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<br />~ Metropolitan Council <br /> <br />Metropolitan <br />Transportation Services <br /> <br />Memorandum <br /> <br />DATE: April 27, 2009 <br /> <br />TO: TAC Funding & Programming Committee <br /> <br />FROM: Evaluation Committee <br /> <br />SUBJECT: ARRA Transportation Enhancements Project Evaluation and Selection Process <br /> <br />The ARRA Transportation Enhancements Solicitation was conducted in a two week timeframe. <br />Applications were due on April 3, 2009. The TAC Funding & Programming Committee selected an <br />evaluation committee. The evaluation committee consisted of Ken Wehrle from Ramsey County Parks <br />Department, Donald Pflaum from the City of Minneapolis Department of Public Works, Colleen Van <br />Wagner from Mn/DOT State Aid, James Andrew from Metropolitan Council, Michelle Natrop from <br />Mn/DOT Bike and Pedestrian Section, and Dan Collins from the Department of Natural Resources. <br /> <br />We received 50 applications requesting a total federal amount of approximately $35 million. The total <br />amount available from the ARRA is $7.5 million. Clearly, only a few of the projects submitted would be <br />able to be completed with this funding source. Transportation Enhancements are different from many <br />transportation funding programs in that the project types vary dramatically. The majority of projects <br />submitted were for bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The majority of these projects were trail projects. <br /> <br />The evaluation committee first screened out several projects because they were ineligible for TE funds, <br />posed significant project readiness questions or the projects have been recommended for ARRA STP <br />funds. See Table I for a list of these projects. The process for screening projects is discussed below. <br /> <br />Screen One: Ineligible Projects or Projects in the TIP for 2009 (4 projects screened) <br /> <br />From an initial review of all project applications, the committee determined that two projects did not <br />meet the federal eligibility requirements for Transportation Enhancements because they were for <br />roadway construction and not pedestrian and bicycle facilities. These projects were removed from <br />scoring consideration. <br /> <br />Applications for bicycle and pedestrian trails must meet State Aid standards for multi-use trails. One <br />project for bicycle and pedestrian trails did not meet State Aid standards for bikeways as presented and <br />it was removed from scoring consideration. <br /> <br />The TE ARRA solicitation indicated that projects currently programmed for 2009 are not eligible for <br />this funding. One project was submitted that is in the 2009 TIP and it was removed from scoring <br />consideration. <br /> <br />Screen Two: Projects With Major Project Readiness Uncertainty (12 projects screened) <br /> <br />State Aid reviewed all projects for a project readiness evaluation. This type of evaluation is uniquely <br />important for evaluating projects for the ARRA due to the extremely short time frame within which <br />