Title
Supporting an application by Metropolitan Council / Metro Transit and Ramsey County for an FTA grant to conduct Advanced Station Area Planning for the Rush Line BRT Project.
Body
WHEREAS, Ramsey County is currently leading an environmental assessment and planning process for Rush Line Bus Rapid Transit, to run between downtown Saint Paul and White Bear Lake mainly in a dedicated guideway, with service commencement planned for 2026; and
WHEREAS, in 2018, the Rush Line planning process included engaging the public in preliminary station area planning work that focused on identifying preferred station locations; and
WHEREAS, Rush Line stations in Saint Paul are proposed at Larpenteur Avenue, Maryland Avenue, Cook Avenue, Arcade Street, Payne Avenue, Cayuga Street, Olive Street, Mt. Airy Street, 14th Street, 10th Street, 5th/6th Street, and Union Depot; and
WHEREAS, throughout the United States, bus rapid transit like Rush Line has increased development activity adjacent to the stations; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul has not yet prepared or adopted station area plans along the Rush Line influence area to lay the groundwork for transit-oriented development, except in downtown where its influence area overlaps with that of the Green Line; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council / Metro Transit and Ramsey County intend to apply for a Federal Transit Administration Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development Planning grant (“FTA TOD Planning grant”) for Rush Line BRT Advanced Station Area Planning throughout the corridor, including Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, Ramsey County’s preliminary proposed project scope for Rush Line BRT Advanced Station Area Planning includes such components as community engagement, market analysis, housing gap analysis, transportation / circulation plans, and land use plans; and
WHEREAS, if the application is successful and notification from the FTA is timely, Ramsey County envisions commencing work in the 3rd quarter of 2020; and
WHEREAS, due to the quick application turnaround, the Saint Paul Planning Commission has not been engaged in preparation for this application; and
WHEREAS, no monetary contribution will be made by the City to support the work in 2020 and any future monetary commitment by the City would only be made at a later date under separate consideration;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Saint Paul supports the application by the Metropolitan Council / Metro Transit and Ramsey County for an FTA TOD Planning grant to conduct Rush Line BRT Advanced Station Area Planning; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the work enabled by this grant should be coordinated with the Saint Paul Planning Commission.