Agenda - Council - 12/13/2016 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Potential Vulnerabilities to Extreme Weather and Climate Change The proposed project will be designed and built with materials to withstand extreme temperature ranges and large amounts of precipitation which are normal conditions in Minnesota. However, climate change is likely to increase the number of extreme weather events and the outcomes of these events are unpredictable and possibly damaging to people,businesses, and the transportation network. In an extreme weather or climate change-related event emergency response,evacuation of people and transportation of goods is paramount.The proposed project will improve traffic flow and the safety of motorists and pedestrians,reduce emergency response times,and provide better access to health care facilities. Climate change is linked to increased carbon dioxide production and one source of this pollutant is the automobile.By reducing congestion-causing vehicles stops and starts,the proposed project will reduce overall vehicle emissions along US 10. Furthermore,the proposed project will facilitate use of the Northstar Commuter Rail Station and further build out of The COR development so that as the City of Ramsey grows,a greater share of trips in the area can be made on foot,by bicycle, or by transit,reducing per capita carbon emissions. As the national economy gains strength and oil production in North Dakota resumes, freight traffic on the BNSF mainline will increase again. Sustained cold weather has resulted in several disruptive mechanical failures on trains in recent years. Furthermore,BNSF cites extremely low temperatures as cause for brake system failures which causes trains to stop and delays that cascade throughout the system. The best way to prevent brake failure is to run more trains with fewer cars. In the frigid Fargo-Staples-Minneapolis corridor,trains are often shortened from 7,500 to 4,000 feet,effectively doubling the number of trains.While the proposed project would not alleviate these freight issues, it ensures that train delays and increases in traffic do not translate into vehicle delays in the project area. US 10/CSAH 56 FAS LANE Application 7 City of Ramsey