09-10-07 Item 4E, Grant Through Safe Routes to School Program with MnDOT

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MEMORANDUM ~ ~~HILLS DATE: September 5, 2007 AGENDA ITEM: 4.E. TO: Michelle Wolfe - City Administrator Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Michelle Olson, Parks and Recreation Manager-fJ[tf) SUBJECT: Minnesota Safe Routes to School Grant Program BACKGROUND The Minnesota Department of Transportation has recently announced the opening of the third Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Grant Program solicitation. This program was created by the Federal Surface Transportation Act, which established the program in order to provide communities with the opportunity to improve conditions for bicycling and walking to school. As you may recall, the City of Arden Hills did apply during the second solicitation of this program in January of 2007. Unfortunately, the City was one of III applications and only 23 proposals were awarded funding. However, the feedback that staff received from MDOT regarding our application was extremely positive. Ramsey County Parks and Recreation has once again agreed to partner in this grant process. The trail segments that County and City Staff anticipate applying for will be similar to our previous year's application. The main emphasis will be a trail in front of Valentine Hills, along County Road E2 that runs from New Brighton Road to Old County Road 10 with one connection running north to V enus Avenue. This area is surrounded by busy roads and has little or no sidewalks/trails. The segments are identified on the attached map. The Parks, Trails and Recreation Committee added this trail location to their Strategies at their November 21,2006 meeting. Safe Routes to School Projects are funded at one hundred percent and do not require a local match. The SRTS Program is a reimbursable grant program which requires recipients to front project costs and be reimbursed during the course of the project. The SRTS grant range for individual infrastructure projects is between $10,000 and $175,000. Staff anticipates applying for the highest amount of$175,000. The grant deadline is November 16,2007 and the awards will be announced sometime in early spring 2008. Staff anticipates bringing forward an official resolution to the City Council supporting the completed grant application sometime in November 2007.