Sponsor: Public Works
Title
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Amendment to the Agreement with HNTB Corporation for Project Management Services to Close-out the Engineering and Pre-Environmental Phase of the Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar Project
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Recommendation
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1. Approve an amendment to the agreement with HNTB Corporation for Project Management Services to close-out the Engineering and Pre-Environmental Phase of the Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar Project for the period of August 19, 2024, through February 9, 2025, in the not-to-exceed amount of $2,338,871.
2. Authorize the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute the amendment.
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Background and Rationale
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The Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar is a 11.7-mile proposed transit project that connects downtown Saint Paul to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the Mall of America, running generally along West 7th Street and crossing the Mississippi River on the Highway 5 bridge.
On February 9, 2021, the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority approved an agreement with HNTB Corporation for project management services for the Riverview project. Project Management services included assisting Ramsey County staff in the project management and review of the work completed to ensure that it was consistent with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) guidance.
In working with multiple agency stakeholders, the Engineering and Pre-Environmental Phase required an additional year of process time to come to consensus on the details for the streetcar and bus alternatives and to conduct extensive public engagement. Due to the additional year required to complete this additional work, staff worked with HNTB Corporation to administratively execute Amendment #1 to extend the term to February 10, 2025. A funding request for the additional work was not requested when the agreement term was extended as the level of effort for the community engagement component was still in the process of being determined. As the additional work for the community engagement progressed, HNTB Corporation requested additional funding in the amount of $308,045. Staff negotiated this cost with HNTB taking into account credits for work that was no longer needed and for work that took less effort than originally anticipated.
On September 6, 2024, Ramsey County chose to end work on the Riverview project and conclude the Engineering and Pre-Environmental Phase. Amendment 2, as proposed, will provide the necessary funding to cover the cost of the additional work tasks that the Project Management Consultant performed on community engagement and to close out the Riverview project phase consistent with the direction provided by Ramsey County on September 6, 2024, through the completion of the contract term in 2025.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☒ Opportunity ☒ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
The Riverview Corridor is an ethnically and culturally diverse area that is home to people that rely on transit for access to jobs and services. Within the Riverview Corridor, 16% of all households do not own an automobile, 30% of the population lives in poverty and approximately 20% of the population are people of color all of which are higher than regional percentages. Three areas of concentrated poverty where people of color make up 40% or more than of the population are defined within the Riverview Corridor.
The Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar Project proposed to improve access to opportunities by providing more frequent service that is better connected to job centers, neighborhoods, and other parts of the regional transit system.
Community Participation Level and Impact
Community engagement is essential to informed and transparent decision-making and occurred throughout the study phase, concluding August 2024. Community engagement and communications activities focused on engaging underrepresented populations, district councils, neighborhood groups, and business associations along the corridor and included a mix of virtual, online, and in-person input opportunities.
☒ Inform ☒ Consult ☒ Involve ☒ Collaborate ☒ Empower
Fiscal Impact
Sufficient funding is available in the Multimodal Planning Capital Projects Budget to fund Project Management professional services for the Engineering and Pre-Environmental Phase of the Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar Project. The total cost of Amendment 2 is $308,045; the total not-to-exceed amount of the agreement is $2,338,871.
Last Previous Action
On February 9, 2021, Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority approved an agreement with HNTB Corporation for Project Management Services for the Engineering and Pre-Environmental Phase of the Riverview Corridor Modern Streetcar Project for the period of February 10, 2021, through February 9, 2024, in the not-to-exceed amount of $2,030,826 (Resolution R2021-004).
Attachments
1. Professional Service Agreement Amendment
2. Scope of Work and Budget