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1f. Approve Comment Letter for 2030 Transportation Policy Plan CITY OF MEMORANDUM CIIANHASSEN TO: Todd Gerhardt, City Manager 7700 Market Boulevard PO Box 147 FROM: Paul Oehme, Dir. of Public Works /City Engineer Chanhassen, MN 55317 • DATE: September 27, 2010 l? r ° Administration SUBJ: Approve Comment Letter to Metropolitan Council for the 2030 Phone: 952.227.1100 Transportation Policy Plan Fax: 952.227.1110 Building Inspections PROPOSED MOTION Phone: 952.227.1180 Fax: 952.227.1190 "The City Council approves sending comment letter to the Metropolitan Council for the Draft Transportation Policy Plan." Engineering Phone: 952.227.1160 Fax: 952.227.1170 City Council approval requires a simple majority vote of the City Council present. Finance Phone: 952.227.1140 Fax: 952.227.1110 BACKGROUND Park & Recreation • Phone: 952.227.1120 This plan presents the Metropolitan Council's policies and plans to guide development of Fax: 952.227.1110 the region's long -range transportation system to the year 2030. It is supposed to address problems and issues in preserving the region's mobility and describes actions which will Recreation Center be undertaken to preserve, improve and expand the region's highways, transit and other 2310 Coulter Boulevard transportation modes. It includes all modes of transportation including highways, transit, Phone: 952.227.1400 airports, freight, biking and pedestrian. The plan cannot assume projects beyond Fax: 952227.1404 expected funding streams so the plan mainly focuses on preservation and mobility at the Planning & principal arterial level for highways. Natural Resources Phone: 952.227.1130 Financial issues concerning transportation in the plan include: Fax 952.227.1110 • Lack of funding for highway expansion • Volatility and decrease of MVST revenues Public Works • Revenue source lacking to grow bus operations 1591 Park Road Phone: 952.227.1300 • Increasing gas prices /flat gas tax revenues Fax 952.227.1310 • Costs going up faster than inflation • Uncertain future of federal revenues Senior Center Phone: 952.227.1125 Fax 952.227.1110 Regional mobility issues taken into account for the plan include: • Additional one million residents by 2030 Web Site • Travel has been increasing much faster than highway expansion www.ci.chanhassen.mn.us • Solving congestion would cost 20x more money than currently projected • Maintenance and preservation (including bridge rehabilitation) will take up most available road funding GAENG\PAULUiiianha'39en 4nttommunityiew '. 0vi ing for Today and Planning for Tomorrow Todd Gerhardt September 27, 2010 Page 2 • The plan intends to shift emphasis from fixing congestion managing congestion Managing congestion entails: • Optimize highway investments to move the largest number of people, not cars • Invest in strategic localized highway expansion • Invest in strategic transit expansion • Promote transportation - efficient land use • Promote alternatives to driving alone such as walking, biking, carpooling, telecommuting, etc • Provide more travel choices The entire draft document can be found on the Metropolitan Council's website at: http: / /www.metrocouncil. org /planning /transportation/TPP /2008 /index.html. The comments included in the letter mainly reflect highway transportation issues in Chanhassen. Comments are being taken through October 7, 2010. Attachment: Comment letter g: \eng \paul \letters \bkgd 092210 response letter for2030 tpp.doc September 22, 2010 CITY Metropolitan Council Data Center CHANHCHANH 390 Robert Street N. ASSEN St. Paul, MN 55101 7700 Market Boulevard Re: 2030 Transportation Policy Plan Comments PO Box 147 Chanhassen, MN 55317 Dear Metropolitan Council: Administration Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on the draft 2030 Transportation Phone: 952.227,1100 Policy Plan (TPP). The City of Chanhassen appreciates the opportunity that Metropolitan Fax: 952.227.1110 Council has extended to the local agencies in the development of this plan. Building Inspections This constrained draft plan has identified the lack of transportation funding for the basic Phone: 952.227.1180 needs of the metropolitan transportation network. The plan does not take into account the Fax: 952.227.1190 expansion needs of minor arterials that are necessary for growing communities. We are concerned about the lack of projected investment to the highway system in the metropolitan Engineering area transportation system and the impacts this will have on the city of Chanhassen. The lack Phone: 952.227.1160 of funding will make prioritizing projects and implementing projects extremely difficult on a Fax: 952.227.1170 local level. MnDot should focus on principal arterial expansion and low -cost/ high benefit projects but also needs to plan for minor arterial system expansion projects which this plan Finance does not address. TH 5 and TH 7 in Chanhassen are examples of minor arterial roadways Phone: 952.227.1140 that currently need additional vehicle capacity and safety improvements. Fax: 952.227.1110 With respect to roadway improvements, the TPP had a reassessment of the future TH 41 river Park & Recreation crossing and acknowledges the need for additional arterial capacity to serve both Carver and Phone: 952,227,1120 Scott Counties. That notwithstanding, the TPP fails to mention or plan for low cost/high Fax: 952.227.1110 value improvements that might be made to existing river crossings like TH 41 and TH 101. Recreation Center Both of these could positively impact the year -round capacity of the regional road and transit 2310 Coulter Boulevard system at significantly less expense than a new crossing, which has little chance of being Phone: 952.227.1400 funded in the next two to three decades. These corridors should be included in the Fax: 952.227,1404 Congestion Management and Safety Plan (CMSP) as high value projects. The TH 101 Minnesota River crossing corridor should be included in the State Transportation Planning & Improvement Plan. Natural Resources Phone: 952.227.1130 Highway system policies and strategies should add a strategy to expedite turnback projects. Fax 952.227.1110 Planned jurisdictional transfers of minor arterial roadways from MnDot to County or City should be accelerated. The minor arterial system would benefit greatly and release MnDot Public Works from annual operational and maintenance costs of these corridors. The operational and 1591 Park Road maintenance dollars saved from turning back these roadways could be used on the principal Phone: 952.227.1300 arterial system or other transportation projects. Fax: 952.227.1310 Thank you for your consideration and attention to our concerns. Senior Center Phone: 952.227.1125 Sincerely, Fax: 952.227.1110 CITY OF CHANHASSEN Web Site www.ci.chanhassen.mn.us Thomas Furlong • Mayor g: \eng \paul \Ietters\2030 tpp comment Ietter.doc Chanhassen is a Community for Life - Providing for Today and Planning for Tomorrow