Agenda - Council - 04/28/2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Project applicants can also "bundle" two or more projects together, but they must either be: • Projects located along the same corridor (e.g., filling multiple trail gaps along a trail corridor or projects at stops/stations along a transit route) • Similar improvements within a defined neighborhood or downtown area (e.g., adding benches along the sidewalks in a downtown area) Traffic management technologies projects are exempt from the bundling rules. Bundling of independent projects that are not related to one another as described above are not allowed. For eligible bundled projects, when doing scoring of multiple locations, an average will be used for geographically based measures. Applicants are encouraged to contact TAB Coordinator Elaine Koutsoukos at Elaine.koutsoukos(c�metc.state.mn.us or 651-602-1717 if they have questions regarding project bundling. General Process and Rules 1. TAB selected 57 transportation projects as part of the 2018 Regional Solicitation. An evaluation process took place in the spring and summer of 2019 to continue to improve all aspects of the Regional Solicitation including the scoring criteria. The following are the major changes that are implemented in the 2020 Regional Solicitation: • Required completion of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transition plan as a qualifying criterion. Only substantial work toward completion of a plan was required in the last funding cycle. • Added a new Arterial Bus Rapid Transit Project category and created a $32M maximum funding amount for all bus rapid transit projects awarded in the Regional Solicitation. • Created a Transit New Market guarantee to fund at least one Transit Expansion or Transit Modernization project that is outside of Transit Market Areas 1 and 2 for at least one end of the project. • Set aside 2.5% of the total available funds for Unique Projects, including the Travel Behavior Inventory/Regional Travel Model. These 2024 and 2025 funds will be allocated as part of the 2022 Regional Solicitation, closer to project implementation. • Adjusted the modal funding ranges to increase the transit funding range by $5M and reduce the Roadway midpoint by $4M and Bicycle and Pedestrian midpoint by $1 M. • Improved the equity scoring measure to focus less on geography and more on the benefits and outreach specific to the project. • Added as a qualifying criterion that Multiuse Trails and Bicycle Facilities project sponsors include a letter from the operator of the facility confirming that they will maintain trails for year-round bicycle and pedestrian use, including snow and ice control. • Eliminated the $10 million minimum set -aside for the Bridge application category. • Added a new roadways application category, Spot Mobility and Safety, with a minimum award of $1 M and a maximum federal award of $3.5M. • Change the following federal award limits: o Decreased the Traffic Management Technologies maximum federal award from $7M to $3.5M. o Increased the Strategic Capacity (Roadway Expansion) maximum federal award from $7M to 10M. o Increased the Transit Modernization minimum award from $100,000 to $500,000. o Increased the TDM minimum award from $75,000 to $100,000. 4I