Sponsor: Public Works
Title
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2024 Funding Commitment to the Great River Rail Commission
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Recommendation
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1. Accept the Great River Rail Commission’s 2024 Work Plan and Budget.
2. Approve the payment of $16,400 to the Great River Rail Commission as the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority funding commitment to the Great River Rail Commission 2024 Work Plan and Budget.
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Background and Rationale
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The Great River Rail Commission (Commission) is a joint powers board established under Minnesota Statutes, Section 471.59. Member parties on the Commission include the regional railroad authorities from Ramsey County, Goodhue County, Wabasha County, Washington County and Winona County, the La Crosse Area Planning Committee, the cities of Cottage Grove, Goodview, Hastings, Lake City, Newport, Red Wing, Saint Charles, Saint Paul, Saint Paul Park, Utica, Wabasha and Winona, and Wacouta Township.
The Commission actively supports the implementation of the Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago Second Train, a new daily round-trip passenger train service between Union Depot in Saint Paul and Union Station in Chicago. In 2021, the Commission used its communication resources to inform the public and activate support for the project. The Commission also successfully lobbied state legislators to provide $10 million as Minnesota’s share of the matching funds to a federal grant secured by the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation. The Minnesota Department of Transportation and Wisconsin Department of Transportation are leading the development and implementation of the project. The Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago Second Train is expected to begin service in 2024.
Pursuant to the members’ Joint Powers Agreement (JPA), the five regional railroad authorities and the La Crosse Area Planning Committee are financial parties, responsible for payment of annual dues that fund the Commission’s annual work plan. The dues are based on a formula established in the JPA that includes population, existing passenger rail route mileage and station stops within the jurisdiction of each financial party and a base amount shared equally among all financial parties.
The Commission adopted its 2024 Work Plan and Budget of $40,000 on September 7, 2023. Within the Commission’s final, adopted budget, Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority’s 2024 funding commitment was identified as $16,400.
More information on the Great River Rail Commission can be found at:
<https://www.greatriverrail.org/>
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☐ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☒ Opportunity ☒ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
The Commission advocates for the implementation of faster and more frequent passenger train service between Saint Paul, MN and Chicago, IL. The Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago Second Train Project will add another affordable and accessible travel option that is better connected to urban centers and other destinations. Demographic data for the entire service area is undetermined; however, Union Depot is the only passenger train station in the Twin Cities, serving all of Ramsey County and the entire metro area population. Contracts for construction of track and signal improvements will comply with federal rules for hiring of disadvantaged and minority-owned businesses.
Community Participation Level and Impact
The Commission discussed the draft 2024 Work Plan and Budget at their meeting on June 1, 2023 and adopted the final version at its meeting on September 7, 2023. This board action serves to inform the public of the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority’s funding commitment to the Commission.
☒ Inform ☐ Consult ☐ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
Funding in the amount of $16,400 for Ramsey County’s funding commitment to the Commission is available in the 2024 Public Works Multimodal Planning operating budget. The Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation will manage the construction of the Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago Second Train improvements.
Last Previous Action
On February 21, 2023, Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority approved a payment of $15,060 to the Great River Rail Commission for its financial commitment to the 2023 Commission budget (Resolution R2023-007).
Attachments
1. Great River Rail Commission adopted 2024 Work Plan and Budget