GOOD AFTERNOON WELCOME TO THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CLIMATE AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE FOR FEBRUARY 20th, 2025. MY NAME IS KATIE CASHMAN, THE CHAIR OF THIS COMTTEE. BEFORE WE BEGIN, I WANT TO OFFER A FRIENDLY REMINDER TO ALL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, STAFF THE MEETINGS ARE
BROADCAST LIVE TO ENABLE GREATER PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. THIS INCLUDESEAL TIME CAPTIONING TO INCREASE THE ACCESSIBILITY OF OUR PROCEEDINGS. SPEAKERS NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF T RATE OF THEIR SPEECH AND THEIR THE CLARITY OF THEIR COMMENTS SO CAPTIONERS CAN FULLY TRANSCRIBE EVERYTHING FOR THE BROADCAST. ADDITIONALLY, I WANT TO NOTE
THAT CONSISTENT WITH COUNCIL RULES, THOSE WHO INTERFERE WITH THE COMMITTEE'S CONDUCTING OF BUSINESS WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE. THOSE WHO REFUSE TO FOLLOW THOSE INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE CHAMBERS. PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL OF SPEAKERS AND OTHERS IN THE CHAMBER, AS WELL. AND I WILL ASK MY
COLLEAGUES TO PLEASE SIGN INTO SPEAKER MANAGEMENT TODAY, AS WELL. AND AT THIS TIME, I'LL ASK THE CLERK TO CALL THE ROLL TO VERIFY PRESENCE OF A QUORUM. >> CLERK: COUNCILMEMBER VETAW. >> PRESENT. >> OSMAN IS ABSENT. CHAVEZ. >> PRESENT. >> CHOWDHURY IS ABSENT. VICE CHAIR KOSKI. >> PRESENT.
>> CHAIR CASHMAN. >> PRESENT. >> THERE ARE FOUR MEMBERSPRESEN. >> LET THE RECORD REFLECT WE HAVE A QUORUM. WE'LL START WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA. 2 THROUGH 4. TWO IS AUTHORIZING A COOPERATIVEGREEMENT WITH HENNEPIN COUNTY FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF GLENWOOD
AVENUE FROM ALDRICH AVENUE NORTH TO 10th STREET NOR. THREE IS AUTHORIZING THE SUBMITTAL OF A GRANT TO THE MINNESOTA POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY FOR ITS RESILIENCY PROGRAM FOR THE OLIVER AVENUE SOUTH FLOOD
MITIGATION PJECT. FOUR IS AUTHORIZING LICENSE AGREEMENTS WITH UP TO TWOENDORS FOR THE 2025 SHARED BIKE AND SCOOTER PROGRAM. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS ON ITEMS TWO THROUGH FOUR? I HAVE ONE
QUESTION, DIRECTOR SEXTON, IF YOU'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER WHO ARE THE TWO VENDORS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH FOR THE 2025 BIKE AND SCOOTER PROGRAM? >> CHAIR CHMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, UNFORTUNATELY WE
ARE NOT YET ABLE TO ANNOUNCE THAT INFORMATION. WE'RE STILL IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE TWO VENDORS. >> WE'LL HAVE TWO. THAT'S THE DECISION? >> CORRECT. >> OY. THANK YOU. SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION, I'LL MOVE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. ALL THOSE IN
FAVOR SAY AYE. THOSE OPPOSEDSA THOSE ITEMS ARE MOVED. APPROVED. NEXT WE'LL TAKE THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO THIS ITEM IS PROJECT APPROVAL AND ASSESSMENT OF THE FAR VIEW NORTH RESIDENTIAL RESURFACING PROJECT. HERE TO KICK OFF THE PUBLIC
HEARING I HAZEL WOLF FROM PUBLIC WORKS. >> THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON COMMITTEE,HAIR. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE -- CLIMATE AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS HAZEL WOLF, A SUPERING ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN WITH PUBLIC WORKS. I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE RESURFACING PROJECT AND
RECOMMEND PASSAGE OF RESOLUTIOND ADOPTING THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $846,767.42 FOR THE RESIDENTIAL RESURFACING PROJECT. AND PASSAGEF RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE BOARD
OF ESTIMATE AND TAXATION TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY'S ISSUANCE AND SALE OF ASSESSMENT BONDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $846,767.42 FOR THE PROJECT. FAR VIEW NORTH RESIDENTIAL ARE LOCAL STREETS
BOUNDED BY THIRD STREET NORTH TO DUPONT AVENUE NORTH AND 26th AVENUE NORTH TO LOWRY AVENUE NORTH. THIS AREA WAS RECONSTRUCTED IN 1993, AS A PAVEMENT CONDITION INDEX OF 39. PUBLIC WORKS HOSTED AN IN-PERSON COMMUNITY MEETING AT FARVIEW
RECREATION CENTER ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18th, 2025 AT 6:00 P.M. THERE ALREADY 566 INVITATIONS MAILED AND APPROXIMATELY 18 ATTENDEES CAME TO THE MEETING. ON DECEMBER 5th, 2024, THE CITY COUNCIL DESIGNATED THE IMPROVEMENTS PROPOSED TO THE
2025 STREET RESURFACING PROGRAM. THE PURPOSE OF THE RESURFACING PROGRAM IS TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF SOME CITY STREETS, WHICH ARE NOE MAINTENANCE IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. THIS IS ADDRESSING CITY STREETS AT A POINT IN THEIR LIFE
CYCLE WHERE A NEW SURFACE THERE EXTEND THE STREET'S LIFE, IMPROVRIDE QUALITY, AND NEIGHBORHOOD, AND SLOW THE DETERIORATION OF THE STREETS. IT'S IDENTIFIED IN THE 20-YEAR STREETS FUNDING PLAN AND INCLUDED IN THE CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. THE PROPOSED STREET RESURFACING SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS WERE DETERMINED BY APPLYING THE 2025 UNIFORM ASSESSMENT UAR TO THE LAND AREA OF BENEFITED PARCELS LOCATED WITHIN T STREET ZONE ALONG THE IMPROVED STREETS.
THESE ASSESSMENTS ARE NOT CALCULATED BASED OPEN PROJECT COST ALONE. THE CITY USES A FORMULA THAT COMBINES INFLUENCE AREA WITH AN ANNUALLY ESTABLISHED UAR. THIS FORMULA IS CAREFULLY CONSIDERED AND APPLIED BY CITY STAFF AND INTENDED TO ACCOUNT FOR AND REFLECT EACH PROJECT'S VALUE TO
BENEFITED PROPERTIES. INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED IN THE NOTICES, AS TO HOW PERSONS MAY PREPAY THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS IN FULL WITHOUT INTEREST, IF THEY CHOOSE. CITY COUNCIL HAS PASSED RESOLUTIONS WHERE BY A DEFERMENT OF SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS MAY BE OBTAINED BY SHOWING HARDSHIP FOR ANY HOMESTEAD PROPERTY OWNED BY A
PERSON 65 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, OR RETIRED BY VIRTUE OF PERMANENT AND TOTAL DISABILITY. THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. >> ALL RIGHT. TNK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. AND FOR THOSE
WHO DID COME TO SPEAK BUT HAVEN'T SIGNED UP YET, YOU CAN SEE THE CLERK OVER HERE TO SIGN UP. BEFORE I INVITE UP OUR FIRST SPEAKER, I WANT TO REMIND THAT BY SPEAKING TODAY IN THE PUBLIC HEARING, YOU RESERVE YOUR RIGHT TO APPEAL AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING. WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION AS A COMMITTEE, BUT
IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR ASSESSMENT, THEN STAFF WILL BE ABLE TO MEET WITH YOU JUST OUTSIDE THE CHAMBERS HERE, AS WELL. SO WITH THAT, OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS PAUL BELLFLOOR FROM HAWTHORNE.
>> THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS. I JUST WANT TO RAISE A POINT ABOUT MY CIRCUMSTANCE HAPPENS TO BE I BOUGHT THE HOUSE JUST TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO. AND BEING 64
YEARS OLD, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG I'LL BE IN THAT HOUSE NECESSARILY. I FEEL BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PURCHASE THE HOUSE. AND IT HAPPENS TO BE ON A CORNER LOT. AND THE ASSESSMENTS $3600. I BOUGHT THE
PROPERTY IN A STATE OF DISREPAIR. AND I FEEL LIKE THE BURDEN FOR THE STREETS ONEROUS AND WILL TAKE AWAY FROM MY ABILITY TO REHABILITATE THE
PROPERTY AND SHOW THAT I CARE ABOUT THE PROPERTY AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE CITY. AND I WANT TO JUST EXPRESS MY HOPES THAT, AT SOME POINT, IN THE FUTURE, COUNCILMEMBERS CAN FIND
A WAY TO GENERATE FUNDS THROUGH THE SYSTEM OF TAXATION AND APPROPRIATE MEASURES TO FUND THE WHOLE STREET REPAIRS THROUGHOUT THE CITY INSTEAD OF USING AN ASSESSMENT PROGRAM. FOR
CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE MINE WHERE I MIGHT BE FUNDING THE NEXT PERSON'S -- THE NEXT OWNER'S LIVABILITY. AND IF NOTHING ELSE, I THOUGHT ABOUT A TOLL
BOOTH. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILMEMBER CHOWDHURY. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LYNN NORDGRIN.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HER I LIVE AT 2808 NORTH FOURTH STREET. I'VE BEEN ON THE NORTH SIDE WITH 45 YEARS OF MY LIFE LIVING AND WORKING THERE. I KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY. AS A SCHOOLTEACHER AND FORMER UNION PRESIDENT AND A PERSON WHO HAS
BEEN INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY. AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. OVER THE LAST WEEK, WE WERE ABLE TO CLECT 34 OBJECTIONS, PETITIONS WE SENT OUT. WE WITHOUT WOULD HAVE BEEN GOTTEN MORE IF IT NOT BEEN 15 BELOW. WE KNOW WE COULD
HUNDREDS MORE. AND THE REASON WE DID THIS, WE FEEL THIS IS GOING TO BE A HARD HARDSHIP FOR MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE. THEY HAVE FAMILIES. THEY WORK HARD, BUT IT'S A MONTH-TO-MONTH WAY TO LIVE. AND SO WE ARE ASKING THAT
WE DON'T EXPECT THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING. WE HAD A BLOCK CLUB THAT MET EVERY MONTH FOR 10 YEARS, AND WE CLEANED UP OUR PARKS. WE CLEANED UP THE ALLEYWAY AND THE STREETS. WE HAD FABULOUS NATIONAL NIGHT OUTS! WE HAD ALL
KINDS OF SAFETY THINGS WE DID. AND WE GOT BLOCK CLUB OF THE YEAR! WE WORKED SO HARD. SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE EXPECT YOU TO DO EVERYTHING. BUT TAXES GOING UP. WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE SAFETY HELP WE NEED. WE WERE TOLD 20 YEARS AGO THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD BE ALL FIXED
UP AND ACROSS THE CITY THINGS WILL BE FIXED UP. AND WEERE GOING TO BE LAST ON THE LIST, HOWEVER. IT'S NEVER HAPPENED. AND SO WE NOW FEEL ANOTHER BURDEN OF THIS LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY FOA NEIGHBOR IT'S $3300. I'M AT
$1600. EXCUSE ME. I HAVE PARKINSON. I'M SORRY IF YOU SEE MY SHAKING. WE FEEL LIKE THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING TO HELP OUR NEIGHBORS OUT WHO CAN'T AFFORD THIS. WE HAVE ELDERLY NEIGHBORS WHO LIVE ON SOCIAL SECURITY. AND SO IF THERE'S ANY WAY THIS CAN BE SUBSUMED UNDER
TAXES. OR SOME KIND OF RELIEF, WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> OKAY. THANKS SO MUCH. NEXT IS AKEISHA EVERETT.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM A HOMEOWNER, LIFELONG RESIDENT OF NORTH MINNEAPOLIS. I WORK, MY KIDS GO TO SCHOOL, MY KIDS PARTICIPATE IN PARK ACTIVITIES. ALWAYS HAVE. I BOUGHT MY HOU
EIGHT YEARS AGO IN HAWTHORNE ON PURPOSE. YOU KNOW, NORTH SIDEC BUT I LOVE MYOMMUNITY! IT'S WHY I CAME BACK FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TO WORK IN MY COMMUNITY. BECAUSE I FELL LIKE I NEED FOR MY WORK TO BE
IMPACTFUL. IN MY EIGHT YEARS, WHAT I FELT LIKE AS A SINGL MOTHER OF TWO BOYS, THAT WAS AN AFFORDABLE HOM AND IS, IN THIS TIME, MY FIXED MORTGAGE HAS -- IS THE SAME AS MY PROPERTY TAXES
MONTHLY. SO IF YOU CAN IMAGINE BUYING A HOUSE WHERE THEY'RE TELLING YOU "OH, THIS IS A FIXED PRICE. IT'LL NEVER GO UP. YOU'RE NOT ON A CRAZY ROLLER COASTER LOANS." MY PROPERTY TAXES ARE GOING UP SIGNIFICANTLY WITHIN THE EIGHT YEARS. THEY'RE THE SAME AMOUNT AS MY MORTGAGE!
