Riverview Corridor Pre-Project Development Study
Policy Advisory Committee Meeting
Thursday, 9 April 2015; 9:00- 10:30 AM
Veterans Gallery, Union Depot, 214 E. Fourth Street, Saint Paul
DRAFT AGENDA
Discussion Leader
Item
Action Requested
Chair Rafael Ortega
1. Welcome and Introductions
Chair Rafael Ortega
2. Approval of the Agenda
Chair Rafael Ortega
3. Approval of the 5 March 2015 PAC Meeting Summary
April Manlapaz, AECOM
4. Update: 5 March PAC Meeting
a. Approval of Draft Public Engagement Plan
b. Approval of Fall Open House Summary #1
c. Request for Additional Public Engagement Activitiesupdated scope of work
d. Working study milestone/decision-making timeline
e. Draft Travel Market Analysis findings- update
Information
April Manlapaz
5. Draft Purpose and Need ‘Snapshot’
Information
Joy Miciano, Zan Assoc.
6. Update: Public Engagement
a. Update of Recent Activities
b. Recap of Public Engagement Advisory Panel meeting
c. Planning for Spring 2015 Open Houses
Information
Chair Rafael Ortega
7. Public Comment
April Manlapaz
8. Next Steps
Information
April Manlapaz
9. Future Meetings
a. PAC Meeting: 15 May 2015
Information
Approval
Approval
Approval
Approval
Information
Information
*The Veterans Gallery is located on the second floor above the concourse. It can be
reached from elevator #6 in the Kellogg Building.
Riverview Corridor Public Engagement Activities
April 1, 2015
Event
Type of Activity
Date/Time
Completed
Canadian Pacific Rail Yard Meeting
Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce Public Affairs Series:
The Future of Transportation
Presentation
August 12, 2014
Presentation
August 20, 2014, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Sensible Land Use Coalition
Presentation
August 27, 2014
Highland Community Meeting
Presentation
September 9, 2014
ARISE (Alliance to Re-Industrialize for a Sustainable Economy)
Presentation
October 7, 2014
Lafayette Park Commuter Fair
Community Event
October 29, 2014, 11:00 AM -1:00 PM
Ford Redevelopment Site Open House
Community Event
November 10, 2014, 6:30 -7:30 PM
Downtown St. Paul Skyway Transit Tabling
Pop-Up Table
November 19, 2014, 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Highland Business Association Happy Hour
Community Event
December 11, 2014, 5:00 -8:00 PM
Cooper's Grocery Tabling (Sibley Plaza)
Pop-Up Table
December 17, 2014, 3:00 - 5:30 PM
D17: CapitolRiver Council Board Meeting
Presentation
January 21, 2015, 7:30 - 8:30 AM
Mississippi Market Tabling (1500 W. 7th St.)
Pop-Up Table
January 28, 2015, 3:00 - 6:30 PM
Highland District Council Board Meeting
Presentation
February 5, 2015, 7:00 -8:00 PM
W. 7th Street/Fort Road Federation Board Meeting
Presentation
February 9, 2015, 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Cooper's Grocery Tabling (633 W. 7th St.)
