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Home My WebLink About2016-01-25 PACKET MISC INFO\*/r( { (#/ °# - 4[;[m Z-\ ....$f/ ,FeE\0 ; \2§«$ E6 ,;\Ea ( \\ 35- /*0 { \\ =:B® =§4 $(\ _}}\ \{;}{ \O\\ §;; \�\ \ -0 ;mr | } $ - /® 9- %Bf° m(} /\\ $§_- \\] \(|- `f ((\ ( 0 / s f ƒa } Z ® §C6, ► . \ ��Et fiss 1181.81 . . $� - . r' ( \ - & . '9' o �•� ti J O J O N J c d y N O m N 0> 3 m ya ma a. J n N N Zf m J OS G =. O. n J J O d .. t0 Cl) O � m OSmIC r. O o'a j m m m n m ti y-� O^ a- RR - 0 d 6. y 0= J D 0 p C 3< N C a ^ a 0 n O O, M J � O- = 222 d y N O m N 0> C O O (O a. J n N N O O a K' OS G =. O. n p G O Cl) O m O 5.0 ad OSmIC -QQd9 d. j O m, n S m 0 0 0 cam m... m m J=Od m J-0 m J a N yZ3 0 _. A O Rl m O n 3.m O A c Q 0 y m S 0 S V N O n j N O O N t M C O, w o m d y A O N G m j y ry ac m O m O N d 0 d 0 N O SN .O. OC N O _ M aa,o O pm.om J F a ao d.mmao.= N al a f� C- m O i O m a 0 d.O a O d c< M Np 0 tp O O H 'm_ p� j- m� O j 0 0 fll 0 3 3 m o S m T d D 0 0 F 3 o J J J N imp � J m t0 U --a70000 m d O O O m m O _ J pj j F co y F m d ao o o 3 Z m mm�moa'�° c m 3 Q J° oma ° m m o Q ma m N C o �aoo`Js� O m C< p m N Big plans for the Twin Cities region The Twin Cities region is in the midst of the largest expansion of its transportation system since the construction of our interstate highways. In order to keep pace with an estimated population increase of 750,000 people by the year 2040, we will need to add t 19 new rapid transitways, as well as Adam Duininck significantly expand and enhance our FROMTHECHAIR local bus routes. As this work moves forward, MnDOT, the seven metro counties, and all of the region's cities are working to make sure that our roads keep up with today's demands while also planning for tomorrow's growth and prosperity. This year, we made significant progress on expanding transit. By next summer we expect to see the A Line bus rapid transit (BRT) service connecting Rosedale Center with the METRO Blue Line's 46th Street Station. Planning is moving ahead on the Orange Line ERT in the 1-35W corridor and Gold Line BRIT along 1-94. And, in the next few weeks, the Bottineau LRT project is going before the cities it will serve for municipal approval. In 2015 the METRO Green Line Extension (Southwest LRT) also made significant progress. We met challenges concerning the project's cost, and Hennepin County and the cities that will be served by the line came to a consensus on the project's final design and scope. Currently, 83% of the local funding for the project has been commited. The final chunk of local funding has to come from the Minnesota Legislature. We are working with project partners and advocates to secure that funding. I am confident that legislators will meet our transportation infrastructure need in 2016 and pass the legislation that will allow the Green Line Extension to move forward. It will bring thousands of jobs to the corridor both during the construction phase and beyond Let's keep the momentum going. Kadra Abdi (far right) discusses applying for the Council's Equity Advisory Committee with Community Organizer Joan Vanhala (center) and Council staffer Lesley Kandaras at an informational meeting in December. Members for the new advisory committee will be selected in early 2016. Grants spur development In December, the Council approved nearly $11.5 million for 18 projects supporting development near transit, expanding economic development opportunities, and creating affordable housing. Together, the Livable Communities grants will create more than 1,700 jobs and 800 units of affordable housing. Examples of funded projects: • Place, a mixed -income and mixed-use community in St. Louis Park on a vacant industrial site near the planned Wooddale Station on the Green Line Extension. • 66 West in Edina, providing permanent affordable housing and support services for young, homeless adults. • Village on Rivoli, a planned community or "pocket neighborhood" in Saint Paul with shared spaces, a community solar garden, and biking and walking paths. • Great River Landing in Minneapolis, redeveloping an underutilized area in the North Loop Neighbor- hood into affordable housing, serving mostly homeless households. "These annual grants are an important Council tool to support development that responds to market demand, but faces financial hurdles," said Council Chair Adam Duininck. Water quality in metro area streams is improving An analysis of water quality data collected at 21 streams around the metro area shows that the majority of streams are getting healthier. The streams showing improvement had reduced concentrations of sediment, phosphorus, and nitrate. Over the past 30 years, Metropolitan Council