OKAY. THIS ASSESSMENT, WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THE FLYERS AND ALL THIS KIND OF STUFF GO OUT. I MADE A SPECIAL REQST TO COME DOWN HERE FROM MY JOB TO BE HERE TO TELL MY STORY. THE REQUEST GO OUT EVEN THE TUESDAY MEETING AT HAWTHORNE. I HAD
ALSO A BOARD MEETING TO ATTEND. ALL THESE THINGS ARE NOT ASSESSABLE TO WORKING PEOPLE. AND THAT'S ALL THAT OVER IN HAWTHORNE ARE WORKING-CLASS PEOPLE. MY ASSESSMENT IS $1900. AND FROM WHAT I KNOW FROM JEFF, SAID "OH, YOU CAN WRITE A CHECK
FOR IT OR TAKE A LOAN OUT FOR IT." LIKE ALL THESE THINGS TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT I DON'T THINK IS NECESSARY RIGHT NOW. SO I ALSO AM CLAIMING THIS IS A HARDSHIP. AND I VOTE AGAINST IT. THAT'S MY VOTE. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU SO MH. NEXT WE HAVE DAVID LOOSE. >> MY NAME IS DAVID LOOSE. I
LIVE AT 426 29th AVENUE NORTH ON FARVIEW PARK. MY WIFE AND FALY AND I HAVE LIVED ON FARVIEW PARK FOR 40 YEARS. I'M A PAST ORGANIZER FOR THE FARVIEW LOWRY BLOCK CLUB. AND I'M HERE
TO SPEAK FOR MYSELF. AND I WOULD FIRST LIKEO THANK PUBLIC WORKS AND THE COUNCIL FOR THE RECENT IMPROVEMENTS TO -- ACTUALLY, THE RECENT ADDRESSING
OF A SERIOUS TRAFFIC AND QUALITY OF LIFE PROBLEM THAT WE' HAD AROUND FARVIEW PARK IN RECENT YEARS. DRIVERS HAVE BEEN IN THE HABIT OF CUTTING FROM LYNDALE AVENUE NORTH TO WASHINGTON
AVENUE NORTH. AROUND FARVIEW PARK. TO AVOID THE STOPLIGHT AT 26th AND LYNDALE. SO THIS HAS CREATED A TRAFFIC PROBLEM AND A DEFINITE QUALITY OF LIFE PROBLEM WITH THE HEAVY CUT-THROUGH
TRAFFIC. AND YOUR RECENT ACTION TO INSTALL A MINI ROUNDABOUT AT THE INTERSECTION OF 29th AVENUE NORTH AND FRTH STREET, AND THE ADDITION OF SPEED BUMPS ON 29th AVENUE, ON 4th
STREET, AND ON 3rd STREET HAVE CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT DIMINISHMENT OF CUT-THROUGH TRAFFIC AND THRGH-TRAFFIC IN GENERAL ON 29th, 4th, AND 3rd. AND THE NEIGHBORS ARE
VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. ALSO, IT'S ADDRESSED A SERIOUS PROBLEM OF DRIVERS WHO HAVE RUN THE INTERSECTION OF 29th AND 4th STREET. 29th AND 3rd STREET CONSISTENTLY OVER THE YEARS.
AND HAVE CAUSED NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS. INCLUDING ONE WITHIN THE LAST YEAR WITH A SCHOOL BUS. WHERE THE SCHOOL BUS ENDED UP IN THE FRONT YARD OF THE CORNER HOUSE. ON 4th AND 29th. >> WE HAVE RUN OUT OF THE TWO-MINUTE TIME. IF YOU HAVE FURTHER COMMENTS FOR THE PUBLIC
COMMENT, YOU CAN ALSO SUBMIT THEM IN WRITING TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT E-MAIL. KENDALL, CAN YOU REMIND US WHA IT IS. >> THANK YOU. >> THANKS. >> IT'S
COUNCILCOMMENT@MINNEAPOLISMN.GO. >> THANK YOU. OKAY THEN OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SYED BACKUS.
>> HELLO EVERYONE. E OWN THE PROPERTY AT 409 38th AVENUE NORTH. PROPERTY AT 409 38th AVENUE NORTH. ND I JUST WANT TO SAY I HAVE BEEN THROUGH HARDSHIP WITH ASSESSMENTS DUE TO
SIDEWALKS. WE BOUGHT THIS IN 2008, ROUGHLY, AND I WAS YOUNGER AND HOT BLOODED. I ENDED UP BEING SICK. AND I HAVE AN ASSESSMENT THAT I'M STILL PAYING TODAY FROM SIDEWALK BEING PUT IN. BECAUSE I COULDN'T AFFORD TO DO IT AT THE TIME. SO THE
ASSESSMENT WAS PROBABLY FOUR TIMES WHAT IT COST. HERE IS ANOTHER ASSESSMENT THAT WILL BE ADDED. I ALMOST LOST THIS HOUSE BECAUSE OF IT. IF IT WASN'T FOR C.J. HELP AND THE INTEREST RATE IS RIDICULOUS. SO HERE IS ANOTHER ONE. SO THIS IS HARDSHIP FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT'S ALL I'M HERE TO SAY TODAY. I'LL SU SIGN ANY PETITION. I WANTED TO SHARE MY STORY. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. BEFORE I CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ON THIS
ITEM? ALL RIGHT. YES, PLEASE. COME ON. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME. >> ROSANNA BACKUS. THAT'S MY
HUSBAND. THE REASON THE SIDEWALK HAD TO BE REPLACED IS BECAUSE OF THE BIG TREES YOU GUYED PLANTED THERE. IT RAISED THE -- THE TREE ROOTS RAISED THE SIDEWALK. THE CONCRETE. AND BURST IT. THAT'S WHY WE HAD TO REPLACE. AND THEN WHE YOU GUYS TAKE A TREE DOWN, YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO -- YOU GUYS ALWAYS PLANT
ANOTHER TREE THERE. AND RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DROVE BY MY PROPERTY, Y'LL SEE THAT THE SIDEWALK IS LIFTING UP AGAIN. SO THE TREES ARE BEAUTIFUL. YES. BUT IT CAUSED DAMAGE AND WE END UP PAYING, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT. ON THE TAXES IS HUGE.
IT'S RIDICULOUS. YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE HAVE TO KEEP PAYING THIS AND.J. AND I'M STILL MAKING PAYMENTS. SO, YEAH. IT'S KIND OF YEAH. IT'S A TREE. HE FORGOT TO MENTION THE TREE. I WANT TO LET YOU GUYSNOW. THE TREES CAUSE THE DAMAGE. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. KAY.
ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTED TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? I'M GOING TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. AND ASK IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF ABOUT WHAT WAS ADDRESSED IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT HERE TODAY. COUNCILMEMBER
CHOWDHURY. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR CASHMAN. TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT CAME, AND GAVE THEIR STORIES, REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUOUTF YOUR
DAY TO BE HERE. EVERY TIME WE HAVE A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT, WE ARE THINKING ABOUT HOW IT'S AN ISSUE FOR WORKING PEOPLE WITHIN OUR CITY. ESPECIALLY YOU LAYER ON THE COST. WE SAW IT IN THE COMMENTS. THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE TAKEN UP AS A PART OF OUR WORK PLAN. AS A COMMITTEE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS POSSIBLE IN
TERMS OF ADDRESSING THIS AND FINDING WAYS TO RELIEVE HARDSHIP. I THANK MY COLLEAGUES, COUNCILMEMBER KOSKI, RIGHT HERE, TO MY RIGHT, AND THEN COUNCILMEMBER CHAVEZ WHO DID A LEGISLATIVE DIRECTIVE THIS LAST CLIMATE AND INFRASTRUCTURE TO ASK OUR STAFF TO LOOK INTO
WHAT IS POSSIBLE AROUND HARDSHIP AND INCOME EQUALITY AND ADDRESSING THIS IN THE FUTURE. I WISH THERE WERE SOME TOOLS THAT WE HAD RIGHT NOW TO RELIEVE THINGS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE TOOLS THAT WE DO HAVE ARELIE
SURE THAT IS IN THE PUBLIC RECORD FOR EVERYE TO HEAR. LIKE, WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND SO I'LL ASKUR CITY STAFF OR CITY ATTORNEYS TO KIND OF SPEAK TO THE DEFERMENTPTIONS AND WHAT IS AVAILABLE FOR DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS AND WHAT IS AVAILABLE FOR OTHERS AND HOW MUCH TIME IS AVAILABLE FOR
COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PAY THIS ASSESSMENT. >> I SEE WE HAVE JEFF HERE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION. THANKYOU. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR CASHMAN. COUNCILMEMBER CHOWDHURY, I'M
FF HANDLON. I'M FROM PUBLIC WORKS. WE DO HAVE ASSESSMENTS FOR STREET RESURFACING PROJECTS ARE SPREAD OVER A FIVE-YEAR TERM. AND COLLECTED THROUGH OPERTY TAXES. TYPICALLY
BEGINNING THE YEAR AFTER CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE. THERE IS, ALSO, A DEFERMENT PROGRAMAVD OVER. OR INDIVIDUALS PERMANENTLY AND TOTALLY DISABLED. OR CERTAIN MILITARY
SERVICE PERSONNEL. THE DEFERMENT PROGRAM DOES NOT EXCUSE THE ASSESSMENT BUT DOES PUT OFF PAYMENT UNTIL SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE. OKAY. >> I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, I APPRECIATE THAT. AND THEN IF
COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, IF YOU WANT TO LOOK INTO THE DEFERMENT PROGRAM, OUR CITY STAFF IS HERE TO JT KIND OF SPEAK WITH YOU. AND HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT. AND THEN, OF COURSE, DO A REACH OUT
TO YOUR COUNCILMEMBERS AND ADVOCATING AND ADDRESSING THE SITUATION. REACH OUT TO MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE OUTSIDE OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. I VERY MUCH UNDERSTAND THE HARDSHIP THAT PUTS ON OUR NEIGHBORS. >> ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. THANK YOU
FOR EXPLAINING THAT AND FOR AGREEI TO MEET WITH FOLKS, AS WELL. WHO CAME IN HERE TODAY TO EXPLORE WHAT OPTIONS THEY DO HAVE FOR MANAGING THE ASSESSMENTS. IT SOUNDS LIKE GLARING ASSESSMENTS WITH SIDEWALKS AND NOWTREET RESURFACING, AS WELL. I SEE NO
ONE ELSE ON QUEUE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. I'LL MOVE APPROVAL TODAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. >> AYE. >> ANY OPPOSED? SAY NAY. THE AYES HAVE IT. AND THAT ITEM IS APPRED. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
OUR NEXT DISCUSSION ITEM IS RECEIVING AND FILING A PROJECT UPDATE ON THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSRTATION'S RETHINKING I-94 PROJECT. HERE TO PRESENT ON THIS ITEM IS MELISSA BARNES. RETHINKING I-94
PROJECT DIRECTOR. AND THIS WILL BE A PRETTY LENGTHY PRESENTATION I THINK WE HAVE TODAY. MAYBE 39 SLIDES. AND JUST AS A REMINDER FOR THOSE WHO CAME INTO THE CHAMBER TO BE RESPECTFUL TO THE SPEAKER AND
OTHERS IN THE CHAMBER. OH I'M SORRY. DID I MISS -- I APOLOGIZE! WE HAVE ONE MORE ITEM BEFORE. THANK YOU, MS. BARNES FOR YOUR BAY SHE PATIENCE. WE HAVE A MEMORANDUM
OF UNDERSTANDING WITH XCEL ENERGY TO RECEIVE UTILITY LINE MAINTENANCE VEGETATION FOR THE MINNEAPOLI BIOCHAR PRODUCTION. HERE TO KICK OFF THE ITEM IS KELLIE FROM THE HEALT
DEPARTMENT. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M THE MANAGER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS WITH THE MINNEAPOLIS HEALTH DEPARTMENT. I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THE MANAGER FOR THE CARBON SEQUESTRATION PROGRAM
TO GIVE THE PRESENTATION AND THEN WE'LL INTRODUCE SUZANNE FROM XCEL ENERGY. THANK YOU. >> GREAT. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR CASHMAN AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS. WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THE MOU
WITH XCEL ENERGY BETWEEN THE CITY FOR THE BIOCHAR PROGRAM. JUST TO GIVE A QUICK UPDE IS THAT BIOCHAR IS MATERIAL THAT IS ORGANIC MATTER THAT IS HEATED IN
THE ABSENCE OF OXYGEN AND CONVERTS INTO A MATERIAL THAT IS BASICALLY CARBON NEGATIVE. IT SEQUESTERS CARBON. TREES THAT WOULD NORMALLY BREAKDOWN AND TURN IT UP. WE'RE SAVING THE CARBON AND RETNING IT BACK
INTO THE AIR. OR BACK INTO THE GROUND. THE BENEFITS OF THIS IS THAT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A LARGE OVERSUPPLY OF WOOD WASTE IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA. A LOT OF IT DEALING WITH EMERA ASH BOAR.
