Request for Committee Action
A briefing memo explaining the purpose, background, and impact of the requested action.
METRO Green Line Extension (Southwest Light Rail): Subordinate Funding Agreement No. 8 (RCA-2022-00438)
ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT
To Committee(s)
| # | Committee Name | Meeting Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public Works & Infrastructure Committee | May 5, 2022 |
Action Item(s)
| # | File Type | Subcategory | Item Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Action | Contract/Agreement | Authorizing Subordinate Funding Agreement (SFA) No. 8 with the Metropolitan Council, to reimburse the City a not-to-exceed amount of $305,000, for construction costs for relocation of traffic signal fiber optic infrastructure impacted by the METRO Green Line Extension (Southwest Light Rail) Project. |
Ward / Neighborhood / Address
| # | Ward | Neighborhood | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ward 5 | North Loop |
Background Analysis
The METRO Green Line Extension (Southwest Light Rail) Project is a regional light rail transit corridor that will serve the communities of Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie. Once completed, the METRO Green Line Extension will directly connect to the METRO Blue Line, the Northstar Commuter Rail Line, and the planned METRO Blue Line Extension in Downtown Minneapolis. In August 2014 and again in July of 2015, the County and all five host cities provided municipal consent, approving the preliminary design plans for the METRO Green Line Extension. In July of 2016 the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issued its Record of Decision (ROD) and approved the project to enter the Engineering phase. In August of 2016, the Metropolitan Council along with the Counties Transit Improvement Board (CTIB) and Hennepin County collaborated to secure the local funding match for the project. The Metropolitan Council received bids for construction of the project on May 3, 2018, and formally awarded the construction contract on November 15, 2018. Construction on the METRO Green Line Extension began in August of 2019. The Full Funding Grant Agreement between the Metropolitan Council and the FTA was approved in 2021, concluding the formal funding process for the project.
Master Funding Agreement
In January of 2015 the City authorized execution of the Master Funding Agreement (MFA) with the Metropolitan Council for the METRO Green Line Extension (Southwest Light Rail) Project. Construction of the METRO Green Line Extension (Southwest Light Rail) requires coordination of certain activities and materials between the Metropolitan Council and the City of Minneapolis in order to preserve and protect public infrastructure. The MFA between the Metropolitan Council and the City outlines a process to enter into Subordinate Funding Agreements (SFA’s) to account for costs associated with these activities and materials.
Subordinate Funding Agreement #8
Work on the METRO Green Line Extension (Southwest Light Rail) Project by the Met Council and their contractor(s) directly impacts existing Traffic Signal Interconnect Systems near the Royalston Avenue/Farmers Market Station, along Border Avenue North, Royalston Avenue North and Holden Street North (see Location Map). It is critical to the operation of traffic infrastructure throughout the city that these systems remain in uninterrupted operation for the duration of construction and permanently after construction is completed.
The scope of work includes installation of traffic infrastructure and relocation of public fiber optic lines to accommodate construction of the METRO Green Line Extension (Southwest Light Rail) Project. The work included in SFA #8 provides for temporary relocations necessitated by the Project. City forces will install temporary fiber optic cable from the City’s Traffic Engineering Building at 300 Border Avenue (near the Minneapolis Farmers Market) and connecting to the City’s Royalston Maintenance Facility on Royalston Avenue North and connecting to the Currie Maintenance Facility along 12th Street North. Permanent relocations by City forces will be included in a separate SFA and performed at a later date after all related bridge, retaining wall, and light rail track work is completed.
SFA #8 provides for the Metropolitan Council to reimburse the City, a not-to-exceed amount of $305,000.00, for all labor, materials, and equipment costs related to the temporary Traffic Signal Interconnect Systems relocation by Traffic and Parking Services forces. Funding will be included in the reimbursable program for the Public Works – TPS Capital Fund/Department (04100-9010943-943W22012).