Agenda - Council Work Session - 12/09/2014

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Page 2 and the Met Council. Unfortunately, many of these ideas and comments were not reflected in this draft of the Plan as we had hoped. Therefore, there are still concerns that should be addressed as evidenced by our comments in this letter. We hope that you find these comments constructive and make appropriate changes or modifications to the plan as necessary. A recurring comment on the previous transportation plans that can also be applied to this Plan is that the overwhelming focus is on the needs of the central core areas within the region and many of the strategies identified in the plan are solely transit based. While transit is an important component of the overall transportation system, it simply will not address the needs of the vast majority of our population. In considering the movement of goods, it is critically important that we have a roadway network that provides reliable mobility within and through the region. In the 2040 TPP, there is mention of the importance of the movement of goods, but the Plan is lacking in strategies that will address this need. As written, Anoka County will be placed at a disadvantage in obtaining funding to address our transportation needs. This is already being realized in the recently approved Regional Solicitation of Federal Funds, which is administered by the Metropolitan Council. In the 2030 Plan, the improvements to the transportation system seemed to strike a better balance of investments and strategies than what is being proposed in the 2040 TPP. In this Plan, there is a heavy emphasis on transit, which is an important component of the overall transportation system. However, neither transit, nor any singular transportation mode will address the needs of all residents and businesses within the region. Our concern is that lack of a comprehensive strategy for addressing the travel needs within the region will adversely impact our economic competiveness and our overall quality of life. Specifically, with regard to Anoka County, we are very concerned that our roadway system will not be able to support the future travel demand unless substantial investment occurs. Unfortunately, the strategies outlined in the TPP seem to disregard the importance of the County roadway system, specifically the A -Minor Arterial roadways. We are offering our comments on the Plan in the subsequent sections of this letter. Framing our comments is the central theme of the plan, which is "Connecting communities, fostering regional prosperity." We applaud this theme as both a transportation partner and as an increasingly growing area for employment and population within the region. For instance, Met Council data projects that between 2010 and 2040 Anoka County will realize an increase in the ratio of jobs to population that at 9.3 percent is nearly double that for the region (5.0 percent increase). This is evidence of the growing importance of Anoka County in regional prosperity.