WE HAVE 550,000 TONS OF WOOD WASTE ANNUALLY. BUT A SYSTEM THAT CAN ONLY HANDLE 350,000 TONS. THE REST IS GOING BACK INTO THE ATMOSERE. AND, AS WELL, WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, WE'RE CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH OUR COMMUNITY. HOW DO WE ADAPT TO
THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT? WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS ADDRESSING THAT OVERSUPPLY OF WOOD WASTE IN A RESPONSIBLE MANNER. ONE OF THE COBENEFITS OF THIS, IT'S BENEFICIAL SOIL ASSESSMENT. IT IMPROVES THE UTILIZATION OF
NUTRIENTS, HELPS WITH DROUGHT RESILIENCE, A HELPS INFILTRATE AND CLEAN STORMWATER. ONE OF THE IMPORTANT PARTS, IT'S TWO SIDES. THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS ARE GREAT. BUT THE OTHER PART IS SEQUESTERS CARBON FOR A THOUSAND YEARS OR MORE. IT'S A CORP. BONN NE
BONN NE -- CARBON NEGATIVE. IT'S PART OF THE 23 CLIMATE EQUITY PROGRAM TO HELP ACHIEVE. WE'RE LOOKING AT ACHIEVING CARBON NEUTRAL BY 2050. YOU CANNOT JUST REDUCE YOUR WAY TO ZERO. THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN'T MEET OUR
CARBON GOALS WITHOUT CARBON NEGATIVE COMPONENT. AND THIS IS THE ONLY CARBON-NEGATIVE PROGRAM IN HERE. THIS IS NATIONALLY LEADING PROGRAM THAT IS NOW BEING EMULATED ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IT SPURRED A LOT OF ACTIVITY AROUND THE COUNTRY. THE PRODUCTION FACILITY ITSELF
IS LOCATED DOWN IN THE INNOVATION DISTRICT. RIGHT NEXT TO THE -- IN THE SHADOW OF HUNTINGTON BANK STADIUM. ON THE EDGE OF UNIVERSITY PROPERTY, ONG THE RAILROAD TRACKS. AND THAT'S A THREE-PART ACRE PARCEL
OWNED BY CPED WE HAVE A LEASE ON TO BUILD THE BIOCHAR FACILITY. WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROGRAMMING AND PLANNING FOR THAT. HOW WE DO THIS, IT'S A UNIT CALLED THE PIE ROLL SIS MACHINE. IT TAKES THE
CONTINUOUS PROCE. WE TAKE WOODCHIPS, BRING THEM UP TO ABOUT 550 TO 600 DEGREES E CELSIUS AND CONVERTS IT INTO A STABLE FORM OF CARBON THAT IS BENEFICIAL TO THE ENVIRONMENT. THIS IS CARBON NEGATIVE. IT TAKES -- IT CREATES MORE ENERGY
THAN IT USES AND CONVERTS ITINTE GROUND. THAT IS ACTUALLY THE PICTURE OF OUR UNIT. ON THE SLIDE THAT IS CURRENTLY IN CONNECTICUT. THAT IS THE EQUIPMENT WE OWN IT. WE'RE WAITING FOR THE DELIVERY OF IT AS WE COMPLETE THE SITE. THE
PROGRAM IS EXPECTED TO START THIS SUMMER. FOR PRODUCING BIOCHAR. WE ARE LOOKINGHEAD AT TAKING 3,000 TONS OF WOOD AND CONVERTING IT. WE'LL GET OVER 500 TONS OF BIOCHAR. WE'RE GETTING AN EQUIVALENT OF OVER
3600 TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE REMOVED. SO NOT JUST -- IT'S GONE TAKEN OUT OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND PUT DOWN. THIS, AGAIN, THIS IS THE ONLY CARBON NEGATIVE PROGRAM WITHIN THE CITY THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. YOU CAN'T -YOU HAVE TO HAVE CARBON NEGATIVE TO ACHIEVE CARBON NEUTRAL. THE
PARTNERS HAVE BEEN FANTASTIC ON THIS. WE HAVE RECEIVED A LOT OF POSITIVE PUBLICITY ON THIS HERE. BUT WE ARE QUITE INVOLVED WITH THE PROGRAM. ONE OF THE THREE GOALS WE HAVE WITH OUR PROGRAM IS TO ENGAGE IN CLIMATE EQUITY WORK WITHIN OUR GREEN ZONES, ANE
SEE HEALTH DISPARITIES. ALL THESE ARE SOME OF THE PARTNERS WE HAVE WORKED ALONG THE WAY. WE HAVE NUMEROUS OTHER AGREEMENTS IN PLA TO WORK WITH MORE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. A LOT OF I DEALING WITH FOOD INEQUITY AND FOOD INSECURITY. A LOT OF
OTHER PROGRAMS,S WELL. WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT ANDNSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS WITHIN MINNEAPOLIS, CPED HAS BEEN A STRONG PARTNER. WE'RE WORKING WELL WITH PUBLIC WORKS IN BUILDING OUR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE. AND REDUCIN EXPOSURE WE HAVE TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND TO STORMWATER
EXCESSIVE FLOODING, ET. CETERA. WITHIN THE OTHER PARTNERS, WE HAVE, AS WEL ONE OF THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENTS WE HAVE WITH THE SKOPEE FACILITY. WE'VE HAD A MOU IN PLACE SINCE TBOWRT.
2014. WE CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM FOR COMMUNITY-LED PROJECTS WITHIN THE GREEN ZONES. ADDITIONAL, WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, THE NATURAL RESOURCE RESEARCH INSTITUTE IN DULUTH, AS WELL AS
MNDOT POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY, HENNEPIN COUNTY, DAKOTA COUNTY, WASHINGTON COUNTY, ET. CETERA. THERE'S A LOT OF GOVERNMENT INTERE IN IT AROUND HERE. ORIGINALLY WE ARE A LEADER IN IS PROGRAM. WE'VE BEEN WORKING IN THIS SPACE SINCE 2013, WHICH IS PHENOMENAL.
WE'RE DOING IT AS A DEMONSTRATION. BUT NOW WE HAVE FUNDING THROUGH BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES TO HELP KICK START THIS PROGRAM. WE'RE ONE OF SEVEN CITIES GLOBALLY THAT WERE CHOSEN TO REPRESENT THIS. AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ALONGSIDE A LOT OF LEADERS IN THE COUNTRY
AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. AND NOWOR OUR FIRST AGREEMENT ON THE FEED STOCK. HOW DO WE GET THE WOOD WASTE IN HERE. WE'RE COMING UP WITH MOU WITH XCEL ENERGY TO HELP PROVIDE WOOD WASTE AND NO-COST TO THE CITY TO
HELP WITH THAT PROSS. AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO SUZANNE MUR FRY -- MURPHY FROM XCEL ENERGY. >> THANKS. COUNCILMEMBERS, I'M SUZANNE MURPHY. COMMUTY
RELATIONS MANAGER FOR XCEL ENERGY, PROUD WARD 12 RESIDENT. WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS PARTNERSHIP. IT'S IMPERATIVE TO KEEP OUR GRID SAFE AND RELIABLE WITH INCREASED FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY OF STORM EVENTS. WE KNOW TREE TRIMMING
IS ONE OF THE PRO ACTIVE WAYS WE CAN PREVENT OUTAGES, AND, ALSO, SHORTEN THE DURATION OF OUTAGES. TO GIVE YOU SENSE OF SCALE, IN 2024, WITHIN THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS, WE TRIMMED TREES
AROUND 50 MILES OF OUR DISTRIBUTION LINES, WHICH ARE SMALLER LINES THAT GO TO HOMES AND BUSINESSES. AND, ALSO, 20 MILES OF OUR TRANSMISSION LINES. WHICH ARE THE LARGER LINES YOU'LL SEE CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN OR BY THE RIVER. AND WHAT WE CURRENTLY DO WITH THAT
OD WASTE, WHICH IS SIZABLE, WE TURN IT INTO COMPOST, WE TURN IT INTO MULL P MULCH. WE'LL GIVE IT TO CITIES AND PARKS TO UTILIZE ON THEIR TRAILS AND AROUND TREES. BUT THIS COLLABORATION WIT THE CITY WILL ALLOW US TO TAKE CERTAIN
AMOUNT OF THAT WOOD WASTE WITHIN A SIX-MILE RADIUS OF THE CITY. SO SOME WILL COME WITHIN THE CITY'S BOUNDARIES. SOME BEYOND. WE'LL BE ABLE TO UTILIZEHIS IN A WAY THAT IS NOT, LIKE JIM SAID, IT'S NOT JUST CARBON NEUTRAL. IT'S CARBON NEGATIVE.
AND, ALSO, AS THE CITY DEMONSTRATES THIS -- SORRY. [ COUGHING ] IT'LL BE GOOD TO SHOW OTHER CITIES WHAT IS POSSIBLE. FOR HOW UTILITIES AND CITIES CAN PARTNER. [ COUGHING ]
OH, NO. I'M ALL GOOD. IT ALSO ALIGNS WITH OUR LARGER COMMITMENT AS A COMPANY TO BE CARBON FREE. [ COUGHING [ SORRY.I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF OF A COLD. YOU MIGHT KNOW CURRENTLY TWO-THIRDS OF OUR ELECTRICITY IS CARBON-FREE.
WE'RE ALSO ON TRACK TO MEET THE STATE'S 2040 CARBON-FREE STANDARD. SO WE'RE EXCITED TO BE PARTNERING WITH THE CITY IN THIS WAY. >> IF YOU WANT SOME WATER, COUNCILMEMBER KOSKI HAS SOMEOR YOU THERE. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH!
>> YEAH. >> ANYWAY IT'S A FANTASTIC PROGRAM. WE'VE SHOWN LEADERSHIP IN THE NATIONALLY ON THIS PROGRAM. IS AN ESSENTIAL WAY FOR US TO HELP MEET OUR CARBON-NEUTRAL GOALS UNDER OUR CLIMATE EQUITY
PLAN. AND IT'S A GREAT PARTNERSHIP IN THE SPIRIT OF THE CLEAN ENERGY PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH XCEL ENERGY TO COOPERATE AND PROVIDE THIS IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF THE CITY. AND HELP US BALANCE THE SYSTEM OUT TO MEET OUR CLIMATE EQUITY GOALS.
>> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCS FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS GREAT PROJEC I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU ABOUT WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING. BECAUSE THIS WILL STT IN THE SUMMER, RIGHT? >> YES. >> IN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU SAID HOW MUC OF THE WOOD WASTE WE'RE
CURRENTLY ABLE TO SAFL A SALVAGE OR USE. CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? >> WELL, RIGHT NOW THIS IS ACROSS THE METROPOLITAN AREA. IN FACT, I'M PART OF THE POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY WOOD WASTE STAKEHOLDERS GROUP. WORKING CLOSELY WITH COUNTIES,
ET. CETERA. ACROSS METROPOLITAN AREA, PARTICULARLY WITH EMERALD ASH BORE FOR THE NEXT FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS, IT WILL BE ALL THE WOOD. A TSUNAMI OF WOOD. IT'S THE 550,000 TONS A YEAR. AND THAT'S THROUGHOUT THE AREA. THIS IS BALANCED OUT A KIND OF
LIKE ACROSS THE METROPOLITAN CARE. WE CAN HANDLE 350,000 TONS AS A METRO AREA. THE RESTF IT RIGHT NOW, SOME IS BURNED FOR ELECTRICITY AND STEAM CON POST, MULL OF, TRAIL USE, ET. CETERA. BUT THE REST OF IT, THIS IS GOING TO BE
RETURNED TO THE ATMOSPHERE AS A BIG CARBON DIOXIDE. COMING THROUGH THE SYSTEM. ND THERE IS -- THIS IS -- WE'RE TRYING TO FIND A RESPONSIBLE WAY TO DO THIS. RIGHT NOW THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY WITH THIS CRISIS ALLOWS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE
CREATIVE AND ACTUALLY GO BEYOND THIS. OUR STEWARDSHIP INTO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS THE BASE IUES. TO GET THIS DOWN. THERE ARE SOME EMISSIONS WE CAN'T ABATE. IT ALLOWS US TO OFFSET THOSE SO WE
CAN GET OUR EMISSIONS BASELINE TO ZERO. >> GREAT. AND THE OER QUESTION ABOUT WHO THE END USER OF THE BIOCHAR IS. IS IT THE CITY OR DO WE ALLOW PARK BOARD OR COMMUNITY GROUPS, COMMUNITYGE BIOCHAR TO FERTILIZE? >> CHAIR CASHMAN, THAT'S A
FANTASTIC QUESTION! A LOT OF THIS WILL BE GOING TO -- PART IS DEDICATED TOWARDS EQUITY WORK WITHIN THE GREEN ZONES. AND TO DONATE TO COMMUNITY GROUPS. AND THAT'S A LOT OF WORK WE'LL BE DOING. AND IN THE GREEN ZONES, TO HELP SUPPORT BIOCHAR COMPOST
TO HELP WITH THEIR GOALS. THAT'S A COMMUNI-LED IDEA. ON HOW TO DO THIS, WE WANT TO LISTEN TO THEM AND SUPPORT THEM AS W CAN. TO TELL THEM -- NOT TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO BUT "HOW CAN WEELP YOU DO IT?" THE OTHER PART IS TO HELP WITHOUT THE CITY ON MEETING OUR CLIMATE
GOALS AND, ALSO, IMPROVING OUR GREEN INFRASTCTURE AS PART OF OUR CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN IN OUR 2040 PLAN. BUT THAT PUBLIC WORKS IS LOOKING AT STORMWATER APPLICATIONS. WE'RE LOOKING AT TREE PLANTINGS. WE ARE USING
THE AGRICULTURAL, LANDSCAPING, ET. CETERA. THAS QUITE A BIT OF IT. RIGHT NOW I'M WORKING WITH THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO HELP SET UP B BIOCHARTANDARDS SO THEY'RE SPECIFIED BY MNDOT AND COUNTY AND CITY ENGINEERS FOR USE IN
THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS -- WE CAN'T RECREATE IT THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM. EVERY CITY CAN'T HAVE BIOCHAR. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO DO IS TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE THEIRS, AS WELL AS THAT WOULD BE SELLING THAT BIOCHAR TO HELP UNDERWRITE THIS. WE'RE
LOOKING AT COST RECOVERY FOR OUR PROGRAM. SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, LOCAL PRODUCTION, LOCAL USE, BUT, ALSO, THROUGHOUT THE METROPOLITAN AREA FOCUSED ON GOVERNMENT USES. AND THE THIRD BEING THE CLIMATE EQUITY WORK WITHIN THE GREEN ZONES TO HELP
THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND, ALSO, OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS AND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. >> OKAY. GREAT. WELL, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS CAN ACCESS THE PRODUCT. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING ON LEGALIZING BOULEVARD GARDENING THIS YEAR!
SO THERE'S GOING TO BE, HOPEFULLY, A LOT MORE COMNITY GROUPS AND JUST NEIGHBORS STEPPING UP TO GARDEN IN THE PUBLIC RIG-OF-WAY. >> AND THE EDIBLE BOULEVARD GROUP. IT'S ONE OF THE GROUPS WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH FOR THI AGREEMENT. >> GREAT.
>> TO HELP WITH THOSE. AND I'M TRYING TO THINK, THERE WAS ANOTHER ASPECT TO THAT. BUT, YEAH. THAT WILL BE A GOOD ASPECT TO CONTINUE. >> VICE CHAIR KOSKI? >> THANK YOU, CHAIR CASHMAN. I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE
PRESENTATION. I DON'T SEE IT IN LIMS YET. I'M WONDERING. MAYBE I'M MISSING IT. I THINK THIS IS SO EXCITING. AND IT'S GREAT TO BE ABLE TO SEND OUT TO IN OUR NEWSLETTERS GOOD NEWS! AND A GRT PARTNERSHIP. AND WOULD
LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. IS IT IN LIM YET? >> I'M WORKING WITH KELLIE. >> OKAY. >> THE MANAGER HERE. WE'LL GET IT IN. WE'LL GET IT INTO LIMS.E GREAT TO PUT IT ON THE NEWS
BITES AND MAKE SURE WE CAN DISTRIBUTE. I THINK AS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND OTR GROUPS UNDERSTAND THIS IS SOMETHING THEY COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, ONCE THIS STARTS THIS SUMMER. >> AND ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE DIDN'T MENTION IN HERE BUT OTHER PLACES THAT EARLIER A FEW YEARS AGO, WE WERE WORKING WITH
H HELSENKI THROUGH THE CARBON CITY NEGATIVE ALLIANCE. WE GOT A GRANT TO HELP MAKE UP THE PLAYBOOK FOR MUNICIPALITIES INED STATES. NOW IT'S BEING WIDELY USED AS A MODEL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
>> THANK YOU. >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION ON THIS ITEM. THANK YOU, SUZANNE, FOR COMING IN, AS WELL. DON'T FORGET TO GRAB YOUR WATER. [ LAUGHTER ] AND STAY SAFE AND GET WELL. AND SEEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS, I'LL MOVE APPROVAL OF THE
MOU. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. THOSE OPPOSED S NAY. THE AYES HAVE IT. AND THE ITEM IS APPROVED. SO OUR NEXT DISCUSSION, AND LAST DISCUSSION ITEM FOR THE DAY, IS RECEIVING AND FILING A PROJECT UPDATE ON
MNDOT'RETHINKING I-94 PROJECT. HERE TO PRESENT IS MISSA BARNES. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR CASHMAN AND COUNCILMBERS. SO JUST TO SET US IN SPACE. WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT? I'M WORKING ON THE RETHINKING I-94 PROJECT.
RETHINKING I-94 SPANS FROM THE 35W HIGHWAY 55 INTERCHANGE INMIN STREET IN SAINT PAUL. IT'S ABOUT SEVEN AND A HALF MILES. WE DO LOOK AT ABOUT A QUART MILE IN EACH DIRECTION, NORTH AND
SOUTH, AS WELL. SO WE'RE IN SOMETHING CALLED AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT. THAT'S THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT THAT THE FEDERALOVERNMENT HAS. AND IT DOES HAVE MULTIPLE PHASES. SO APOLOGIES FOR THE
COMPLEX SCHEDULE HERE. IN 2015, OUR THEN COMMISSIONER ZELLE MADE AN APOLOGY TO THE COMNITY FOR THE HARMS THAT WERE DONE WHEN THE FREEWAY WENT THROUGH THEIR COMMUNITY AND TOOK OUT BUSINESSES AND HOMES. FROM 2016 TO 2018, WE WENT OUT AND
LISTENED TO COMMUNITY. WE WEREN'T IN ANY PROCESS. WE WEREN'T LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVES. WE WERE JUST ASKING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, PEOPLE'S LIVES, AND BEING AROUND I-94. OUT OF THAT CAME WHAT IS CALLED OUR GOALS AND LIVABILITY. AND I'LL
TALK ABOUT THAT LATER. IN 2018, WE STARTED THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS. WE HAVE CREATED WHAT IS CALLED A PURPOSE AND NEED. WE'VE HAD FEEDBACK ON THAT. AND MORE INFORMATION. WE HAVE CREAD EVALUATION CRITERIA.
WE'VE EVALUATED THE ALTERNATIVE THE.S WE BROUGHT THE ALTERNATIVES OUT IN SUMMER OF 2023 FOR FOLKS TO LOOK AT. WE'RE MOVING FORWARD INTO A SCOPING DECISION DOCUMENT THAT WILL COME FORWARD WITH
FEWER ALTERNATIVES TOOVE INTO THE NEXT PHASE. THE EVALUATION OF THE ALTERNATIVES IS WHAT YOU'LL START TO SEE THIS SPRING AND SUMMER. THESE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS AT THIS TIME. THEY'RE PRELIMINARY AS WE MOVE TOWARDS MOR ENGAGEMENT, MORE TIME OF COMMUNITY, AND THEN A
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD THIS UPCOMING FALL THAT HAS TO HAPPEN BEFORE WE FINALIZE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS. THEN WE MOVE INTO TIER ONE. SO TIER ONE TAKES AN ADDITIONAL THREE YEARS AND GETS MUCH MORE DETAILED INTO WHAT WE'RE EVALUATING. AFTER
THOSE THREE YEARS, WE'LL HAVE ND OF A VISION FOR THE SEVEN AND A HALF MILES. IT'S SEVEN AND A HALF MILES. SEVEN AND A HALF MILES OF CONSTRUCTION AT ONCE IS PROBABLY IN THE AOST $2 BILLION. WE'LL LIKELY BE A PROGRAM OF PROJECTS. SO MULTIPLE PROJECTS OVER A PERIOD
OF TIME. THERE IS NO FUNDING R A PROJECT AT THIS TIME. WE'RE STILL SCOPING. WE'RE ILL ENVISIONING. WE KNOW WE HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS FOR A FREEWAY THAT WAS BUILT IN THE EARLY 1960s THAT ARE COMING UP. SO WHEN WE SAY 2030, IT'LL PROBABLY BE NEAR THERE. BUT WE
HAVE TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE BUILDING, FIRST, INRDER TO PUT FUNDING TOWARDS IT. SO JUST AS A REMINDER, WE'RE IN SCOPING RIGHT NOW. WE WILL FINALIZE THAT SCOPING DOCUMENT HERE EARLY
2026. SO WE'RE -- WE'VE GOT ABOUT A YEAR BEFORE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE FINALIZED. THEN WE MOVE INTO THREE-YEARS OF ADDIT ADDITIONAL A ANALYSIS. FINALIZING THE FINAL ALTERNATIVE ABOUT 2029 WITH POTENTIAL PROJECTS IN 2030 THAT NEED THEIR OWN ENVIRONMENTAL
DOCUMENT WITH SMALLER PROJECT LIMITS WITHIN TH THIS PROJECT. SO RETHINKING, I MENTIONED T PURPOSE AND NEED. I THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE TO READ IT. THAT'S WHY WE ARE HERE. SO PROJECTS WITHIN THE RETHINKING I-94 CORRIDOR WILL IMPVE
MOBILITY FOR PEOPLE AND GOODS ON AND ALONG T CORRIDOR IN A WAY THAT FACILITATES COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS FOR ALL MODES, ENHANCE SAFETY FOR PEOPLE AND GOODS, ON AND ALONG THE 94 CORRIDOR FORLL MODES. ADDRESS AGING INFRASTRUCTURE CONDITION WITHIN THE 94 CORRIDOR. AND
SUPPORT TRANSPORTATION OBJECTIVES CONSISTENT WITH ADOPTED STATE AND REGIONAL PLANS. THESE ARE THE NEEDS OF THE PROJECT SO SAFETY, SAFETY FOR MOTOR VEHICLES, PEOPLE AND MOTOR VEHICLES, AND SAFETY FOR PEOPLE. WALKABILITY AND
BIKABILITY RISK AND COMFORT. INFRASTRUCTURE CONDITION, AS I SAID, WE'RE NEARING THE END OF MOST OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S USEFUL LIFE. AND MOBILITY. I MENTIONED THE GOALS EARLIER ON. THESE WERE CREATED FROM THE COMMUNITY FROM TH THINGS
COMMUNITY WANTED TO SEE. THEY ARE EVALUATED RIGHT ALONG WITH INFRASTRUCTURE CONDITION AND SAFETY AND MOBILITY. PEOPLE -- WE HEARD PEOPLE SAY THEY WANTED TO SEE CONNECTIONS. AND CONNECTING THEIR COMMUNITY. THEY WANTED TO SEE BETTER PUBLIC HEALTH. AND ENVIRONMENTAL
CONCERNS. ECONOMIC VITALITY, A SENSE OF PLACE, SAFETY, AND BEYOND. BEYOND JUST THE SAFETY, WE MEASURE IN OUR MANUALS, BUT A FEELING OF SAFETY AND EQUITY. SO WHEN WE WENT TO DEVELOP
