2006-07-26 City Council Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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=~ UNORTHSTAR COMMUTER RAIL July 12, 2006 Ms. Teresa Bender City Administrator City Of Centerville 1880 Main St Centerville MN 55038-9794 Dear Ms. Bender, We have much to celebrate thanks to elected officials, community and business leaders, and other Northstar Commuter Rail supporters who have continued to advocate for a new transportation alternative. Regional projects such as this are critical to investing in cost-effective transportation projects that support business and keep the state competitive. Over the past several months, the Northstar project has achieved many significant milestones toward delivering the state's first commuter rail line. Here are a few recent highlights: Minnesota Legislature Finalizes State Funding for Northstar Project's Construction On June 1, Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed the 2006 bonding bill, authorizing $60 million in state bonding for construction of the Northstar project. More than 200 elected officials, business leaders and Northstar supporters attended the bill signing event at the site of the future Northstar Elk River station. Combined with the Legislature's approval of $37.5 million in 2005, this year's bill completes the state's capital share needed to pursue the 50 percent federal matching funds for the Northstar project's construction. Gov. Pawlenty, the chief authors of the Northstar legislation - Rep. Kathy Tingelstad (R-Andover) and Sen. Don Betzold (DFL-Fridley) - and others noted the significance of delivering commuter rail to one of the fastest growing corridors in Minnesota. While the work of so many allowed us to achieve this milestone, these state leaders and Minnesota's congressional delegation deserve our collective thanks for their leadership and personal commitment to the Northstar project. The Next Steps for the Northstar Project Completion of the state's capital commitment gives the Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) the green light to work toward final design and to secure federal funding for construction. The NCDA is hopeful that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will approve a 50 percent federal match in time to begin construction in 2007. The project team will then build stations and finalize operating agreements over the next three years before opening the service in 2009. Watch for construction updates at www.mn- GetOnBoard.com. BNSF Railroad Agreement in Principle Guarantees Northstar Trains Use of Train Tracks The Northstar project cleared another major hurdle this spring when the State of Minnesota, NCDA and BNSF Railway reached an agreement in principle that will allow Northstar to run on existing BNSF train tracks indefinitely from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis. Highlights from the agreement in principle include: ~.:I;,'IJJ,~if#ili!!I!!Ii~'ytJi~'f!4;;:ii~''if/Vt:t'';:'Y,;I'''''''''' Northstar Corridor Development Authority 2100 3rd Avenue, Anoka, Minnesota 55303-2265 1-888-478-NSTAR (6782) (763) 323-5700 Fax: (763) 323-5682 www.mn-GetOnBoard.com 00114