Agenda - Council Work Session - 04/28/2009

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I - - CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION Topic Report: Consider Options for the Ramsey Star Express By: Brian Olson, Director of Public Works / Principal City Engineer Background: The City of Ramsey has successfully operated the Ramsey Star Express Commuter Coach service since January 2007. A graph for Average Daily Trips is attached to the case. The City entered into a Joint Powers Agreement with the Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) in order to be part of a larger contract which kept operating expenses lower. The initial service contract was for a period of two years and would have expired on March 31, 2009 had it not been extended for 6 months by the City Council on February 24,2009. The service contract will now expire on September 30,2009. The City of Ramsey has been utilizing the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant that we received approval for in 2007. This grant will cover 80% of the operating and capital costs associated with this service from the period of January 22,2007 - January 22, 2010. To continue to utilize the full extent of the grant, City Council will be asked to extend the service for another 6 month interval (Oct 1, 2009 - March 31, 2010) sometime in September of this year. The Northstar rail service is expected to begin service in November of2009. Assuming the City Council authorizes the service to continue until March 31, 2010 there will be approximately 2 months of the train running as it is today (80 - 20 split without train), 2 months operating with a train and an 80 -20 split, and 2 months operating with a train and 100% City of Ramsey. Since the total cost of the service is relational to the amount of riders, Staff felt it extremely important to ask the riders what their intent was after the train started. During the Ridership Appreciation Day on April 16th we received 125 responses to the attached survey. The results are also attached and indicate that cost and location were the 2 biggest factors for 115 of the 125 saying that they would continue to ride the Ramsey Star Express even after the train starts. The purpose of this case is to discuss the options that we will have available to us. JoAnn Olsen and Jim Lasher from LSA Design will also be available to discuss the options. Attached to this case is a memo that LSA Design put together for the meeting.