ALTERNATIVES, WE HAD ALL THAT FORMATION. WE TOOK -- WE DID A TRANSIT STUDY. WE TOOK THE TIME. WE KNOW TRANSIT IS IMPORTANT ALONG THE CORRIDOR. WE MARRIED THAT WITH THE HIGHWAY ELEMENTS, AND PUT THEM TOGETHER TO BRING OUT ALTERNATIVES THAT WE SHARED WITH THEUBLIC. WE
KNOW THAT THERE ARE NEEDS BOTH ALONG AND ACROSS FOR IMPROVED PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE FACILITIES. WE HAVE A COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE THOSE. WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THAT MORE IN THE NEXT PHASES. HERE WERE A TON OF ALTERNATIVES. IT WAS A LOT! SO I WILL GO THROUGH THESE
IN A LITTLE BIT ME DETAIL. I'M GOING TO TOUCH ON THEM LIGHTLY HERE. RANGING FROM DOING NOTHING. WE ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE A "DO NOTHING" ALTERNATIVE. THAT'S WHATE COMPARE ALL FUTURE ALTERNATIVES TO. THAT'S CALLED THE NO BUILD. WE HAD MINOR MAINTENANCE ALTERNATIVES. WE HAVE
ALTERNATIVES THAT EXPAND THE FREEWAY. WE HAVE ALTERNATIVE THAT RECONFIG YOUR THE FREEWAY. AND THEN ALTERNATIVES THAT FILL IN THE FREEWAY AND MAKE IT AN AT-GRADE WITH SOMETHING LIKE A TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND INTERSECTIONS. WE DEVELOP THE
EVALUATION CRITERIA. ALTERNATIVES THAT MOVE FORWARD INTO THE TIER 1 PHASE. THEY NEED TO ADDRESS THE PURPOSE AND NEED. THE PURPOSE AND NEED IS WHY WE ARE HERE. WHY WE STARTEY BE SCREENED OUT, THOUGH, IF THEY DO N MEET SOCIAL, ECONOMIC,
AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT NEEDS. IF THEY DO NOT MEET THE GOALS OR LIVABILITY, AND, ALSO, WITH ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS ARE RELATED TO COST AND ALIGNMENT WITH STATE, REGIONAL, AND LOCAL
PLANS. WE'RE ONLINE RIGHT NOW. SO WHEN WE RELEASE THE ALTERNATIVES IN 2023, THERE WASN'T A LOT OF CONTEXT TO THEM. WE HA EVALUATED THE ALTERNATIVES. THE EVALUATION IS ONLINE. IT'S JUST A LITTLE SNIP ON THE SEEN OF WHAT THE SUMMARY MATRIX LOOKS LIKE. BUT IT'S AVAILABLE FOR FOLKS TO LOOK
AT. IT'S BIG. WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO THROUGH IT TODAY. BUT THERE FOR PEOPLEHO WANT TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT HOW EACH ALTERNATIVE MEASURED UP TO EAC OF THE EVALUATION CRITERIA. SO WE DEVELOPED THAT INFORMATION BASED ON THE ALTERNATIVES EVALUATION MEMO. AND I WOULD
ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO GO AND TAKE A LOOK. WE'LL BE COMING OUT WITH MORE OF THAT FOR THE PUBLIC IN THE SUMMER. AND THERE'S SOME GOOD WAYS TO WALK THROUGH THAT ONLINE. IF FOLKSRE INTERESTED. SO HERE ARE OUR PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS. THEN I'LL WALK THROUGH A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHY ON
EACH ONE OF THEM. SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO RETAIN THE NO BUILD. THAT'S REQUIRED TO MOVE FORWARD. AS PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS. A MAINTENANCE B ALTERNATIVE THAT ADDS TRANSIT SHOULDER WEST OF HIGHWAY 280 BETWEEN DOWNTOWN
SAINT PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS. A REDUCED FREEWAY ALTERNATIVE. THAT MAKES IT CONSISTENT THREE-LANE SECTION BETWEEN DOWNTOWN SAINT PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS WITH ONE OF THOSE LANES BEING A MANAGED LANE WITH BRT, EZ PASS, AND HOV. OUR
RECONFIGURED FREEW, WHICH IS FOUR CONSISTENTLY LANES IN EACH DIRECTION WITH ONE BEI A MANAGED LANE. ALTERNATIVES WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO DISMISS. BOTH EXPANDED FREEWAY ALTERNATIVES L.. SOMETHI CALLED THE LOCAL REGIONAL. I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
AT-GRADE ALTERNATIVES AND MINOR MAINTENANCE ALTERNATIVE. SO, AGAIN, THE NO BUILD REQUIRE IS REQUIRED TO BE RETAINED. WE'LL KEEP THAT ONE MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE IT'S REQUIRED TO COMPARE ALL THE OTHER ALTERNATIVES. THE
MAINTENANCE B ALTERNATIVE, AS I MENTIONED, THAT ONE ADDS A TRANSIT SHOULDER WEST OF HIGHWAY 280. CURRENTLY THERES NO TRANSIT SHOULDER WEST OF HIGHWAY 280 ALLOWING FOR TRANSIT TO HE A TRANSIT ADVANTAGE. THE ENTIRE ROUTE OF I-94. IT DOES NOT FAIL ANYTHING IN PURPOSE AND NEED.
IT MEETS THE PURPOSE AND NEED. D ALLOWS FOR IMPROVEMENT BOTH ACROSS I-94 AND ALONG FOR PEOPLE WALKING AND BIKING, AS WE LOOK AT IMPROVING THE BRIDGES. THERE'S NO MAJOR POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, OR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. AND DOES HAVE A MODERATE PENTIAL TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE GOALS AND
LIVABILITY ITEMS. BUT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT IT MORE IN THE NEXT PHASE. THIS ALTERNATIVE JUST, TO GIVE FOLKS A PICTURE. IT'S THE REDUCED FREEWAY ALTERNATIVE. RIGHT NOW I-94 IS THREE OR FOUR LANES IN EACH DIRECTION,
DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE. ALONG THE SEVEN AND A HALF MILES. AGAIN THE REDUCED FREEWAY WOULD CREATE A CONSISTENT THREE-LANE SECTION WITH ONE OF THOSE LANES BEING THAT MANAGED LANE. ALL FOUR PROJECT NEEDS REPUBLICAN ADDRESSED. BUT THERE ARE SOME
CONCERNS WITH MOBILITY IMPACTS. IT DOES PUSH TRAFFIC ON TO LOCAL STREETS SYSTEMS. BUT WE NEED TO STUDY IT FURTHER TO UNDERSTAND THAT ONE MORE. THERE ARE SOME -- THERE'S A MIX OF BENEFITS AND IMPACTS FOR SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. INCLUDING MOVING SOME
TRAFFIC CLOSER TO HOMES, SO BRINGS AIR QUALITY CONCERNS. BUT, AGAIN, WE'LL LOOK AT IT MORE IN THE NEXT PHASE. WE TALKED ABOUT TRANSIT. THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES FOR TRANSSIFT. THERE'S NO-STOPS BETWEEN DOWNTOWN SAINT PAUL AND
MINNEAPOLIS. ONE STOP. OR THREE STOPS. WHEN WE ADD AT STOP AT SEEDER RIVER SIDE, THERE'S A COERN. THAT'S THE THREE-STOP ALTERNATIVE THAT WILL IMPACT RIGHT-OF-WAY. AND END UP TOUCHING PERHAPS BUSINESSES OR HOMES. SO SOMETHING WE WILL HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO AS WE LOOK FURTHER INTO THAT, AS WE DO
NOT WANT TO IMPACT RIGHT-OF-WAY. A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION JUST ON THE IMPACTS TO TRAFFIC. AS WE START TO TALK ABOUT THE REGIONAL SYSTEM AND LOOKING AT MAKING A SMALLER I-94. I-94 WOULD BE REDUCED. WE'RE LOOKING
2045 TRAFFIC VOLUMES HERE. THEY'RE FAIRLY SIMILAR TO THE TRAFFIC VOLUMES OUT THEREODAY. WHEN YOU START TO LOOK AT THAT. I-94 WOULD BE REDUCED BY TRAFFIC. TRAFFIC WOULD GO REGIONALLY KIND OF AS YOU'D EXPECT. PEOPLE WOULD TAKE 36,
E, 35W, A FEW ON 494 AND 649 AS THEY'RE TRYING TO GO EAST/WEST REGIONALLY. I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THE IMPACTS TO THE LOCAL SYSTEM. THE TWIN CITIES IS VIBRANT AND PEOPLE WANT TO BE IN THE TWIN CITIES! PEOPLE ARE STARTING FROM THE
TWIN CITIES. AS WE LOOK AT THE IMPACTS, YOU CAN SEE IMPACTS TO THE EAST/WEST ROADWAYS, SOME NORTH/SOUTH ROADWAYS, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO GET TO AND FROM EAST/WEST ROADWAYS. YOU'LL HEAR ME TALK ABOUT THE BRIE. NOT BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY PINCH POINT, BUT BECAUSE WE DO NOT
HAVE A CONSISTENT NETWORK OVER RIVERS. SO WHEN WE START TO GET TO RIVER, WE ONLY HAVE SO MANY RIVER CROSSINGS. AND THAT MEANS THAT WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH CAPACITY TO GET OVER THE RIVER. SO FOR THE REDUCED FREEWAY,
CURRENTLY THERE'S ABOUT 17 TO 18,000 VEHICLES PER DAY THAT CROSS AT LAKE STREET. THAT WOULD GO UP B ABOUT 4,000 VEHICLES PER DAY. ON WASHINGTON AVENUE, ERE'S ABOUT 6,000 VEHICLES PER DAY THAT CROSS IT. THAT WOULD WANT TO GO UP BY ABOUT 2,000 VEHICLES PER DAY.
YOU CAN START TO SEE HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL TRIPS WOULD BE ON THE NETWORK. OUTSIDE OF 94. THEN SAID, WELL, WE KNOW THAT THE MODELS ARE NOT 100% PERFECT. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE TOOK AN ADDITIONAL 33% OF THOSE TRIPS.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE SAID 11,000 TRIPS, EITHER WOULDN'T BE MADE, TAKE ANOTHER ME, OR TRAVEL SOMEPLACE ELSE. MAYBE THEY GO EVEN FURTHER AWAY. THEN WE LOOK AT LAKE STREET BRIDGEWO0
VEHICLES PER DAY. AND THE WASHINGTON AVENUE BRIDGE ONLY WANT TO INCREASE BY 1200 VEHICLES PER DAY. THOSE NUMBERS E MUCH MORE REASONABLE. SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT AS PART OF THE NEXT PHASES. AND WE WANT TO THE LEARN MORE ON MOVING THIS
FORWARD. THE NEXT ALTERNATIVE WE'RE PROPOSG TO RETAIN IS CALLED THE RECONFIGURED FREEWAY. THIS ALTERNATIVE HAS FOUR CONSISNT LANES IN EACH DIRECTION. WITH ONE OF THOSE LANES BEING A MANAGED LANE. AGAIN, ALL FOUR PROJECT NEEDS ARE ADDRESSED. IT DOES HAVE
POTENTIAL FOR A MIX OF SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL INTAIBILITIES. AND, AGAIN, CONCERN WITH THE THIRD BUS RAPID TRANSIT STATION. IT HAS A MODERATE TO HIGH POTENTIAL TO ADDRES THE GOALS AND LIVABILITY ITEMS. AND NO CONCERNS RELATED
TO ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS. MOVING ON TO THE ALTERNATIVES WE'RE RECOMMENDING OR IT DISMISSED. AGAIN, THAT WAS MAINTENANCA. BOTH EXPANDED FREEWAYS. THE LOCAL REGIONAL TERNATIVE. AND BOTH --
ALTERNATIVES. MAINTENANCE A IS A MINOR MAINTENANCE ALTERNATIVE. IT DOESN'T REALLY EXPAND BRIDGES. IT KEEPS THE ROADWAY AS IS. THIS ONE FAILS TO MEE THE PURPOSE FOR THE NEEDS OF THE PROJECT. THE EXPANDED FREEWAY I'M GOING TO SHOW ONE PICTURE HERE. EANDED FREEWAY A ADDS A
MANAGED LANE TO THE ENTIRETY OF 94. IT KEEPS IT AS IS TODAY. ADDS ADDITIONAL LANE. XPANDED FREEWAY B ADDS A GENERAL PURPOSE LANE AND PUTS TRANSIT ON THE SHOULDER. BOTH OF THESE ALTERNATIVES TECHNICALLYDDRESS
THE PURPOSE AND NEED. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE A HIGH SPECIAL FOR GREATER IMPACTS TO THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES. INCLUDING POTENTIAL RIGHT-OF-WAY IMPACTS, INCLUDING INCREASED EXPOSURE TO NOISE AND AIR QUALITY ISSUES, SO FOR THOSE
REASONS, WE'RE PROPOSING TO DISMISS BOTH EXPANDED FREEWAY ALTERNATIVES. THE LOCAL REGIONAL ROADWAY ALTERNATIVE. THIS ONE THE VISION HERE IS THE REGIONAL SYSTEM WOULD BE FREEWAY
STILL. IT WOULD HAVEAYBE ONE OR TWO INTERCHANGES BETWEEN DOWNTOWN SAINT PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS. SO TODAY THERE'S INTERCHANGES LIKE DALE AND 280 AND ADDITIONAL ONES. MAYBE THERE WOULD BE SMELLING. THE REST OF THE TRAFFIC WOULD GTO THE LOCAL SYSTEM. AND ACCESS
THE LOCAL STREET NETWORK IN THAT AREA. THIS ALTERNATIVE WE DO HAVE CONCERNS WITH THE ABILITYT PARTICULARLY MOBILITY AS WE START TO TALK ABO THE SIZE OF THE INTERCHANGES NEEDED AT THAT ONE INTERCHANGE. IT WOULD
LIKELY BE, ALSO, IMPACTING RIGHT-OF-WAY. THERE'S ALSO ADDITIONAL NEGATIVE IMPACTS TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE POPULATIONS. WHEN WE MOVE MORE TRAFFIC, SLOWER-MOVING TRAFFICCT IS WORSE FOR NOISE AND WORSE FOR
AIR QUALITY. THE AT-GRADE ALTERNATIVES. THERE ARE TWO OF THEM. I'M SHOWING ONE. THAT WOULFILL IN THE 94 TRENCH, PUT I-94 AT THE SAME GRADE AS CROS STREETS. AND PUT TRAFFIC SIGNALS ON I-94 INSTEAD OF INTERCHANGES. THERE WOULD BE TWO LANES IN EACH DIRECTION.
