HomeMy WebLinkAbout20090817 - VI-11-C
City of Hastings
Resolution 08- -09
Resolution of the City of Hastings
supporting the submittal of a High Priority Project Request
for environmental documentation and preliminary engineering from Madison WI, to
the Union Depot Multi-modal Hub in St. Paul.
WHEREAS
, the Minnesota High Speed Rail Commission (hereafter known as
The “Commission”) is a political subdivision and local government unit of Minnesota; and
WHEREAS
, the Commission is established by Joint Powers Agreement by and
between Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority, Washington County Regional
Railroad Authority, Dakota County Regional Railroad Authority, Goodhue County
Regional Railroad Authority, Wabasha County Regional Railroad Authority, Winona
County Regional Railroad Authority, City of St. Paul, City of St. Paul Park, City of Cottage
Grove, City of Hastings, City of Red Wing, City of Wabasha, City of Goodview, City of
Winona, City of St. Charles, City of Utica; and
WHEREAS
, the Commission is working to establish high speed intercity passenger
rail service between the Union Depot Multi-modal Transit Hub in St. Paul and Chicago
along the current Amtrak Empire Builder route in Minnesota which parallels the Mississippi
River; and
WHEREAS
, the Chicago to Twin Cities Corridor is part of the Midwest Regional
Rail Initiative’s (MWRRI) 3,000 mile high speed rail system; and
WHEREAS
, this Corridor is the primary employment and population growth
corridor for the upper Midwest; and
WHEREAS
, without transportation investments mobility within the Corridor will
deteriorate; and
WHEREAS
, one of the transportation investments is high speed rail; and
WHEREAS,
the MWRRI high speed rail system is designed to provide a
coordinated passenger rail network with attractive travel times, service reliability, and
system-wide connectivity offering an attractive mobility option that fosters economic
growth in the Midwest; and
WHEREAS
, the MWRRI determined that the Chicago to Twin Cities Corridor
would generate $2 billion in user benefit, 1,570 permanent jobs, and $180 million in station
development potential for Minnesota; and
WHEREAS
, this benefit will not be realized without funding to complete
environmental documentation, preliminary engineering, design, and construction; and
WHEREAS
, the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority and Washington
County Regional Railroad Authorities have submitted a High Priority Project funding
requests for inclusion in the upcoming authorization of the next six-year federal
transportation bill.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
that the City of Hastings, as a member
of the Commission, hereby supports the High Priority Project funding requested by the
Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority and Washington County Regional Railroad
Authority for the completion of environmental documentation and preliminary engineering
for high speed rail from Madison, WI to the Union Depot in St. Paul as part of the Midwest
Regional Rail Initiative’s Chicago to Twin Cities Corridor.
Ayes:
Nays:
Absent:
th
Approved by the City Council of the City of Hastings this 17 day of August, 2009
Paul J. Hicks, Mayor Melanie Mesko Lee, City Clerk