Local Minnesota Governments to Compete for Transportation Funds in 2018 Regional Solicitation
Local governments will compete this year for approximately $200 million in federal funds for local highway, bridge, transit, bicycle and pedestrian projects. The federal funds will leverage additional local matching funds.
Using federal funding that came through the Regional Solicitation process, Dakota County reconstructed the intersection at 185th St. and Kenwood Trail to include a multi-lane roundabout and pedestrian/bicycle trails.
The federal funds are available through the 2018 Regional Solicitation process, led primarily by the Transportation Advisory Board to the Metropolitan Council. The TAB solicits and evaluates local projects submitted for consideration, then selects projects to recommend for funding to the Council.
"Federal Highway Trust Fund monies are a very important transportation project funding source for the region," said TAB chair Jim Hovland. "These federal dollars help pay for local projects throughout the seven counties, and the process of reviewing projects and allocating the funds on a geographically balanced basis is rigorous, objective and collaborative."
Eligible applicants can submit applications in May
Most funds in the 2018 Regional Solicitation will support projects slated for 2022-2023; and 2020-2021 for projects in the Travel Demand Management (TDM) category. The application period will begin in May, with a deadline of July 13, 2018. The TAB is tentatively scheduled to approve funding recommendations in mid-January of 2019.
Eligible applicants in the seven-county metro area
- Counties
- Cities and townships
- State agencies
- Colleges and universities
- School districts
- American Indian tribal governments
- Transit providers
- Private and non-profit organizations (TDM category only)
- Park districts
10 Application Categories
- Roadway Expansion
- Roadway Reconstruction/Modernization and Spot Mobility
- Traffic Management Technologies (Roadway System Management)
- Bridge Rehabilitation/Replacement
- Transit Expansion
- Transit Modernization
- Travel Demand Management
- Multiuse Trails and Bicycle Facilities
- Pedestrian Facilities
- Safe Routes to School
Regional Solicitation workshops April 13, 17
Two workshops are scheduled to provide an overview of the Regional Solicitation and answer applicant questions.
- Friday, April 13, 2 – 3:30 p.m., Metro Cities, 145 University Avenue West, Saint. Paul.
- Tuesday, April 17, 9 – 10:30 a.m., Metropolitan Council, Conference Room LLA, 390 Robert Street North, Saint Paul.
Examples of projects funded in the last (2016) Regional Solicitation
- Five new or reconstructed interchanges at: Highway 252 and 66th Avenue in Brooklyn Center; I-94 and Brockton Lane in Dayton; I-694 and Rice Street in Ramsey County; Highway 169 and County Road 14 in Scott County; Highway 36 and Manning Avenue in Washington County.
- Three new roadway grade separations, including an overpass of the BNSF railroad tracks in Coon Rapids at Foley Boulevard, an underpass of Highway 10 in Anoka at Fairoak Avenue, and an underpass of Highway 77 in Richfield at 77th Street.
- Expanded bus service in Saint Paul, Minneapolis, Bloomington, and Eden Prairie.
- Expansion of local and regional trails, including, Saint Paul’s Grand Round.
