Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-11-27 PACKET MISC.:1 I I I '1! METROPOLITAN C 0 U N C I L Chair: Children remind us of the importance of water Partnerships help us preserve water quality for future generations. Grant helps preserve manufactured housing park Manufactured homes often overlooked as source of affordable housing. C Line to include battery -electric buses Next rapid bus line features technology that eliminates emissions. People with disabilities face economic disparities In our region people with disabilities have economic well-being and housing outcomes that compare unfavorably to people without disabilities. People with disabilities are: • Less likely to be in the labor force or work full-time. • More than twice as likely to live in poverty. • More likely to experience housing cost burden—that is, pay a third or more of their income on housing—compared with people without disabilities. In the Twin Cities region, the population of people age 65 and older is projected to double between 2010 and 2030. If the likelihood of disability by age does not change, the region will have around 465,000 adults with disabilities in 2040—compared with 279,000 today. Visit metrocouncil.org/metrostats to read the full report. Il�lllllll�lnlll�llllr�llrlllll�l��l�l�llll��l�lrul�ill�lr� *************AUTO**ALL FOR AADC 550 PLANNING COMMISSION CHAIR CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE 12800 RAVINE PKWY COTTAGE GROVE MN 55016-3195 Work Status by Ability Status in the Twin Cities Region, Ages 18-64 0 39.9% 28. 24. People With Disabilities 0 People Without Disabilities . Employed Full-time , Employed Part-time . Seeking Work . Not in the Labor Force Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey five-year estimates, 2011-2015. S369 N 30.2% A 58.5% 0 People Without Disabilities . Employed Full-time , Employed Part-time . Seeking Work . Not in the Labor Force Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey five-year estimates, 2011-2015. S369 N Council awards green infrastructure grants. The Council awarded a total of $1 million to five metro cities looking to improve water quality, prevent inflow and infiltration into sewers, and encourage water conservation. Recipient cities include Crystal, New Hope, Roseville, South St. Paul and West St. Paul. Engaging community in MOOT's Rethinking 1-94 Study. The Council awarded six contracts totaling $161,000 to community-based organizations to engage people living along the 1-94 freeway corridor. The goal is to engage historically underrepresented community members to help shape decisions on the future design, use and overall look of 1-94. Transportation projects advance for funding. The Council signed off on a large slate of metro -area transportation projects to add to the state's list of projects recommended for federal funding. The region's $3.5 billion package of projects, called the Transportation Improvement Program, is a collection of hundreds of local highway, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian projects in the queue for federal consideration. Promoting inclusion in contract opportunities. The Council is taking steps to ensure more small businesses in the state owned by women, people of color, veterans and people with disabilities can participate in contracts the Council puts out for bid, The Council will assign inclusion goals to contracts for professional, technical, architecture, and engineering services, in addition to the current practice of inclusion goals for construction contracts. Metropolitan Council Chair: Alene Tchourumoff Members: Katie Rodriguez (District 1); Lona Schreiber (2); Jennifer Munt (3); Deb Barber (4); Steve Elkins (5); Gail Dorfman (6); Gary L. Cunningham (7); Cara Letofsky (8); Edward Reynoso (9); Marie McCarthy (10); Sandy Rummel (11); Harry Melander (12); Richard Kramer (13); Jon Commers (14); Steven T. Chavez (15); Wendy Wulff (16). Regional Administrator: Wes Kooistra Editor: Jeanne Landkamer General Offices: 651-602-1000 1 (651-291-0904 TTI) 390 N. Robert St. I St. Paul, MN 55101 e-mail: public. info@metc.state.mn.us Web site: metrocouncil.org This publication is available in alternative formats upon request. Printed on paper containing 100 percent post -consumer and alternative fibers. �•S• PRINTED WITH SOY INK Planning for a future with autonomous vehicles The advance of autonomous vehicles in recent years has been impressive and rapid. These vehicles are no longer a concept of the future but technology that exists today. The market for autonomous vehicles is beginning to be available for consumers. What impact will the availability of autonomous vehicles have on the region's transportation system? The Council is grappling with this question as it updates the current Transportation Policy Plan. What are autonomous vehicles? In a very basic sense, autonomous vehicles navigate within their environment without driver input. These vehicles have the capability to recognize objects, including other vehicles and pedestrians, while driving on their own. Proponents of autonomous vehicles believe that many benefits will result once this technology is available to everyone. Other people are more cautious. Issues such as safety, increased mobility, environmental impacts, liability, and data security and privacy are all being discussed widely. "Autonomous vehicles have the potential to change the way the region invests in land use, transit and roadways," said Nick Thompson, general manager of the Council's Metropolitan Transportation Services division. "However, any change in investment due to autonomous vehicles is a long way off, and priority will remain on what is currently in our long-range plans, namely, preservation of our current infrastructure." The Council is monitoring the development of autonomous vehicles and participating in conversations with our partners in local government and the community about their progress. The priority is to make sure that the region remains connected in the safest and most efficient way. The Council updates its Transportation Policy Plan every three to four years, and is working toward an update in 2018. Children remind us of importance of water It's a beautiful sunny day in late September. About 20 fourth -graders are clustered around a large tabletop covered in sand, modeled z_ to look like a streambed. As staff from the Council's Environmental Services division pour water onto the table, the kids can see how it flows across the landscape. Even better, from the perspective of a Alene Tchourumoff 10 -year-old, they can dig in the wet FROM THE CHAIR sand. This messy fun teaches children an important lesson about how decisions we make upstream can impact others. The Council has been involved in the Children's Water Festival since it first began 