Agenda

1. Agenda • Open House 6:00 – 8:00 PM • Review materials • Ask questions • Provide feedback on purpose, • needs, and alternatives • Sign up for email list • Fill out comment cards • Presentation 6:30 PM • Questions & Answers • Open House 7:00 – 8:00 PM

2. Public Open House #1September 13, 20126:00 PM – 8:00 PMWest Side RoomWellstone Center179 Robie Street East, St. Paul

3. Introductions • Who is on the Project Team? • Dakota County Regional Railroad Authority • Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority • Consultant Team (led by Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.)

4. Project Involvement LEAD AGENCIES Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority (RCRRA) Dakota County Regional Railroad Authority (DCRRA) Project Management Team COMMITTEES GENERAL PUBLIC AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS Steering Committee & Technical Advisory Committee • Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce • Dakota County Technical College • Inver Grove Community College • River Heights • Sierra Club • St. Croix Lutheran High School • St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce • Transit for Livable Communities • UMoreDevelopment LLC • Eagan • Inver Grove Heights • Lilydale • Mendota Heights • Rosemount • South St. Paul • St. Paul • Sunfish Lake • West St. Paul • DARTS • Metro Transit • Metropolitan Council • MnDOT • MVTA

5. Purpose of Open House • Why are we here today? • Provide information on: • Project history • Federal Transit Administration (FTA) process • Get your input on: • Project purpose and need • Project goals and objectives • Initial range of alignment alternatives • Mode alternatives

6. Project History • What Studies and Plans inform this Alternatives Analysis (AA) study? • Guidance includes, but is not limited to, the following: • 2000 Redevelopment Design Framework: A Strategy for South Robert Street’s Renaissance (2000) • Robert Street Corridor Transit Feasibility Study (2008) • Ramsey County 2030 Comprehensive Plan (2009) • 2010 Regional Transitway Guidelines (2010) • 2030 Transportation Policy Plan (2010) • Metro Transit Arterial Transitway Corridors Study (2011) • Dakota County 2030 Transportation Plan (2012) • City Comprehensive Plans and Small Area Plans

7. 2008 Feasibility Study What Role does the 2008 Feasibility Study Play in this AA study? 2008 Feasibility Study • Provides a foundation for the AA • Identified alternatives will serve as starting point for the AA • Identified performance of alternatives—bus, bus rapid transit (BRT), light rail transit (LRT), and streetcar. • Will support the early, efficient narrowing of alternatives in the AA

8. New Starts & Small Starts Program • How are transit projects Federally funded? • FTA New Starts & Small Starts program for funding major capital transit investments • AA is the first step of the New Starts project development process • Projects with higher benefit and lower cost are more competitive for New Starts and Small Starts funding • Passage of Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) changes the New Starts & Small Starts process, including the AA, but it will adhere to the same principles as previous federal legislation

9. FTA Process FTA New Starts Process Steps Alternatives Analysis (Select Locally Preferred Alternative) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Requirements Draft Environmental Impact Statement Preliminary Engineering Final Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision Final Decision/Right-of-Way Construction Operations

10. AA Study Scope • What will this AA study accomplish? • The study will: • Establish the purpose of and need for the Robert Street Transitway • Identify a limited number of alternatives for detailed study • Evaluate alternatives against project goals, objectives and performance measures • In order to: • Identify the Locally Preferred Alternative(s) • Develop a recommended course of action to advance the conclusions of the AA within guidance of federal funding process

11. Insert map of study area Study area

12. Project Purpose Draft for public input: The purpose of the Robert Street Transitway is to provide the necessary transit infrastructure and service to meet the long-term regional mobility and local accessibility needs between downtown St. Paul and areas within Dakota County.

13. Project Needs • Draft for public input: • Increasing travel demand • Increasing land use densities • People who depend on transit • Transportation system deficiencies

14. Project Goals • Draft for public input: • Primary Goals: • Improve mobility and accessibility • Enhance the effectiveness of transit service within the corridor • Provide cost effective and financially feasible transit solutions

15. Project Goals (Continued) • Draft for public input: • Secondary Goals: • Support and enhance existing and planned development • Support healthy communities and sound environmental practices

16. Insert map of study area 2008 Feasibility Study Modes & Alignments

17. Insert map of study area Universe of Potential Alignments to be considered in AA study

18. Project Timeline Open Houses are tentatively scheduled for February-March 2013 and Fall 2013. What are the next steps?

19. Next Steps Today • What’s next today? • We invite you to: • Review materials • Ask questions • Provide feedback on purpose, needs, and alternatives • Sign up for email list • Fill out comment cards

20. Questions?