2025-01-14 Resolution 12290City of Richfield January 14, 2025
County of Hennepin
State of Minnesota
RESOLUTION NO. 12290
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Motion by: Christensen
Seconded by: Hayford Oleary
RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR THE 77th STREET SAFETY & MULTI-MODAL
IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT THROUGH THE USDOT REBUILDING AMERICAN
INFRASTRUCTURE WITH SUSTAINABILITY AND EQUITY (RAISE) GRANT
PROGRAM APPLICATION
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American
Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program was created in 2009
and was partially funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL); and
WHEREAS, the RAISE Grant Program will competitively award grants for capital and
planning projects that will improve safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility
and community connectivity, economic competitiveness, state of good repair, partnership
and collaboration, and innovation; and
WHEREAS, the City of Richfield will pursue capital grant funds and provide the
mandatory match of 20 percent of project costs, which combined, will be used to reconstruct
77th Street from Portland Avenue to Richfield Parkway in Richfield; and
WHEREAS, 77th Street runs parallel to I-494—a freeway that carried 120,000–
140,000 vehicles per day in 2022 and is currently being expanded; and
WHEREAS, 77th Street was planned as a reliever route for I-494 intended to carry
high traffic volumes at high speeds; and
WHEREAS, 77th Street features a noise wall located on the north side of the street
for the majority of the corridor creating an obstacle to access nearby destinations like parks
and jobs; and
WHEREAS, the ongoing I-494 construction project will remove the existing
interchange at 12th Avenue, limiting its use as a reliever route; and
WHEREAS, the corridor provides limited bicycle/pedestrian accommodations along
the route and poor pedestrian crossing infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, the corridor contributes to a portion of the City of Richfield’s residents
that live south of 77th Street—including a large area identified as a disadvantaged
community by the USDOT—being pinched between two major transportation corridors that
act as mobility barriers; and
WHEREAS, the corridor’s lack of accessibility was identified in the 2014 Safe Routes
to School Comprehensive Plan in collaboration with Richfield Public Schools and noted there
are very high traffic volumes acting as a significant barrier to pedestrians and bicyclists, and
City of Richfield January 14, 2025
County of Hennepin
State of Minnesota
RESOLUTION NO. 12290
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WHEREAS, according to the EPA's EJScreen data, within a 0.5-mile radius of the
corridor, 68 percent of residents are people of color, 42 percent have low income, and 59
percent rent their primary residence; and
WHEREAS, EJScreen data also indicated that within a 0.5-mile radius of the corridor,
there exists a food desert, housing burdened residents, and challenges related to
transportation access; and
WHEREAS, EJScreen data also indicated that within a 0.5-mile radius of the corridor,
residents are in the 88th percentile nationally for proximity to traffic, 83rd percentile nationally
for diesel particulate matter exposure, and 94 th percentile nationally for nitrogen dioxide
exposure; and
WHEREAS, improving accessibility and removing barriers on 77th Street will increase
the safety and improve the experience of students traveling to and from schools and
community members accessing jobs, goods, and services; and
WHEREAS, the City of Richfield invests in infrastructure to best serve today’s and
tomorrow’s residents, businesses, and visitors; and
WHEREAS, the City of Richfield ensures that City services are accessible to people
of all races, ethnicities, incomes, and abilities.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Richfield,
Minnesota, supports Public Works’ 2025 USDOT RAISE Grant Program application for the
77th Street Safety & Multi-modal Improvements Project.
VOTING AYE VOTING NAY
Supple, Mary Supple, Mary
Burk, Walter Burk, Walter
Christensen, Sharon Christensen, Sharon
Coleman-Woods, Rori Coleman-Woods, Rori
Hayford Oleary, Sean Hayford Oleary, Sean
Adopted by the City Council of the City of Richfield, Minnesota this 14th day of January ,
2025.
Mary B. Supple, Mayor
ATTEST:
Michelle Friedrich, City Clerk