20 years ago, and I was thrilled to join in the fun this year. Organizers expanded the event to allow 1,600 fourth -graders from schools across the seven -county region to participate. The festival is so popular, classrooms are chosen by lottery. The children who attended the first water festival are now old enough to send their own kids to the event. That's a cogent reminder that decisions we make about water today will impact our region for generations to come. People in this state are passionate about water. We heard from hundreds of residents at the Governor's "25 by 25" Town Hall meetings. Gov. Dayton has challenged the state to improve water quality 25 percent by 2025. To get there, he's been gathering input from people across the state. While the young people at the Children's Water Festival are learning about runoff and water tables from us, they are reminding us that clean and abundant water resources should be their birthright. It's the job of everyone to build partnerships that produce real solutions, so the next generation inherits water resources better than those we inherited from our parents and grandparents. Updated parks map celebrates diversity People from a wide variety of communities, and many ages and abilities, will see themselves reflected in the Council's newly updated Regional Parks Map. With more than two dozen photos, the colorful publication celebrates the diversity of people who visit the parks and trails, and the four seasons of park activities. "We wanted residents to see themselves in the parks, and show park amenities as open, fun, inviting and compelling places to visit," said Emmett Mullin, Council parks unit manager. The folding map and guide helps people locate regional parks and shows what activities are available in each one, using icons that are understood in any language. The map will be provided free of charge at regional parks and libraries, some cities and counties, some schools and stores, and other public places. They can also be ordered at 651.602.1500 or public.info@metc.state.mn.us. C Line to include battery -electric buses Metro Transit's next rapid bus line will bring battery -electric Minneapolis and the Brooklyn Center Transit Center. The buses to the Twin Cities for the first time. C Line is scheduled to open in 2019. At least six of the 60 -foot articulated buses that will be used on the C Line will be fully propelled by rechargeable batteries, eliminating tailpipe emissions. The buses will be manufactured by St. Cloud, Minnesota-based New Flyer of America. The buses will be among the first 60 -foot battery -electric articulated buses put into service in the U.S. "Bringing battery -electric buses to the Twin Cities will reduce fossil fuel emissions that hurt our health and environment, and support good paying manufacturing jobs at New Flyer's St. Cloud facility," said Lt. Governor Tina Smith. Up to 14 buses will be dedicated to C Line service, which will largely replace Route 19 service between downtown In addition to the new buses, the C Line will bring enhanced stations and faster, more frequent service. Like the A Line, travel times will improve as C Line buses make fewer stops, customers pay their fares before boarding and transit priority is given at select intersections. The ability to include battery -electric buses in the C Line project comes in part from a recently announced $1.75 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration. The grant will pay for a portion of the buses, charging technology, and for training mechanics on the new technology. Metro Transit was among the first U.S. transit agencies to begin using hybrid buses 15 years ago. The fleet now includes 134 hybrid buses, which are partially powered by rechargeable batteries. Grant helps preserve manufactured housing park Residents of Maple Hill Estates, a manufactured housing park in Corcoran, can rest easy knowing that the land underneath their homes won't be sold to a developer anytime soon. The Metropolitan Council approved a first -of -its -kind pilot grant—in the amount of $234,832—to cover half of the cost of connecting homes in the park to the regional wastewater system. In exchange for the funding, the owner of the park commits to: • Operate as a manufactured home park for a period to be negotiated as part of the grant. • No unreasonable lot rent increases to residents. "That feeling of stability is critical," said Brian Dejewski, a Corcoran City Council member and resident of the park. "It gives people a greater sense of confidence they can stay where they are. It encourages residents to interact more and care about their neighbors knowing we won't be sold out." It also leads to greater employment stability, he said. Land use in Corcoran—population 5,500—is currently dominated by single-family homes on large lots, hobby farms and some working farms, said City Administrator Brad Martens. "The City Council's vision is to make sure that we have opportunities for life -cycle housing in the city, which is limited now," Martens said. Maple Hill Estates is the second largest manufactured home park in Hennepin County. As of 2014, residents of color made up close to 40% of the park, compared to 12% in Corcoran. Of the park's residents, 69% speak English, 21 % speak Spanish and 8% speak Lao. "Manufactured housing is an often -overlooked source of affordable housing, and it enables home ownership for many people who would otherwise not be able to own a home," said Metropolitan Council Chair Alene Tchourumoff. "The further loss of affordable housing poses serious threats to regional equity and prosperity." New data helps forecast travel, improve service Transit planners and policymakers are now armed with a robust set of data about the demographics of who uses transit in the seven -county metro, where they are coming from and going to, and why they are taking their trips, thanks to the 2016 On -Board Transit Survey. Survey results will be used to: • Help planners and policymakers better understand travel markets - who the riders are, how and why they are using transit. • Improve the regional travel forecast model. The model predicts transit ridership and highway use in the region, helps in the design of highway and transit facilities, and provides jus- tification for projects for funding. • Support decision-making across the region. More than 31,500 people completed the survey. Trained interviewers conducted random in-person surveys on transit service across the region. allows us to compare routes using an equity lens," said Jonathan Ehrlich, Council planning analyst. "We're better able to identify where service could be improved." "The survey gives us accurate information about the demographics of Visit metrocouncil.org for more riders of individual transit lines, and information.