Pop-Up Table
February 25, 2015, 3:30 - 6:30 PM
ARISE (Alliance to Re-Industrialize for a Sustainable Economy)
Presentation
February 26, 2015
Lund's Highland Tabling (2128 Ford Pkwy)
Pop-Up Table
March 4, 2015, 4:00 - 6:30 PM
Highland District Council - Transportation Committee
Brief Update
March 10, 2015, 7:00 PM
Downtown St. Paul YMCA Skyway Transit Tabling
Pop-Up Table
March 11, 2015, 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Neighborhood House-Francis Basket Food Shelf
Pop-Up Table
March 20, 2015, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Business and Community Poster/Display Distribution
Material Distribution
March 9 - Present
Key stakeholder and community leader interviews
(20 completed)
Meeting
Ongoing
Highland District Council Home Improvement Fair
Community Event
April 11, 2015, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM,
Cretin-Derham Hall High School
Fort Road Federal Annual Meeting
Community Event
April 15, 2015
Highland District Council Annual Meeting
Presentation
April 22, 2015
Hwy 5/ Shepard Road Access Options Study Open House
Community Event
April 23, 2015
Highland Business Association Member Luncheon
Ford Site Task Force Public Meeting focused on transit, bikes, and
pedestrian elements
Presentation
April 30, 2015, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Community Event
April 30, 2015
W. 7th Street Community Meeting
Mini-open house
April/May
Union Depot Train Day
Community Event
May 9, 2015
Riverworks Exhibit: Great River Gathering
Community Event
May 14, 2015
Highland District Council - Transportation Committee
Presentation
May 19, 2015, 7:00 PM
Neighborhood House-Francis Basket Food Shelf Distribution Event
Pop Up Table
May - TBD
W. 7th Business Association
Presentation
TBD
Bloomington City Council/Port Authority Joint Meeting
Presentation
TBD
Mall of America - Employee Outreach
Focus Group
TBD
Mall of America - Transit Center Outreach
Surveys and Info Distribution
TBD
Airport - Transit Center Outreach
Metropolitan Airport Commission - CSAC
(Customer Service Action Council) Meeting
Surveys and Info Distribution
TBD
Presentation
July 9, 2015, 10:00 - 11:00 AM
Highland Festival
Pop Up Table
July 17 - 19, 2015
Upcoming
Riverview Corridor Pre-Project Development Study
Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting Summary – 05 March 2015
Participants
See attached sign-in for attendees.
Summary
Meeting handouts included:




1.
Agenda
Public Engagement Activities List
Travel Market Analysis Handout
PowerPoint Presentation
Welcome and Introductions
Chair Ortega welcomed the committee and other attendees and stated the purpose of the meeting, as
summarized below.
2.
Approval of the Agenda
The PAC committee approved the agenda with Councilmember Jon Commers making the motion,
seconded by Peter Wagenius.
3.
Approval of the 11 December 2014 PAC Meeting Summary
The PAC committee approved the meeting summary, with Councilmember Chris Tolbert making the
motion, seconded by Councilmember Commers.
4.
Recap of Previous Month’s Activities
April Manlapaz provided a recap of the previous month’s activities, including continued stakeholder and
community engagement, Developer Roundtable discussions, and initial findings of the Travel Market
Analysis.
Request for Additional Public Engagement Activities
Mike Rogers presented a revised scope of services for public engagement activities in response to
requests made by PAC members at the December 2014 meeting. Highlights of the proposal include
additional open houses and outreach, such as walking tours and mini open houses. Public Engagement
efforts would be expanded to include Minneapolis and increased activity in Bloomington. The proposed
scope would add six months to the project schedule and an additional $500,000 to the project budget.
Discussion focused around future open house locations and concern over extending the project schedule.
Chair Ortega asked if the original scope included community meetings in Highland Park. Mr. Rogers
explained that the original scope calls for two open house meetings per open house round. The study has
currently held one of its four rounds of open houses. Future rounds of open houses are anticipated to
move throughout the corridor so that a meeting in Highland Park could be included. The schedule
extension would be due to work involved with scheduling and logistics of holding additional open houses,
and for developing, completing, and reporting of summary materials.
Riverview Corridor Pre-Project Development Study
Chair Ortega requested a milestone/decision-making timeline with an accompanying engagement
schedule; he also requested that the team perform increased and broader outreach as more technical
work is completed. Councilmember Commers suggested layering additional outreach on top of already
existing efforts to fit the schedule within the existing timeframe.
The group briefly discussed the advantages, efficacy, and tradeoffs between public meetings, smaller
pop-up events in the community, and focused workshops. Ms. Manlapaz noted the positive outcomes of
the recent Developer Roundtables, to be discussed later in the meeting.
Tim Mayasich stated the project team will revise the proposed scope of work, and the project will seek to
broaden outreach as the study progresses.
Tech Memo #1 – Previous Plans and Work-in-Progress
The PAC committee approved Technical Memorandum #1, with Councilmember Chris Tolbert making the
motion, seconded by Councilmember Commers. The approved document will be posted on the project
website.
5.
