Title
Authorizing the Department of Public Works to apply to the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) Match Program from the Minnesota Department of Transportation for local match funds for the City’s Safe Streets for All Implementation Grant.
Body
WHEREAS, the Minnesota Legislature during the 2023 Legislative Session authorized the IIJA Discretionary Match Program to be administered by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and made available to grant recipients that have directly received a federal discretionary award for a transportation-related purpose under IIJA and to be used as matching funds; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Works would like to apply to the IIJA Discretionary Match Program from the Minnesota Department of Transportation; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council in May 2024 passed RES 24-599, authorizing the Department of Public Works to apply for and accept funding from the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) transportation grant program for the Safe and Equitable Streets: Systemic Improvements for Saint Paul & Ramsey County Roads Project; and
WHEREAS, RES 24-599 attested that the City has the resources required to provide the cost participation match required for the SS4A transportation grant program; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Works learned on September 5, 2024 that the application for to the SS4A transportation grant program was successful; and
WHEREAS, the SS4A federal grant amount would be $15,725,600.00 with a total project cost of $19,657,000, requiring 20 percent in matching funds, or $3,931,400.00; and
WHEREAS, the IIJA matching funds will cover the cost of local matching funds to support the full funding of the Safe and Equitable Streets: Systemic Improvements for Saint Paul & Ramsey County Roads Project, which will implement safety improvements on 40 miles of roadways and at 100 intersections, install about 5 miles of new bikeways, fund two planning studies on Como and White Bear Avenues, and construct a variety of safety measures including high visibility crosswalks, pedestrian median refuge islands, curb extensions, and traffic signal improvements; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council in June of 2023 passed and Mayor Carter signed RES 23-875, Adopting the City of Saint Paul Vision Zero Transportation Safety Commitment, wherein the City committed to a goal of zero traffic deaths and serious injuries on all surface streets in Saint Paul by 2045, with an interim goal of 50 percent reduction in fatal and serious injury crashes by 2033; and
WHEREAS, the SS4A program requires eligible applicants to have a transportation safety action plan; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Works has completed a Transportation Safety Action Plan to identify and develop plans and strategies to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries for traffic crashes in Saint Paul, and this SS4A implementation grant will be one of the first, large-scale safety interventions making progress on this important planning initiative; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the City certifies that it will comply with all applicable laws and regulations as stated in the grant agreement; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City has the necessary capabilities to adequately develop and manage this transportation improvement effort; and, be it
FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council authorize the Department of Public Works to apply for the IIJA Discretionary Match Program to help fund the successful Safe and Equitable Streets: Systemic Improvements for Saint Paul & Ramsey County Roads Project.