THE VISION WOULD BE FOR MORE LIKE A 30-MILES PER HOUR STREET WITH THE DEDICATED BUS RAPID TRANSIT LANE. THE OTHER AT GRATE B PUT THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT LANE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE GENERAL PURPOSE LANES.
THESE ALTERNATIVES DO NOT ADDRESS MOBILITY. IT IS EXTREMELY OVER CAPACI. IT MAKES SAFETY WORSE. SO MORE PEOPLE, THERE WILL BE MORE FATALITIES THAN THERE ARE TODAY. THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS AND
QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO IMPROVE WALKABILITY AND BIKABILITY. ALSO, THERE WILL BE MORE PEOPLE EXPOSED TO WORSE AIR QUALITY. AGAIN, WE'RE PUTTING MORE PEOPLE ON THE LOCAL SYSTEM. MOVING SLOWER, WHICH WILL EXPOSE MORE PEOPLE TO AIR QUALITY ISSUES.
WE KNOW THERE'S BEEN QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WALKABILITY AND BIKABILITY FOR THE AT-GRADE ALTERNATIVES. THE PERFORMANCE IS MIXED AND HAS QUESTIONS. THERE ARE SOME BENEFITS AND SOME CONCERNS. THERE'S THE CONCERN ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR INCREASED CONFLICTSITH MOTORIZED VEHICLES. HOWEVER,
THERE MIGHT BE A POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL CROINGS. SO FOR THAT REASON, IT WAS RATED AS YELLOW OR QUESTIONABLE. THE AT-GRADE ALTERNATIVES ARE NOT RECOMMENDED FOR DISMISSAL
BECAUSE OF WALKABILITY. BUTBEC SO I'LL SHOW YOU, AGAIN, WE'LL GO TO THE REGIONAL ROADWAY SYSTEM IMPACTS TO I-94 IN 2045. DAILY TRAFFIC ON I-94, YOU WOULD
HAVE TO ME 128,000 VEHICLES OFF OF I-94. THEY'D GO KIND OF, AGAIN, WHERE YOU EXPECT THEM. 36th, 35W, 35E. THEY GO DOWN TO THE 494, 62, WEST SEVENTH,
HIGH W HIAWATHA IN ORDER TO WORK THEIR WAY AROUND THE CITIES. I WANT TO POINT OUT HERE, THOUGH, THE LAKE AND MARSHALL BRIDGE. AS A REMINDER, THAT BRIDGE TODAY IS ABOUT 17,000/18,000 VEHICLES. TRAFFIC ON THAT BRIDGE WOULD DOUBLE.
YOU NEED TO PUT AN ADDITIONAL 18,000 VEHICLES ON THAT BRIDGE IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS WORK. THAT ACTUALLY CAN'T HAPPEN. HERE IS THE LOCAL SYSTEM. THIS IS THE LOCAL ROADWAY NETWORK. AS WE START TO LOOK AT WHAT ROADWAYS
WOULD SEE INCREASES IN TRAFFIC. MOST OF THESE ROADWAYS THAT ARE RED WOULD DOUBLE OR NEARLY DOUBLE IN TRAFFIC. AS WE START TO LOOK AT THEM. AGAIN, THE BRIDGES ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT GET MOSTLY IMPACTED. THERE ARE ALSO OTHER PINCH POINTS ON
THE SYSTEM. THE NEW 94 WOULD BE ABOUT 35,000 VEHICLES PER DAY. SO, AIN, WE'RE GOING FROM ABOUT 170,000 PER DAY TO 35,000 VEHICLES PER DAY. WHEN YOU START TO CROSS A 35,000 VEHICLE PER DAY ROADWAY WITH ANOTHER
30,000 VICLE PER DAY ROADWAY, YOU NEED TO LOOK AT GRADE SEPARATION FOR SAFETY. YOU SEE A LOT MORE CRASHES, THEY START TO INCREASE, PANE MOBILITY. WE HAVE A COUPLE 30,000 VEHICLE-PER DAY ROADWAYS ALONG THE CORRIDOR. BOTH AT SNELLING AND LEXINGTON.
SO WE'VE ACTUALLY ENDED UP BACK WHERE WE STARTED. SO WE LOOKED AT SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS HERE. LIKE WE DID ON THEEDUCED FREEWAY. AND SAID WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF LESS PEOPLE MADE THE TRIP OR LESS PEOPLE OR MORE
PEOPLE SWITCHED MODES. WE ASMED 72,000 PEOPLE WOULD DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THEY WOULD NOT MAKE THE TRIP.THEY WOULD TAKE TRANSIT. THEY WOULD TAKE MAYBE A ROADWAY EVEN FURTHER AWAY THAN 694. WE'RE STILL SEEING AN INCREASE ON THE LAKE
STREET BRIDGE BY ALMOST 12,000 VEHICLES PER DAY. WE'RE STILL SEEING AN INCREASE ON THE WASHINGTON AVENUE BRIDGE OF DOUBLE THE TRAFFIC. WE KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO GET TO THE WASHINGTON AVENUE BRIDGE. SO THIS DOES NOT SERVE MOBILITY. THERE IS NOT THE CAPACITY IN THE
SURROUNDING NETWORK TO MAKE UP FOR THE TRAFFIC THAT 94 CURRENTLY CARRIES TODAY. I MENTIONED WE'RE COMING OUT TO SHARE THIS WITH THE PUBLIC. THOSE ARE PART OF OUR NEXT
STEPS. COMING UP AT THE END OF MARCH, WE'LL RELEASE THE ALTERNATIVES EVACUATION DOCUMENT. AND START COMING OUT INTO COMMUNITY TO SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH PEOPLE. IF FOLKS HERE HAVE AN IDEA WHERE WE SHOULD BE, HOW WE REACH THE
PEOPLE Y REPRESENT, WE'RE HAPPY TO COORDINATE WITH YOU. WOULD LIKE TO BE OUT IN NEIGHBORHOODS. FOR SERIOUSLY THIS SUMMER AS WE LEAD INTO THAT PUBLIC COMMENTERIOD THIS UPCOMING FALL. SO WHAT HAVE WE
DONE WITH THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN TO DATE. CHANGES HAVE HAPPENED AT EVERY STEP. WHEN WE DEVELOPED OUR FIRST PURPOSE AND NEED, IT LOOKED DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE I SHARED TODAY. THAT WAS UPDATED FROM COMMUNITY FEEDBACK. WHENE DEVELOPED THE EVALUATION CRITERIA, IT LOOKED DIFFERENT THAN SOME OF THE ITEMS I TALKED
ABOUT TODAY. THOSE WERE UPDATED FROM COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, AS WELL. THE GOALS AND LIVABILITY WERE CREATED DIRECTLY BY THE COMMUNIT THREE OF THE 10 ALTERNATIVES WE EVALUATED WERE COMMUNITY CREATED ALTERNATIVES. AND THEN WE WERE REQUESTED TO DO
A TRAFFIC ANALYSIS. SO WE -- ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC ABLE SIS. WE DID A THIRD-PARTY REVIEW OF THE TRAFFIC ANALYSIS. AND USE EXISTING TOOLS TO TRACK TOOLS OF EXISTING TRAFFIC AND HOW IT MOVED AROUND TODAY. MINNEAPOLIS
STAFF ARE PRETTY CLOSED INVOLVED. WE HAVE STAFF INVOLVED IN FOURORKING GROUPS. AND THEY MEET MONTHLY. THE TRAFFIC WORKING GROUP, THE TECHNICAL GROUP, BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN WORKING GROUP, AS WELL AS THE POLICY AND PLANNING COMMITTEE. WE HAVE TWO
MINNEAPOLIS COUNCILMEMBERS, COUNCILMEMBER OSMAN AND COUNCILMEMBER WONSLEY ON OUR POLICY ADVISORY COMTTEE. AND WE HAVE A GROUP CALLED THE COMMUNITY LEADERS. THAT'S A GROUP OF ABOUT 45 STAKEHOLDERS FROM NEIGHBORHOODS WHO ADVISE ON OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT
MATERIALS. ABOUT A DOZEN PRESENTATIVES FROM MINNEAPOLIS NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE GROUP. WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE FEEDBACK! SO NEXT STEPS. WE HAVE OUR COOPERATING AND PARTICIPATIONING AGENCY REVIEW. MINNEAPOLIS IS A PARTICIPATING AGENCY AND
CURRENTLY REVIEWING THE ALTERNATIVES EVALUATION MEMO. THAT'LL BE WRAPPED UP ABOUT THE END OF MARCH. WE'LL BE UPDATING THE COMMUNITY LEADERS. ONCE THAT MEMO IS FINALIZED. AND THEN WE'RE BRINGING IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC. TO SHARE, TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE UERSTAND, TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE, ALL LEADING INTO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD THIS UPCOMING FALL. AND THEN FINALIZATION OF THIS SCOPING DOCUMENT IN EARLY 2026. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?
>> YES. EXCUSE ME. I'M ALSO RECOVERING FROM A COLD. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I'M GOING TO CHECK WHICH COUNCILMEMBERS ARE IN QUEUE TO ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS. I GUESS I'LL GET STARTED. AS SOMEONE
WH HAS WORKED ON CITY-RELATED PLANS FOR MODE SHIFT GOA AND VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED, PRODUCTION GOALS FOR I DON'T KNOW MAYBE5 YEARS. SINCE I WAS A VERY YOUNG PERSON IN THIS CITY. I JUST CURIOUS ABOUT HOW THOSE GOALS ARE BEING INCORPORATED INTO YOUR ANALYSIS
HERE. I KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE A STATE VEHICLE MILES REDUCTION GOAL AS ESTABLISHED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE. I'M WONDERING HOW THIS PROJECT CONTRIBUTES TO REDUCING VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED AND MODE SHIFT GOALS FOR CITY, COUNTY, AND FOR THE STATE.
>> YEAH. GOOD QUESTION, CHAIR CASHMAN. THANK YOU. WE HAVE SIMILAR GOALS AT THE STATES. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE EXACTLY ALIGNED. REOPERATING WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ALIGNMENT WITH OUR STATEND REGIONAL PLANS. WE'RE OPERATING UNDER THE STATE AND REGIONAL PLANS. ALL OF THE
ALTERNATIVES WE HAVE ON THE TABLE INCLUDE QUALITY TRANSIT SERVICE, INCLUDE IMPROVEMENT TO BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES, AND WE DO HAVE ALTERNATIVES THAT REDUCE BMT THAT WE'LL BE MOVING FORWARD INTO THE NEXTHASE. >> OKAY. WHICH OF THE ALTERNIVES?