February 2015 Developer Roundtables
Bob Kost provided an overview of the Developer Roundtables, including a list of attendees, the questions
posed, and a summary of the discussions. Mr. Kost emphasized the qualitative nature of the sessions
and explained that the alignment and station location conversation was kept at a high-level, with
participants gravitating toward specific alignments and mode preferences, independently. Discussion
highlights included:




th
W. 7 area was seen as a strong mixed-use corridor, with ability to attract more housing and
commerce.
CP Rail Spur was seen as a “jobs corridor”, with a solid industrial base and room for light industrial and selected office growth (such as medical).
Shepard Road was seen as a fast route between MSP and downtown Saint Paul, providing
access to the River Bend Business Center/Upper Landing area and Shepard/Davern.
Ford Plant was seen as a regionally significant development opportunity that should be served
by high-quality transit.
Discussion following the summary noted two competing goals that surfaced during the sessions: on one
hand, there is a desire to provide rapid, high-quality service between downtown Saint Paul and MSP
Airport, and on the other, there is a desire to provide frequent service and close station spacing to support
economic development along corridor neighborhoods. Mr. Wagenius stated that these dual visions may
suggest that two solutions may be necessary.
Mr. Kost stated that there was a discussion at the roundtables about METRO Green Line LRT; “lessons
learned”, mitigation of business impacts, station spacing, and the importance of connecting the corridor to
Union Depot and the regional transit system. Councilmember David Thune asked if the participants at the
roundtables were familiar with the city’s Comprehensive Plan and expressed concern about potential
conformance issues with existing plans. Laurel Severson expressed a concern about loss of parking
th
along W. 7 Street, noting that an aging population would not be willing to walk further to support existing
businesses.
Pat Harris stated the need for coordination regarding planned development at MSP Airport, including
large quantities of additional parking. The study team will arrange a meeting with MAC representatives to
discuss the topic further.
Riverview Corridor Pre-Project Development Study
Ms. Manlapaz addressed questions about the timeframe for performing additional technical analysis,
including identifying potential impacts on traffic, utilities, and parking. She stated that a higher level of
traffic analysis will be performed after the alternatives are narrowed down. Chair Ortega requested a
timeline clarifying the task durations, project milestones, technical findings, and decision points.
6.
Update: Communications Activities
Letter from Community Reporter Editor
Mr. Rogers stated that the team has updated the project website to make PAC meeting announcements
easier to find and created a GovDelivery account to transmit meeting announcements and electronic
calendar invitations.
Update of Recent Activities
th
Joy Miciano provided an overview of recent outreach efforts in areas on W. 7 Street and Highland Park,
including community group presentations, pop-up tables, community events, and stakeholder interviews.
An online community engagement tool, MindMixer, was launched to solicit community feedback, which
will link to the project website. Ms. Miciano asked that members of the PAC help promote the online
engagement site.
Business posters have been created and will be distributed to businesses and community locations along
the corridor.
Ms. Miciano distributed the Public Engagement Activity Summary and described upcoming events,
including presentations, community events pop-up tables, and employee outreach at MSP and the Mall of
America.
Ms. Miciano detailed a summary of comments heard from outreach thus far:
General Corridor
 Need for transit improvement
 Improved transit will help make regional connections
 Need for all day transit service
 Confusion about other studies and connection to current study
 Bus Route 54 is overcrowded
th
W. 7 Street
 Gateway from airport to Saint Paul: needs improved/unique sense of place
 Important to improve livability and walkability of street; unify small neighborhoods
 Business concerns about impacts to parking, tax assessments, snow removal
 Minneapolis residents commuting using Blue Line and transferring to Route 54 at MSP Airport
 New residents choosing car “lite” lifestyle Highland Park
 Pedestrian and bicycle safety a priority
 Connection to the Mississippi River is important
 Important to coordinate with Ford site redevelopment
Shepard/Davern
 Coordinate with Hwy 5/Sibley Plaza redevelopment
Riverview Corridor Pre-Project Development Study
Mode
 BRT preference/Rail preference
 People need more/better information about modern streetcar
Public Engagement
 Develop clear messages
 Corridor is “studied out” and people are skeptical about another study
Planning for Spring 2015 Open Houses
Ms. Miciano presented an overview of the second round of public open houses. Content that will be
covered includes: Developer Roundtable summary, draft Purpose & Need Statement, draft project goals
and objectives, existing conditions, draft Universe of Alternatives, Travel Market Analysis findings, and
the summary of previous plans.
