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RESOLUTION NO. 8892
RESOLUTION SUPPORTING 1-494 CORRIDOR COMMISSION EFFORTS
TO SECURE FEDERAL FUNDS FOR THE REBUILDING OF THE
1-494/35W INTERCHANGE AND OTHER 1-494 INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES
WHEREAS, the 1-494 Corridor Commission is a Joint Powers Organization (JPO)
representing the transportation system concerns of the seven cities of Bloomington, Eden
Prairie, Edina, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Plymouth and Richfield; and,
WHEREAS, the 1-494 Corridor Commission represents the transportation interests of
21 percent of the region's employers and 19 percent of the region's residents; and,
WHEREAS, the mission of the 1-494 Corridor Commission is to promote the
improvement of 1-494 infrastructure from the Minnesota River to 1-94 in order to increase its
people-moving capacity and to improve mobility for businesses and residents throughout
the region; and,
WHEREAS, the 1-494 Corridor Commission consistently supports a multi-modal
transportation system approach to exploring initiatives that might benefit the region as a
whole, and continues to actively participate as a member of multiple-jurisdiction
transportation planning groups, such as the Minnesota Transportation Alliance, that seek
long-term funding solutions for Minnesota's transportation system; and,
WHEREAS, the 1-494 Corridor Commission is actively involved in planning for the
needs of its member communities and the region as a whole by proactively developing
Travel Demand Management (TOM) plans and programs that increase 494 vehicle
capacity; by providing employers and developers with incentives that promote alternatives
to driving alone; by planning competitive transit services to employment centers around the
corridor; by adding bus shoulder lanes and high occupancy vehicle (HOV) ramp meter
bypasses at strategic corridor locations; by promoting transit-oriented site planning at new
development and redeveloped areas; by advocating for local land use changes supporting
TOM; and by overseeing 1-494 road reconstruction project staging to facilitate and
coordinate future planned road projects; and,
WHEREAS, the 1-494 Corridor Commission is assisting MnOOT and the
Metropolitan Council in identifying a number of high-priority multimodal projects along the
494 corridor and how best to stage these projects to mitigate traffic congestion and delay
during 494 reconstruction periods; and,
WHEREAS, the 1-494 Corridor Commission provides an ongoing stakeholder forum
for the planning of 1-494 reconstruction through regular meetings of the 494 Chamber of
Commerce Subcommittee, the 494 Engineers' Subcommittee and the 494 Transit
Providers' Subcommittee; and,
WHEREAS, the 1-494 Corridor Commission, through the work of its member cities of
Bloomington and Richfield, has identified the interchange of 1-494 and 1-35Was a critical
infrastructure improvement that needs immediate attention; and,
WHEREAS, the approximate cost of the improvements is estimated at $125 million
or more and the State of Minnesota has approximately $66 million committed for the project
in the years 2011 and beyond; and,
WHEREAS, the 1-494 Corridor Commission is continuing its search for innovative
funding partnerships that will increase or "speed up" funding for critical 494 roadway and
transit improvements;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Richfield
hereby declares its support of 1-494 Corridor Commission activities relating to the
procurement of federal funding to improve 1-494 infrastructure and services; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Richfield hereby
identifies improvements at the 1-494/1-35W interchange as a top priority of the City of
Richfield, and supports efforts to secure federal funding to provide improvements for the 1-
494/1-35W interchange as quickly as possible; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the
Honorable Congressman James Ramstad, Minnesota Third District; the Honorable
Congressman Martin Sabo, Minnesota Fifth District; the Honorable Congressman James
Oberstar, Minnesota Eighth District; the Honorable Congressman David Minge, Minnesota
Second District; the Honorable Senator Paul Wellstone; the Honorable Senator Rod Grams;
Governor Jesse Ventura; State Senator Jane Ranum, District 63; State Senator Dave
Johnson, District 40; State Representative Mark Gleason, District 63B; State
Representative Dan Larson, District 40A; the Chair of the Metropolitan Council
Transportation Advisory Board (TAB); the Chair of the Metropolitan Council Technical
Advisory Committee (T AC); the Chair of the Metropolitan Council; the Commissioner of the
Minnesota Department of Transportation; the Board of the Minnesota Transportation
Alliance; the Chair of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners.
Adopted by the City Council of the City of Richfield, Minnesota this 10th day of July,
2000.
Martin J. Kirs
ATTEST:
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Thomas P. Ferber, City Clerk