Environmental Services has monitored and assessed stream water quality in cooperation with local water management organizations, cities, conservation districts, and counties. All together, the 21 streams drain half the geographic area of the seven - county area. The monitoring project helps gauge the: • Extent of pollution that threatens the streams. • Compliance with state water quality standards and progress toward achieving those requirements. • Amount of pollution delivered by the streams to the three major rivers. Council researchers believe the improved water quality is likely the cumulative result of a whole range of activities by many people and organizations over many years. Among them are actions by government and industries to comply with 1972 Clean Water Act. Others include educational programs and environmental advocacy by nonprofit organizations. Specific practices, like installation of raingardens, green roofs, and pervious pavement, as well as streambank restoration and stormwater reuse, have likely led to reduced pollutant concentrations. Changes in agricultural practices have also played a role, and grant programs for improvement projects have provided significant funding - including the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. Upgrades to small municipal wastewater treatment plants have also likely played a role. "The stream study is a valuable effort to collect, organize, and deliver a lot of information to help inform land and water decisions," said David Wright, Lakes and Rivers Unit supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. "It can help frame and inform discussions about the highest priority work and places where dollars should be spent." "There's still more work to do," noted Karen Jensen, who leads the Council's monitoring project. "We continue to collect stream data and we'll repeat the trend analysis in five years. But I think we can say that, together, individual actions working toward at the same goal can have a tremendous overall impact." Blue Line Extension heads into municipal consent In December, the Council approved an updated project scope and nearly $1.5 billion cost estimate for the planned METRO Blue Line Extension LRT Project. The Corridor Management Committee had previously recommended the updated project scope and cost estimate in November. Following Council approval, staff submitted municipal consent plans for. the 13 -mile line for local review and approval. Elected officials in Hennepin County and the corridor cities of Minneapolis, Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, Crystal and Brooklyn Park have until early March to consider and approve the line. The project will expand the existing Blue Line from Target Field in downtown Minneapolis into the northwest suburbs. When completed, the line will offer a one -seat ride from the Target Northern Campus in Brooklyn Park to the Mall of America in Bloomington, with service expected to begin in 2021. "The Blue Line Extension will connect thousands of residents throughout our region with jobs," said Council Chair Adam Duininck: "Not only will residents in the northwest metro area have access to employers in downtown Minneapolis and throughout the transit system, the line provides the opportunity for reverse commuting as well, for those workers heading into the suburbs for work." Municipal consent entails local approval of the project's physical design components. The process allows for public input. Each jurisdiction will announce its municipal consent meetings on its website. On Jan. 19, She Council, Hennepin County Board of - - Commissioners and Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority will hold a public open house beginning at 5 p.m., with ajoint public hearing to follow at 6 p.m. Those meetings will be at Hennepin County's Minneapolis Central Library. METRO Blue Line Extension (Bottineau LRT) Map shows Locally Preferred Alternative alignment adopted by the Council in 2013. Close -Ups: Meet the people who serve the region Twin Cities area residents enjoy a high quality of life, and part of why they do is the services the Metropolitan Council provides—services like wastewater treatment, transit, andregionalparks planning and funding. Council Close -Ups is a video series that features the people who do the Council's day-to-day work. They keep sewer pumps working, repair buses and trains, engage with the public in a variety of settings, identify ways to reduce our energy consumption, and more. The interviews reveal what the employees' jobs are like and why the workers are passionate about what they do. Visit the "About Us" tab on www.metrocouncil.org to view the videos.