Ramsey and Washington counties launched employee surveys during the spring to determine how county employees use energy while at work. Results will inform employee energy conservation awareness campaign efforts at both counties. Ramsey County efforts will be focused on “green” IT issues such as turning off computers and monitors. Similar Washington County efforts will be broadly focused on energy issues such as employee use of lighting and chargers of small electronic devices.
Sep 1
Commissioner Jim McDonough leads a tour of the depot concourse for members of Sen. Amy Klobuchar's staff.
Three significant pieces of news regarding St. Paul’s Union Depot, future home of the East Metro’s multimodal transit hub:
For more information about the Union Depot project, visit the depot web site or the Regional Rail web site.
Ramsey County has updated its list of projects and grant applications filed under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. To read the latest information on stimulus-funded projects in Ramsey County, click here.
In order to secure federal funding for the purchase and renovation of Minnesota’s Union Depot, Ramsey County and its partner agencies were required to perform an environmental assessment of the project. A notice of availability was published in the August 24, 2009 EQB Monitor on behalf of the Federal Highway Administration and Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority in cooperation with the Federal Transit Administration.
The comment period for the Draft EA will remain open from August 24-October 8, 2009. Written comments on the Draft EA will be accepted until the close of business on October 8, 2009.
Comments may be made by:
Mail: Steve Morris, Transit Project Manager, RCRRA, 50 W Kellogg Boulevard, Suite 6560 RCGC-West, St. Paul, MN 55102
Phone: (651) 266-2795 (note: This line will record comments only and is not staffed. To ask questions about the project or the environmental assessment, contact Steve Morris at (651) 266-2784)
Fax: (651) 266-2761
E-mail: Steve Morris
To afford an opportunity for all interested persons, agencies and groups to comment on the EA, two public hearings have been scheduled for September 9, 2009, at the Union Depot Head House, 214 4th St. E., St. Paul, MN 55101:
The public hearings will be open house format with formal presentations. The formal presentations during the afternoon meeting begin at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.; for the evening meeting the formal presentations will be at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. A court reporter will be on hand to record oral comments. Individuals with a disability who need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the public meeting or comment on the Draft EA should contact the RCRRA Project Manager (651-266-2784).
Copies of the EA for the rehabilitation and reuse of Minnesota’s Union Depot as a multi-modal transit hub are available for review online (Click here for the complete assessment, broken into sections. Some of the sections are still large and might require some time to download) or at the following libraries and RCRRA offices during regular business hours:
Oberstar confident of Midwest rail plan/Congressman believes it’s positioned well for $8 billion
WASHINGTON — Will the federal $4 billion high-speed rail initiative be launched in California or the Midwest, which would then touch on Minnesota?
Rep. Oberstar
The answer is clear to U.S. Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., who is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. And it’s not just because of the Chisholm native ‘s obvious affinity for the nation’s Heartland. It’s because he believes Midwest officials have done their homework and the area is far ahead of California on the issue.
“This really should be called the Rudy Perpich high-speed initiative. The former governor (of Minnesota from Hibbing) and I talked about it back in 1989 and ‘90. I think it’s looking very good for the Midwest to get the high-speed initiative,” Oberstar said in a recent interview.
Karen Rae, deputy administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, said recently that the Midwestern states’ proposal and one from California are the leading candidates for $8 billion in stimulus money for a new high-speed rail project. She cited the cooperation of eight Midwest states to formulate a network plan with Chicago as a hub and 12 metropolitan areas — including the Twin Cities — within a 400 mile-radius.
Read the whole article here.
From the On Board Midwest blog:
The Minnesota Ports Association, a statewide group, has unanimously passed a resolution supporting On Board Midwest, a growing coalition to create a high-speed rail connection between St. Paul and Chicago. The Minnesota Ports Association was created in 1994 to help secure support and funding to maintain and improve the inland rivers and Great Lakes port facilities in Minnesota. The members understand how important it is for Minnesota to have efficient and economical ways to transport goods from Minnesota farmers and manufacturers to worldwide markets.
In addition to bringing new passenger options, a new high-speed rail connection will improve and expand the freight rail capabilities in our region.
Members of the Minnesota Ports Association
• Saint Paul Port Authority
• Minneapolis Port Authority
• Winona Port Authority
• Red Wing Port Authority
• Duluth Port Authority
For more information, contact Dennis Egan at 612-325-1330 or by email.
Energy efficiency funds available for homeowners, businesses and local governments
Click on the category titles below for economic stimulus funding resources for homeowners, businesses and government agencies compiled by the state Office of Energy Security:
Details on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Includes full text of legislation, tracking of the implementation process, and investments and grant programs underway by government agencies.
Information for cities and counties including the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EEBG), Weatherization Assistance Program, and State Energy Program.
Resources for energy job seekers and weatherization contractors. Includes information on training opportunities such as the Dunwoody College of Technology Energy Auditor Training program.
Learn how stimulus funds can help make your business more energy efficient. Includes our funding goals, energy-related tax credits, and details on the State Energy Program.
Find out how the stimulus can help make your home more energy efficient. Includes information on the weatherization program and energy-related tax credits.
Jun 9
For a list of grants applied for by Ramsey County and those already awarded, click here.
Here’s an early informational video created by Ramsey County Regional Rail to show how Union Depot in St. Paul would be re-used as a multimodal transit hub. Some of the plans have changed (the connection to Central Corridor LRT is in front of the Depot now, rather than behind) but the essential vision for the Depot’s rebirth remains unchanged.
The Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority approved final purchase agreements with the owners of the Union Depot head house, or lobby building, for $8.2 million at its June 2 meeting.
“Today marks the official start of the project to return the Union Depot to what it once was: a transportation hub for Ramsey County, the state of Minnesota and the entire upper Midwest,” said Commissioner Jim McDonough, chair of the Rail Authority. “The multimodal transit hub we are creating at the Depot will provide seamless transfers between transportation modes, including trains, local and interstate buses, cars and bicycles. It will give commuters and visitors better access to St. Paul and Ramsey County job centers, entertainment venues and sporting events. This truly is an exciting day for the entire region.”
The head house, or the lobby portion of the Depot complex facing St. Paul’s 4th Street, houses restaurants, offices and condos. The Rail Authority will purchase of the commercial portions of the headhouse building, the parking structure and the land that the building sits on. Thirty-nine condo units built by the current owner will remain in private hands.
Beyond the headhouse is a 45-foot-wide entrance passage that was built as a bridge over Kellogg Boulevard to connect to the concourse, which provides access to railroad platforms. Ramsey County agreed to purchase the concourse structure and surrounding land from the U.S. Postal Service in October 2007. The Postal Service plans to move its mail-sorting operations in 2010 to an expanded facility now under construction in Eagan. Work continues on preliminary engineering and a federally required environmental assessment of the site.
Many modes of transit will come together at the refurbished Union Depot, including Central Corridor Light Rail, Amtrak passenger rail, Midwest High Speed Rail to Chicago, the Red Rock, Rush Line, Robert Street and I-94 corridors, Greyhound and Jefferson Lines buses, Metro Transit, bicycles and pedestrians.
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