>> REDUCED FREEWAY ALTERNATIVE. >> DO YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATION OF HO MANY VEHICLES, MILE TRAVELED THEY WOULD REDUCE? >> I WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT. >> OKAY. I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT YOUR MODELING. WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE PSENTATION IN
ADVANCE, AND I SAW WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A TRADE-OFF THAT IS BEING ILLUSTRATED OF HOW MANY VEHICLES WOULD MOVE TO OTHER STREETS. TO ME, I'M NOT -- IT'D THING. THAT VEHICLES MOVING TO LAKE STREET OR MOVING TO
WASHINGTON OR EVEN MOVING TO 494 AND 694 OUTSIDE THE CITY. WHY IS IT A BAD THING WHEN THOSE STREETS DO HAVE,IKE, TRANSIT NETWORKS. LAKE STREET HAS A B LINE OPENING THIS SPRING. WHICH CAN CARRY SO MANY MORE PEOPLE
THAN A VEHICLE CAN. HOW ARE YOU EVALUATING, LIKE, THE FUTURE PLS FOR TRANSIT EXPANSION ON ALL THE OTHER CORRIDORS THAT THE VEHICLES WOULD MOVE TO? >> YEAH. THANK YOU, CHAIR CASHMAN. GOOD QUESTION. AS WE START TO TALK ABOUT VEHICLES AND TRIPS, WHICH I THINK MAYBE YOU'RE REFERENCING. MONG TO
DIFFERENT STREETS. YES. THERE IS ASSUMPTIONS IN THE MODELING THAT THOSE BRT AND OTHER TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE THERE. AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD INTO 2045. SO THERE IS AN ASSUMPTION OFHERO WILL BE TAKING TRANSIT. WE'LL BE PUTTING ADDITIONAL TRANSIT.
I THINK WHEN WE START TO TALK ABOUT TRADE-OFFS MOVING TO LOCAL STREETS, WHETHER I'M NOT PUTTING A BAD OR GOOD ASPECT ON THAT. BUT WE DID LEARN THAT WHEN WE LOOKED AT PARTICULARLY THE AT-GRADE ALTERNATIVE, WHEN WE MOVE THAT MUCH ADDITIONAL
TRAFFIC T LOCAL STREETS, WE PARTICULARLY THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK, WE A SEEING AN INCREASE IN FATALITIES OVER ALL. AND THOSE FATALIES ARE GOING TO IMPACT PEOPLE WALKING AND BIKING, MOST OF ALL. >> OUR HIGHWAYS ARE THE MOST
DANGEROUS STREETS OF ANY? >> ACTUALLY HIGHWAYS USUALLY ARE SAFER STREETS, AS YOU HAVE SIMILAR SPEEDS. PEOPLE MERGING ON A OFF. THE CRASHES YOU GET CAN BE MORE SEVERE BECAUSE OF HIGH SPEEDS. BUT THERE ARE MORE
CRASHES ON CITY STREETS PER VEHICLE MILES TRAVEL THAN THERE WOULDE ON THE HIGHWAY. >> BUT DEADLY. DANGEROUS CRASHES. >> YES. PEDESTRIAN CRASHINGS EVEN ON LOW-SPEED STREETS ARE ALSO VERY DANGEROUS. OKAY. I
LIVE ON THE HIGHWAY. I LIVE RIGHT BEFORE THE LOWRY TUNNEL. THERE ARE CRASHES AT THAT AREA. PRETTY FREQUENTLY. I'M LOOKING THE BEST THING FOR MY NEIGHBORHOOD IN LOWRY HILL. F ME, IT FEELS LIKE SLOWING DOWN
TRAFFIC, REDUCING VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED, HAVING SAFE TRANSIT OPTIONS IS A PRIORITY. WHICH IS WHY WE OFFERED THE RETHIING 94 PRIORITIES RESOLUTION WE SHARED WITH YOU, LAST YEAR, AS WELL, FROM THE CITY COUNCIL'S PERSPECTIVE. SO I JUST WANTED TO ASK A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS
ABOUT PUIC HEALTH. WE DID -- WE HAD A LEGISLATIVE DIRECTIVE LAST YEAR IN THIS COMMITTEE ABOUT THE HERC. THE HENNEPIN ENERGY RECOVY CENTER. AND THE DATA COMING FORWARD SHOWED A MAP
WHICH IS CANCER RISK ALONG THE CITY. OR THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AND IT DID SHOW THAT VEHICLE EMISSIONS ARE THE BIGGT CONTRIBUTOR TO CANCER RISK. AND IT SHOWED REALLY DARK RED SWATH. AND THAT BASICALLY FOLLO THE 94 CORRIDOR. CAN YOU EXPLAIN
HOW YOU AR CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS, ASTHMA, CANCER, AND THE REDUCTION OF THOSE PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS IN YOUR ANALYSIS. >> YEAH. THANK YOU, CHAIR CASHMAN. WE DO LOOK AT AIR QUALITY FROM A REGIONAL BUT ALSO
ATTAMENT STANDARDS. SO WE ARE IN AN ATTAINMENT IN THE TWIN CITIES. WE'RE MEDIAN THE REQUIREMENTS FOR AIR QUALITY THAT WE NEED TO MEET. AND WE'LL CONTINUEO MONITOR WHETHER WE'RE MEETING THEM THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT. AS WE STARTED TO LOOK AT TRADE-OFFS BETWEEN DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES, AND TALKED WITH EXPERTS, WE'VE HAD
THIS QUESTION A LOT. WHAT IMPACTS COULD WE DO? HOW DO WE MEASURE TRADE-OFFS TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY WHEN WE SLOW TRAFFIC DOWN. AIR QUALITY ISSUES INCREASE EXPONENTIALLY. THE SLOWER TRAFFIC IS GOING, THE
WORSE AIR QUALITY IS. IN GENERAL, OVER TIME, AIR QUALITY IS GETTING BETTER. THE FLEET IS TURNING OVER. MORE ELECTRIC VEHICLES. THIS ARE IMPROVING IN GENERAL. BUT, AGAIN, WHEN WE SLOW TRAFFIC DOWN AND MOVE THEM CLOSER TO HOUSES AND MOVE MORE TRAFFIC CLOSER TO HOUSES, WE
MAKE AIR QUALITY WORSE. THE BEST THING WE CAN DO FOR AIR QUALITY IS KEEP TRAFFIC MOVING ON THE FREEWAY. SO THAT IT IS NOT BRINGING FOR AN ADDITIONAL EMISSIONS THAT HAPPEN WHEN YOU REALLY SLOW TRAFF DOWN. >> IT FEELS LIKE IT DEPENDS ON
WH SCALE YOU'RE CONSIDERING. I MEAN, LIKE, THE BEST THING FOR AIR QUALITY WOULD BE REDUCE VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED, RIGHT? >> IN CERTAIN CASES. SO I THINKHERE'S TRADE-OFFS. AND I THINK YOU CAN GO PRETTY FAR ANOTHER WAY. OR IF YOU HAVE
TRAFFIC THAT HAS COME TO A STAND STILL. PERHAPS YOU HAVEN'T IMPROVED NI ANYTHING. YOU HAVE IDLING TRUCKS,DLING VEHICLES THAT AREN'T MOVING. AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE GOOD TO BREATHE IN. >> YEAH. I SEE THAT ARGUMENT IN
A LOT OF THE STREET RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUTDLING VEHICLES AS BEING, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SLOW TRAFFIC DOWN, THEN THERE'LL BE IDLING VEHICLES AND CAUSING MORE RESPIRATORY HEALTH. BUT THAT IS COUNTER TO OUR
GOALS AS A CITY. TO SLOW TRAFFIC DOWN. I MEAN, YOU HEARD SOMEONE TODAY TALKING ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT TRAFFIC CALMING HAS BEEN FOR HIS NEIGHBORHOOD. THAT'S A PROGRAM THAT WE AS A COUNCIL ABSOLUTELY LOVE AND WANT TO SUPPORT IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD. WITH THE GOAL BEING SLOW TRAFFIC DOWN.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT RESIDENTS WANT IS SLOWER TRAFFIC, LESS FATALITIES, LESS AIR EMISSIONS. I'M FEELING LIKE THE ARGUMENTATION IS SHOWING THE OPPOSITE FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE OF, YOU KNOW, HIGHER SPEEDS IS
BETTER. MORE TRAFFIC IS BETTER. WHEN THAT'S NO THE GOALS WE HAVE AS A CITY. AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY? >> YEAH, GOOD QUESTION. CHAIR CASHMAN, THERE ARE DIFFERENT ROADWAYS. THERE ARE DIFFERENT ROADWAY TYPES THAT SERVE DIFFERENT ROADWAY PURPOSES. ON A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET, WE WANT
TO SEE VEHICLES MOVING SLOWLY. WE DON'T WANT MANY VEHICLES THERE AT ALL. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT S 100 VEHICLES A DAY ON A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET. ON THE FREEWAY, KEEPING VEHICLES MOVING IN A CONSISTENT SPEED DOES INCREASE SAFETY AND DOES REDUCE AIR QUALITY ISSUES. SO THERE
ARE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF ROADWAYS. WHEN WE START TO PUSH ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC AND A LOT OF ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC ON TO THE LOCAL STREETS, THAT'S WHEN WE'RE GOING TO START TO SEE THE SAFETY ISSUES POP UP. AND ADDITIONAL AIR QUALITY ISSUES COME INTO PLAY. >> OKAY. AND THEN MY LAST
QUESTION, I GUESS, WILL BE ABOUT GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION GOALS WITH THIS PROJECT. DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. >> YEAH. GOOD QUESTION, AGAIN, COUNCILMEMBER CASHMAN. HAT IS IN PROCESS. SO THAT'S WORKING THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE. THIS PROJECT WILL NEED TO CONSIDER THAT. WE'RE WAITING FOR KIND OF
THE FINALULES AND REGULATIONS. KIND OF PRIOR TO NEEDING TO PUT THE PROJECT THROUGH THE GREENHOUSE GAS LEGISLATION PROCESS. SO THAT WILL BE COMING UP. >> OKAY. THANKS. NEXT I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCILMEMBER CHOWDHURY. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR CASHMAN. THANK YOU SO MUCH,
MS. BARNS, FOR YOUR PRESE PRESENTATION. I'M ALSO KIND OF JUST THINKING ABOUT POLLUTION FROM THE HIGHWAY AND JUST THE CONSIDERATIONS MNDOT IS CURRTLY MAKING. HAS THERE -- WHAT ANALYSIS HAS BEEN DONE BY
MNDOT DURING THE SCOPING PROCESS FOR RETHIING I-94 IN TERMS OF POLLUTION? AND GREENHOUSE GASES. >> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CHOWDHURY. YES. WE HAVE LOOKED INTO -- WE HAVE COORDINATED WITH THE PCA. SO THE POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY AS WELL AS THE
MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT IS CURRENTLY OUT THERE RIGHT NOW. AT THE MONITORING THAT IS HAPPENING NEARBY AS WE START TO TALK ABOUT THE LENGTH OF THE FREEWAY. ANY MONITORS THAT ARE NEAR THE FREEWAY ARE ACTUALLY SHOWING THAT THEY'RE FINE.
THEY'RE IN ATTAINMENT, AND THAT IS SO WE HEAR ONE THING. THEN WE SEE ANOTHER. FROM AT LEAST OUR POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY. AGAIN, WE WORKED WITH MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. I'VE SEEN THE SAME KIND OF RED, YOU KNOW, LIGHT UP OF ASTHMA ISSUES AND
OTHER ISSUES ALONG DIFFERENT FREEWAYS SYSTEMS. AND THEY ALSO OVERLAP WITH OUR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES. >> WHAT IS THE ATTAINMENT MEAN WHEN THEY'RE DOING MONITORING? >> YEP. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CHOWDHURY. WHEN THEY'RE IN ATALK ABOTA
ATTAINMENT IT MEANS WE'RE MEETING ALL REGULATION. ANYWHERE THERE'S A REGULATION FOR ANY SORT OF PARTICULATE MATTER, WE'RE WITHIN LEVELS. >> OKAY. SO IT'S CURRENTLY JUST SCOPING FOR, LIKE, WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATUS QUO OF I-94 AND NOT ADDITIONAL POLLUTION FROM WHAT IS ALREADY THERE.
