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_ ____ __ ___ _ <br />__ ._ __ _ <br />� <br />DATE: September 5, 2007 AGENDA ITEM: 4.E. <br />TO: Michelle Woife — City Administrator <br />Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />FROM: Michelle Oison, Parks and Recreation Manager �� <br />SUBJECT: Minnesota Safe Routes to School Grant Program <br />BACKGROUND <br />The Minnesota Department of Transportation nas recently announced the opening of the third <br />Safe Routes to Schaol (SRTS} Grant Program so�icitation. This program was created by the <br />Federal Surface Transpartation Act, which established the program in order to provide <br />communities with the opportunity to improve condttions for bicycling and walking ta school. As <br />you may recall, the City of Arden Hills did apply during the second solicitation of this program <br />in January of 2007. Unfortunately, the City was one of 111 applications and only 23 proposals <br />were awarded funding. However, the feedback that staff received from MDOT regarding our <br />application was extremely nositive. Ramsey County P�rks an� l�e�re�tinn has nnr_.e again agrPe� <br />to partner in this grant process. The trail segments that County and City Staff anticipate applying <br />for will be similar to our previous year's appIication. The main emphasis will be a trail in front <br />of Valentine Hills, along County Road EZ that runs from New Brighton Road to Old County <br />Road 10 with one connection running north to Venus Avenue. This area is surrounded by busy <br />roads and has little ar no sidewalks/trails. The segments are identified on the attached map. The <br />Parks, Trails and Recreation Committee added this trail location to their Strategies at their <br />November 21, 2006 meeting. <br />Safe Routes to School Projects are funded at one hundred percent and do not require a local <br />match. The SRTS Program is a reimbursable grant program which requires recipients to front <br />project costs and be reimbursed during the course of the project. The SRTS grant range for <br />individual infrastructure projects is between $10,000 and $175,000. Staff anticipates applying <br />for the highest amount of $175,000. The grant deadline is November 16, 2007 and the awards <br />wi11 be announced sometime in early spring 2008. Staff anticipates bringing forward an official <br />resolution to the City Council supporting the completed grant application sometime in November <br />2007. <br />MEMORANDUM <br />