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Home My WebLink About2016-03-28 PACKET MISC INFOv+Ha — o — n Q � M V2 z o CW7 - » W _ OU W « O o F F * p�U�OCU 11 O (Ull(t L ltltltft(t V (94444 NTMI (9114419 Valls (14444 (919444 (9194114 VQIII 44444 E (144194 ry ry (1441(144114 4114114 (64444 (94444 (94444 19444 II HJ r o� �mmy�my ocnc�o3; -o o.Q'RQ G1m00 3-o��v omDOm3 �SsJay Q3 m3&am om3o-cyi -°im tD nuc '�=s3 s4 Z. 3�o Q:o '-N �m� mawmd �mmn.oa ym~.3m �` 3m mr�y3r pm� "mo �m mo'°'mm so yv N O » m3 mom.-. 0N3N.� E9NJx•r NNJ-N(� -C <C!6 w O O- N d uJ-i' 11 C O N m (gyp O G H 'O j m a NC lw/1 O. J O Z c y 7 < 7 3 In V.' S y J °- N Z n J i a �. O A N i R N Q J X O C O" M O O w to 7ci m = �.md v mxi $a°:o: 3wuwv �� om-o .mowJM 3> O' O �, C N (� G j O- F N S y O O O N ,.Z = 0 fo N C t0 J a " 0 O a 3 JHm ammJay o arc <� R zo m-i3��t °i. rn `m c �o-0 C 'o =UIQ mom m 3 m�, m m.�(„o o s o< yin 3 Q'O N ? j 0 O d a y LJ z, N m w N 0 N O' D" J� d w 0 0 w J O a? 3 w O my mJ m m E. Nmom. '.3 33 aoc¢ ?mss w.myymy oro ��T:n om- 3 <m aniy nci m��3o< 3 3 9 �- w m m_ f° .� �a 0 � 3 J m °-.� 3 m -+ � 3 m �n m'�°1x nmc`r� mm`om 3wm m� �m y o aa3rns sm„�� c < o'y ? ��m w Oao y e c a O m so an d m -o a3, a O m O 0 j S m m N w an d A J n < J <' J (D y N w oc s3O= vrm Kmo <t< N Q m y mJ 0 m s 3 0-o N m a m= Z 3c wPs3 w3�o3 SaoK� m0 ww O a to N a O - 51 0 0 m A < J� t< 3 V N N O a O m J m 0 lU 3 c N 0 9t .... W w N O 3• w N O y C O w m m m m m J -4 a o_ c m o s -a3o= N O 3 N (D 0 0 O Partnerships are key to regional prosperity In his first State of the Region address in January, Metropolitan Council Chair Adam Duininck focused on partnerships as the "key to regional prosperity." "I know that planning, operating, and working together at a regional level is needed now more than ever," he said. "With so many significant challenges, I believe that we will only move our region forward if we continue to work in collaboration, to authentically engage, and to develop new partnerships with regionalism guiding our decisions." Duininck spoke before hundreds of local elected leaders, residents and advocates at the Ames Center in Burnsville. Despite our strengths, our region's disparities between white people and people of color are not only immoral, but detriments for the region, Duininck said. He cited work at the Council to create a more diverse workforce, one that better reflects the communities the Council serves. He said authentic outreach will allow more residents to be part of decision-making. One avenue for that outreach is a new advisory committee to the Council on equity, which more than 100 people applied to serve on. Perhaps the Council's greatest tool for building equity is transit, said Duininck. He cited a continuing study at Harvard which found that commuting time has emerged as the single strongest factor in the odds of escaping poverty. "If we are serious about having an impact on disparities in the region, we must look at the impacts of transit and transportation investments," he said. Duininck emphasized that the value of transit lies in building a network that benefits the entire region. He also highlighted the need to pass a comprehensive and bipartisan transportation bill at the State Legislature this year to enhance and expand the metro area. transit system. New 1/1 Task Force to review regional program A new Inflow and Infiltration (1/1) Task Force named by the Metropolitan Council has begun to meet. It has two major charges: • Review the Council's existing ongoing 1/1 Reduction Program, the progress the region has made, and recommend any needed changes to the program. • Identify the technical, political, and financial challenges of addressing private property 1/1 sources in the seven -county metro area, and to propose solutions. The Council appointed 20 members to the task force, which is chaired by Council Member Sandy Rummel. Task force members represent diverse communities in terms of size and location. The Council anticipates final recommendations in summer 2016. The goal of the Council's 1/1 program is to prevent clear water from entering the regional wastewater collection system. Sewer rehab preserves valuable investment Few elements of a thriving metropolitan region are less glamorous than wastewater infrastructure. Yet few things are more vital to our daily life. Just consider a plugged kitchen sink or toilet on Thanksgiving. The Metropolitan Council is deeply engaged in a systematic, detailed rehabilitation