Sponsor: Public Works
Title
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Capital Grant Agreement with Metropolitan Council and Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority for the Engineering Phase of the METRO Bronze Line Bus Rapid Transit Project
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Recommendation
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1. Approve the Capital Grant Agreement for Engineering between the Metropolitan Council, Ramsey County and the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority for the METRO Bronze Line Bus Rapid Transit Project.
2. Authorize the Chair to execute the Agreement.
3. Authorize the County Manager to enter into agreements and execute amendments to agreements, in accordance with procurement policies and procedures, provided the amounts are within the limits of funding.
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Background and Rationale
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The METRO Purple Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) (Purple Line) Project entered the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Capital Investment Grants (CIG), Project Development phase in December 2021. During Project Development, environmental review, engineering, and technical analysis were advanced in combination with extensive stakeholder and community engagement. Beginning in 2022, the Purple Line Project initiated a Route Modification Study to evaluate alternative routes following changes in municipal support for the project. Over the next three years, project partners evaluated multiple route alternatives, completed technical and environmental analyses, and conducted extensive public engagement to identify a revised route and project concept. In fall 2025, the Purple Line Project was renamed the METRO Bronze Line BRT Project (Bronze Line Project) to better communicate the changes to the project with the public. In December 2025, the Metro Purple Line BRT Corridor Management Committee approved the revised Locally Preferred Alternative, realigning the Purple Line Project’s route to Maryland and White Bear Avenues in Saint Paul and Maplewood. The METRO Bronze Line Project supports Ramsey County’s Intergenerational Wealth and Economic Justice strategic priority by improving access to reliable transit, employment, education, services, and economic opportunities for residents along the corridor, while investing in infrastructure that strengthens connections between communities and supports long-term economic vitality.
The Bronze Line Project utilizes a fully locally funded delivery strategy allowing it to advance independent of the FTA’s CIG Program. Under this approach, Ramsey County is responsible for roadway reconstruction and corridor infrastructure improvements, while the Metropolitan Council is responsible for transit stations, transit systems, environmental activities, right-of-way support, and transit operations. On November 25, 2025, staff presented the revised project delivery strategy and fully locally-funded approach at a Ramsey County Board Workshop. Staff also provided an overview of the proposed Capital Grant Agreement for Engineering during an August 4, 2026, Ramsey County Board Workshop.
The proposed Capital Grant Agreement for Engineering (CGA) implements the fully locally-funded delivery strategy by establishing the funding, roles, responsibilities, and governance framework for the Metropolitan Council's engineering activities. The CGA provides funding for $32,550,000 in engineering activities, including final design, environmental review, right-of-way support, utility coordination, project management, and other activities necessary to advance the project toward construction. Under the CGA, Ramsey County and the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority, collectively, Ramsey County, will provide a maximum grant amount of $22,245,000, and the Metropolitan Council will provide a Council Share Amount of $10,305,000. Upon execution, the CGA will supersede the existing Purple Line Capital Grant Agreement and its amendments, establishing a new CGA that reflects the Bronze Line Project scope, delivery strategy, and engineering funding approach.
The CGA is the first of three major interagency agreements supporting delivery of the Bronze Line Project. A Cooperative Project Delivery Agreement (CPDA) is anticipated in late 2026 and will establish the governance framework, roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes for coordinated project delivery through design. Prior to construction, a separate Capital Grant Agreement for Construction will be presented to establish the funding commitments for construction activities.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
__ Well-being X Prosperity X Opportunity __ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
The METRO Bronze Line BRT Project serves a racially and economically diverse corridor where 61% of residents identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC). Approximately 17% of households do not have access to a vehicle, 20% of residents live in poverty, 11% are seniors, 38% are children, youth, or young adults, 13% live with a disability, and 18% have limited English proficiency.
The METRO Bronze Line BRT Project will improve access to reliable, frequent, and high-quality transit for residents who depend on public transportation to reach employment, education, health care, shopping, and other essential destinations. The corridor includes multiple Areas of Concentrated Poverty where a majority of residents are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, as well as other neighborhoods experiencing increasing racial and economic diversity. By improving transit connections to regional employment centers, community destinations, parks, and the broader transit network, the project supports more equitable access to opportunities for corridor residents.
Community Participation Level and Impact
The METRO Bronze Line BRT Project has maintained an extensive communication and public engagement program throughout project development. The Metropolitan Council, Metro Transit, and Ramsey County have collaborated to engage corridor residents, businesses, community organizations, elected officials, and transit riders to inform project decisions and build a transit investment that reflects community priorities.
Public engagement has included corridor-wide outreach, community meetings, stakeholder briefings, pop-up events, business engagement, digital communications, surveys, and coordination with advisory committees. Project partners have made a concerted effort to engage communities that have historically been underrepresented in transportation planning, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, low-income residents, people with limited English proficiency, people with disabilities, older adults, youth, and transit-dependent populations.
Community feedback played a significant role in the Route Modification Study and the evaluation of alternatives that resulted in the selection of the White Bear Avenue corridor as the revised Locally Preferred Alternative. As the project advances into engineering, Ramsey County and the Metropolitan Council will continue implementing a coordinated public engagement program to provide project updates, seek stakeholder input on design refinements, and maintain ongoing communication with corridor communities throughout project delivery.
X Inform __ Consult __ Involve __ Collaborate __ Empower
Fiscal Impact
Approval of the Capital Grant Agreement for Engineering authorizes the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority and Ramsey County, collectively, Ramsey County, to provide a maximum grant amount of $22,245,000 to the Metropolitan Council to fund its engineering activities for the METRO Bronze Line BRT Project. The Metropolitan Council will provide a Council Share Amount of $10,305,000, for a total of $32,550,000 in engineering activities under the agreement.
Funding for the Ramsey County commitment is available within the Public Works Multimodal Capital Improvement Program and is consistent with the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority and Ramsey County approved capital budgets and the fully locally funded delivery strategy for the METRO Bronze Line BRT Project. Funding does not impact the general property tax levy. No additional Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority or Ramsey County funding is requested through this action.
Last Previous Action
On August 4, 2026, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners received a workshop on the proposed Capital Grant Agreement for Engineering, including an overview of the agreement, project governance, and next steps for advancing the METRO Bronze Line Bus Rapid Transit Project into Engineering.
On November 26, 2024, the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority approved the Second Amendment to the Capital Grant Agreement for the Project Development Phase of the METRO Purple Line Bus Rapid Transit Project (Resolution R2024-021).
Attachments
1. METRO Bronze Line Capital Grant Agreement for Engineering