. BECAUSE, LIKE, WHAT IS THE STATUS QUO IS VERY MH WE CAN TELL, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, IT'S LAYERED IN WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES AT THE HIGHWAY HAS SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTED TO POLLUTION A REDUCED AIR QUALITY IN THE AREA. SO IT'S LIKE THAT REDUCED AIR QUALITY
AND CURRENT POLLUTION IS WITHIN THE STANDARDS SET BY THE MPCA. >> COUNCILMEMBER CHOWDHURY, THE CURRENT AIR QUALITY AND POLLUTION IS WITHIN THE STANDARDS OF THE PCA. HOWEVER, THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT ARE IMPROVING ACCESS TO GREEN
SPACES, AND IMOVING THAT SENSE OF PLACE, PUTTING IN ADDITIONAL GREENERY. WE WANT TO DO THOSE THINGS AND THOSE THINGS PARTICULARLY THE ADDITIONAL GREENERY HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO IMPROVE THINGS LIKE AIR QUALITY. THOSE ARE PIECES THAT WE WANT TO INCLUDE AS PART OF OUR PROJECT. WE DON'T THINK IT'S STATUS QUO. WE WANT TO THE DO
SOMETHING BETTER OUT HERE. >> IS THE EIS GOING TO DO AN ANALYSIS OF POLLUTION AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS? IS THAT A PART OF IT? >> COUNCILMEMBER CHOWDHURY, YES. WE DO DO -- AND WE'LL BE
DOING THE ANALYSIS AS REQUIRED BY THE LEGISLATURE FOR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. AND WE WILL BE DOING ANALYSIS OF AIR QUALITY AS PART OF THE EIS. WE DO THE AIR QLITY BOTH IN SCOPING AND AS PART OF THE NEXT PHASE. THE GREENHOUSE GAS, AS I
MENTIONED BEFORE, WILL BE AS PART OF THE LEGISLATION. >> OKAY. AND THEN I THINK I KIND OF JUST, LIKE, WANT TO TAP ON THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. AND IT'S ABOUT T AT-GRADE A AND B BEING DISMISSED ASPTIONS
TO BE STUDIED. AND I LOOKED BACK AT, LIKE, THE ENGAGEMENT REPORT. THOSE WERE POPULAR AND, ALSO, SUPPORTED BY A LOT OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS ON THE PAC, COMMUNITY LEADERS. WHY NOT CONSIDER STUDYING IT AND THEN
GET THE EIS REPORT ON THOSE CONSIDERATIONS AROUND POLLUTION AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, ESPECIALLY FOR RIGHT NOW WHAT I'M HEARING IS LITTLE BIT OF, LIKE, OKAY, THIS HAS A POTENTIAL FOR MORE POLLUTION AND LESS SAFETY. WHY NOT HAVE THAT STUDIED AND HAVE THOSE METRICS
TO KIND OF ADDITIONALLY BACK THAT UP. WHY NOT STUDY ONE O THE MOST POPULAR OPTIONS. >> YEAH. THANK Y, COUNCILMEMBER. A COUPLE OF THIN. OUT OF THAT SURVEY THAT WE HAD, IT WAS ALSO THE MOST
DISLIKED OPTION. IT ACTUALLY EVEN MORE SO THAN LIKED. SO THAT'S NOT A SCIENTIFI SURVEY. WE HAD MANY WAYS OF GETTING FEEDBACK. BUT AS WE START TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE HEARING AS TO WHAT PEOPLE LIKE, WE DEFINITELY HEAR BOTH SIDES OF THAT. PEOPLE EITHER REALLY LIKE
IT OR DISLIKE IT. IT SEEMS VERY POLARIZING. WHY WOULDN'T WE JUST STUDY IT INT THE NEXT PHASE? WE'VE ALREADY SHOWN THAT IT MAKES SAFETY WORSE. IT MAKES MOBILITY WORSE. IT WOULD IMPACT POPULATIONS MORE. SDYING IT AT THIS TIME IS INCREASES THE
AMOUNT OF TIME WE'LL BE SPENDING ON THIS PROJECT. WE HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE 2016 LOOKING AT THIS PROJECT. WE HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED VERY, VERY SOON. WE NEED TO GET THROUGH THIS PROCESS. IT IS A
LOT OF EFFORT T LOOK AT THIS. IT WOULD BRING IN ADDITIONAL CITIES AND COUNTIES. ANY CITY OR COUNTY WITH AN INCREASE ON THEIR ROADWAY WOULD ALSO END UP BEING INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT AT THAT TIME. SO ALL THE SUBURBS, THIS WOULD BECOME A REGIONAL PROJECT. WE WOULD NEED TO BE TALKING TO ALL OF THEM AS
WE'RE INCREASIN TRAFFIC ON THEIR ROADWAYS. >> I APPRECIATE THAT ANSWER. I MEAN, I THINK I JOIN OTHER VOICES. OTHER LOCAL LEADERS IN THE AREA OF JUST, LIKE, THE
DISMAY AND JUST NOT DOING THE ENVIRONMENTAL EIS STUDY FOR AN OPTION. WHILE MIGHT BE POLARIZING IS BEING DISCUSSED AND DEBATED HEAVILY. I GUESS A QUESTION FOLLOWING UP WITH THAT,
HAS MN DOT EXPLORED PARTIAL CONVERSION OF PARTS OF I-94. STUDYING SO IT IS, LIKE, THERE IS SOMEOULEVARD SPACES. AND, AGAIN, LIKE, AS COUNCILMEMBER CASHMAN MENTIONED, FOR OUR GOALS
AS A CITY. IT IS FIGURING OUT HOW WE REDUCE TRAFFIC. AND THEN, YEAH. I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT ONE. BUT I'LL HAVE YOU ANSWER THAT PORTION. HAS THERE BEEN A DISCUSSION AROUND PARTIAL CONVERSION TO
BOULEVARDS FOR I-94 AT GDE? >> YES, COUNCILMEMBER CHOWDHURY. WE DID LOOK AT THE LOCAL REGIONAL. WE DIDN'T LOOK AT SMALLER SECTIONS OF I-94 BEING AN AT-GRADE ROADWAY. I THINK ONCE YOU KIND OF LOOK AT IT, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT, IT
WOULD MAKE SENSE, PERHAPS, FROM THE BROADER PERSPTIVE. IN ORDER TO HAVE SOME CONSISTENCY AND HAVE A SYSTEM THAT WORKED. WE DIDN'T LOOK AT A SMALLER OR SHORTER SEGMENT OF AT-GRADE CONVERSION. >> THAT DIDN'T SEEM FEASIBLE?
>> NO. WE DIDN'T LOOK AT IT. >> BECAUSE OF FEASIBILITY REASONS OR JUST WASN'T SOMETHING ON THE TABLE? >> FEASIBILITY REASONS AND IT WASOT ON THE TABLE. THE REQUEST REALLY WAS FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE CORRIDOR.
>> AND MY KIND OF LAST THING TO TOUCH ON ON MY END, IS WHILE I APPRECIATE THE CONSIDERATIONS OF, LIKE, PLACE MAKING, GREENERY, WHY IN THIS LARGE PROJECT OF RETHINKING I-94 ISN'T
THERE A COMPONENT OF DISCUSSING REDUCING THE CAPACITY TT WE'RE EXPECTING IN 2045. RIGHT. THE CAPACITY IS MEANT TO B THE SAME AS IT IS IN 2025 TO 2045. WHY AREN'T WE FORWARD THINKING AND FINDING WAYS TO REDUCE VEHICLE
MILES TRAVELED OR NEEDS FOR CARS AND, LIKE, WHERE DOES THAT COME WITH O GOALS AROUND TRANSIT AND EXISTING PROJECTS. LIKE THE GOLDLINE, BLUELINE EXTENSION, RAIL POTENTIALLY IN THIS CORRIDOR. WHY ARE WE STICKING TO THE CURRENT CAPACITY AS WHAT
WE AREIMING FOR IN THE FUTURE. >> YEAH, COUNCILMEMBER. GOOD QUESTION. WE ARE LOOKING AT REDUCING THE FREEWAY. WE'RE LOOKING AT A SMALLER FREEWAY FOOTPRINT. WHEN WE START TO TALK ABOUT VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED AS AN AGENCY, WE OFTEN LOOK AT IT FROM A SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE. THE CITIES OF
MINNEAPOLIS AND SAINT PAUL THIS PROJECT IS IN HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK MAKING ROADWAYS SMALLER. THAT LAKE STREET BRIDGE I REFERENCED IS NOW A THREE-LANE FACILITY INSTEAD OF FOUR-LANE FACILITY. A LOT OF THAT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FACT THAT 94 CARRIES SOME OF THAT TRAFFIC.
AND A LARGEORTION OF THAT TRAFFIC. SO WE ARE AWARE OF PROVIDING QUALITY TRANSIT SERVICE ALONG AND ACROSS I-94 AND WE HAVE ALTERNATIVES THAT REDUCE THE CAPACITYF I-94
LOOKING FOR THAT, LIKE, GETTING PEOPLE INTO THAT QUALITY TRANSIT AT THE SAME TIME AS REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF CAPACITY ON 94 ITSELF. >> YEAH. BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A REDUCING THE CAPACITY OF I-94 BUT KEEPING THE STILL TOTAL
AMOUNT OF VEHICLES ON I-94 TRIPS THE SAME AND SPREADING THEM OUT OVER DIFFERENT PLACES. WHY NOTY ARBITRARY NUMBER OF WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE IT FROM DOWN TO 10,000 TRIPS FROM WHAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY. >> OH, THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER.
YES, WE DID DO SOME OF THAT ASSUMPTION. WHEN I SHOWED THE SENSI SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS, WE ASSUME ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC, LIKE 22,000 VEHICLES FOR THE REDUCED FREEWAY N LONGER MAKE THE TRIP. IN THE CASE OF THE AT-GRADE. WE LOOKED AT 72,000 VEHICLES NO LONGER
MAKE THE TRIP. WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT WOULD I LOOK LIKE. HOW COULD WE PLAN FOR A FUTURE WHERE THERE ARE LESS PEOPLE DRIVING. >> OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS FOR THIS MOMENT. I WILL JUST TOUCH ON ONE THING. I THINK US CURRENTLY
RELYING ON ELECTRIFICATION OF FLEET IN A TIME WHERE WE'RE GOING TO SEE ROLLBACKS ON ELECTRIFICATION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS A WAY TO MITIGATE GREENHOUSE GASES IS TROUBLING. AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE
GASES AND JUST VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED ON I-94. THAT'S WHY I THINK -- I HEAR YOU ON -- I HEAR MN DOT ON THE AT-GRADE PORTION IF IT WAS THE CURRENT CAPACITY. THE SAFETY AND MOBILITY ISSUES,
REDUCING CAPACITY, REDUCING THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S KIND OF AN ULTIMATE THING NEEDED. NOT ONLY TO MAKE BOULEVARD CONVERSION WORK, BUT TO AT-SCALE ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES AROUND CLIMATE
CHANGEND THEN CITY GOALS OF MAKING SURE THAT 60% OF TRIPS BY RESIDENTS ARE NON -- ARE NOT SINGLE CAR. SO I'LL CLOSE WITH THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
>> YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I JUST WANTED TO REFLECT THAT I THINK A GOOD METRIC FOR HOW WE'RE SHIFTING AND BUILDING OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM IS JUST TO LOOK AT WHEN YOU GOOGLE MAPS FROM ONE DESTINATION TO THE NEXT. LIKE, WHAT IS THE RATIO BETWEEN THE TRANSIT OPTION OR THE ACTIVE
OPTION? AND THE DVING OPTION? AND AS SOMEONE I LIVE IN LUHRING HEIGHTS. I USED TO WORK IN SAINT PAUL AND SAY "SHOULD I TAKE THE LIGHT RAIL? IT'S 45 MINUTES? OR 94. IT'S 10 MINUTES BY DRIVING" I'M OFTEN GOING TO CHOOSE 94 BECAUSE IT'S
SO MUCH FASTER. AND SO I DO FEEL LIKE THERE'S AN ELEMENT HERE OF, LIKE, 94 AND ITS EASE AND ITS FASTNESS IS JUST ENABLING US TO FOREGO THE TRANSIT OPTIONS. SO YOU SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT 94 IS HERE IS, LIKE, IT'S WHY WE
CAN DO ALL THE GREAT TRANSIT NEW TRANSIT LINES, B LINE, LIGHT RAIL, ET. CETERA. I ALSO THINK IT'S PROBABLY A HUGE CONTRIBUTOR TO WHY RIDERSHIP OF METRO TRANSIT CAN'T GROW. AND I WOULD JUST LOVE TO SEE US, LIKE, PRIORITIZE THE GOALS OF GROWING RIDERSHIP OVER PRIORITIZING,
LIKE, SPEED OF GOODS AND PEOPLE. SO, YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY AND KEEPING US IN THE LOOP ON THE PROGRESS OF YOUR WORK. >> THANK YOU. >> ALL RIGHT. SO SEEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE COMMITTEE TODAY, I'LL
DECLARE THE MTING ADJOURNED.