program of regional interceptor sewers that is designed to keep these sewers strong and reliable for decades to come. "We take sanitary sewers very seriously - on both a daily level and planning decades ahead to serve regional growth.," said Council Chair Adam Duininck. "Ultimately, our mission is to protect public health and the environment, and we're also committed to making sure we get the most value for our investment, which is significant." The Council's wastewater collection system includes 610 miles of large collector sewers, 200 flow meter stations, 60 pumping stations and eight treatment plants. About 600 employees are responsible for the massive system, which is monitored 24/7. The total value of the regional investment is estimated at $6.7 billion. Nearly 75% of the conveyance system was built before 1980, and 280/. before 1960. The ongoing rehabilitation program is essential to preserving the system and maintaining high reliability. "We serve more than 2.5 million people in 108 communities across the region," said Bryce Picket, assistant general manager of the Council's Environmental Services division (MCES). "We have a comprehensive program to evaluate the condition of our assets, and have developed a purposeful, rational plan over many years to rehabilitate or replace the oldest or most -deteriorated facilities first." It won't be inexpensive, and as a result municipal wastewater charges are expected to rise gradually In the decades ahead. To maintain the system, Pickart said the Council will need to invest about $100 million per year in the. interceptor system. Another goal of long-range planning is maintaining consistent and predictable rates, so municipalities can plan ahead for their share of costs. MCES is a national model among large regional wastewater systems of similar size and funding, with rates that are 40% less than national averages. Two new bus rapid transit lines move forward The region's first arterial bus rapid transit (BRT) route will begin service on June 11. From Rosedale Center in Roseville, the A line will whisk riders south along Snelling Avenue, connect to the METRO Green Line, go to Ford Parkway, then head west through Highland Park and over the river to connect with the METRO Blue Line's 46th Street Station in Minneapolis. "BRT represents an important next step in the build -out of our region's transit system," said Metropolitan Council Chair Adam Duininck. "It connects people to jobs, schools, and other important destinations, and businesses to customers, with high quality service that attracts new ridership." Metro Transit is planning arterial BRT for some of the region's busiest urban streets. BRT's transit enhancements add up to a faster, better trip: • Fewer stops and faster boarding • Fare payment at the stations, just like on light rail • Enhanced stations with NexTrip Blue Line Extension, then head into signs and heating downtown Minneapolis. • Enhanced security at stations and on buses In February, the Council released a recommended station plan for the region's next arterial BRT-the C Line. The line will run south from Brooklyn Center through North Minneapolis, mostly along Penn Avenue North, where it will connect with the Pending further planning and full project funding, the C Line construction is targeted for 2017 with service launching as soon as 2018. Metro Transit has identified the potential for 11 arterial BRT lines in high ridership urban corridors to create an interconnected, effective system. 99 million transit rides top all records Transit ridership in the seven -county Twin Cities area - across all types of transit and service providers - continues to climb, reaching 98.8 million in 2015. This is a total increase of 1.5% over 2014. A growing population, changing travel preferences, and expanded service helped boost ridership to record levels. "Transit demand is increasing as our transit system grows," said Council Chair Adam Duininck. "Transit is an investment with a big payoff. It supports our region's economy, and it gets people where they want to go—to jobs., services, health care, and recreation." With the first full year of operation for the METRO Green Line, light rail's share of all regional transit ridership climbed to more than 23% (23 million rides), compared with less than 11 % in 2013. The METRO Blue Line carried more than 10.6 million rides, its highest annual ridership to date. Regional regular -route bus ridership totaled 62.1 million.