7.
Update: Travel Market Analysis
Ms. Manlapaz provided an overview of study milestones and presented initial findings from the draft
Travel Market Analysis. She provided an overview of the projected population and employment growth in
the corridor and identification of major markets, which had been broken into four key travel market
districts. Analysis of the existing transit system shows high transfers between transit routes serving areas
th
north of downtown Saint Paul and the W. 7 Street corridor. In the near-term, Metro Transit will extend
Route 54 to Maplewood Mall (implementation is anticipated for March 2016).
Chair Ortega asked where the highest growth is anticipated to occur along the corridor. Ms. Manlapaz
th
explained population growth is projected along W. 7 and in downtown Saint Paul. Mr. Rogers added that
the population is projected to increase throughout the entire corridor, and employment is projected to
grow dramatically at the northern and southern ends. Ms. Manlapaz stated the initial findings indicate
strong opportunity to increase the transit mode share in the corridor.
The draft summary of findings was shared with members of the PAC:






The corridor is forecast to experience significant population and employment growth by 2040.
MOA and MSP attract long and short trips; each is a distinct travel market.
th
The W. 7 Street market shows population growth throughout the corridor; and the strongest
growth in trips within and to/from downtown Saint Paul.
Trips to/from downtown Saint Paul have a strong transit share
Opportunity to increase the transit share of trips for both long and short trips in all major corridor
markets.
In 2040, Route 54 is nearing capacity with the existing bus volume and service frequency.
These initial findings support the first step in identifying opportunities to increase transit ridership for both
long and short trips.
Ms. Manlapaz also noted that the Travel Market Analysis is one component of the Purpose and Need
Statement.
8.
None.
Public Comment
Riverview Corridor Pre-Project Development Study
9.
Next Steps/Future Meetings
Near-term schedule and activities
Ms. Manlapaz provided an overview of draft products in development, including Summary of Corridor
Vision Outreach Activities, Public Communications Plan, Travel and Development Market Analysis, Draft
Purpose and Need with supporting draft goals and objectives and evaluation criteria.
An overview was provided of upcoming scheduled meetings for the project PAC, TAC and PEAP groups.
Next PAC meeting scheduled 9 April 2015
Chair Ortega thanked everyone for attending and announced the next PAC meeting will be held on 9 April
2015 from 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Meeting adjourned at 10:36 a.m.
Policy Advisory Committee Meeting 05 March 2015
Riverview Corridor Pre Project Development Study
Initial
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
First Name
Rafael
Kristin
Tim
Jon
Pat
Matt
Pat
Scott
Laurel
David
Chris
Peter
Surname
Ortega
Beckman
Busse
Commers
Harris
Kramer
Mancini
McBride
Severson
Thune
Tolbert
Wagenius
X
Staff and Consultants
Tim
Mayasich
Mike
Rogers
Kevin
Roggenbuck
April
Manlapaz
Ted
Axt
Angie
Christo
Dan
Meyers
Joy
Miciano
Ted
Davis
Mike
Zipko
Sara
Allen
X
X
X
X
Other Attendees
Joseph
Scala
Jane McClure
Kent
Petterson
Heidi
Schallberg
X
X
X
X
X
Title
Commissioner
Deputy Mayor
Councilmember
Councilmember
Commissioner
President
Owner, Mancini's Char House
Metro District Engineer
Citizen
Councilmember Ward 2
Councilmember Ward 3
Policy Director
Representing
Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority
City of St. Paul
City of Bloomington
Metropolitan Council
Metropolitan Airport Commission
St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce
Riverview Corridor Business Representative
Minnesota Department of Transportation
Riverview Corridor Citizen Representative
City of St. Paul
City of St. Paul
City of Minneapolis
Director
Project Manager
Deputy Project Manager
Project Manager
Task Lead
Deputy Project Manager
Task Lead
Task Lead
Strategic Communications
Strategic Communications
Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority
Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority
Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority
AECOM Team
AECOM Team
AECOM Team
AECOM Team
AECOM Team
Davis Communications
Davis Team
AECOM Team
Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority
Villager
Community Reporter
Metropolitan Council
Contact Information