% of its total road system mileage onto the MSA system. Since the allocation is proportional to the dollars needed to bring the system up to standards, it is advantageous to designate the total allotment available. At the end of 2011 the City of Ramsey was .01 miles over our allowable allotment, therefore a minor revision is necessary to correct this over designation.

Staff is proposing to adjust and reconfigure some of the MSA street designations within the City to better align with the stated transportation goals and planned development activities.  The attached figure shows in general terms what is being proposed; it ultimately ends up being a net loss to our MSA system in the short term, with future revisions to occur as the COR development and Armstrong interchange advance.

Any system revisions proposed will need to be submitted to MnDOT for review and approval.  Once approved it will be necessary for the City Council to pass a formal resolution requesting these system revisions prior to May 1, 2012 in order for them to be included in the 2012 needs determination.

There is no funding request as part of this agenda item, revisions and MnDOT correspondence are being conducted with staff time.

Staff recommends that the Public Works Committee recommend to the City Council approval of the staff requested revisions to the City's MSA street system.

Motion to recommend to the City Council approval of the staff requested revisions to the City's MSA street system.