City Council Meeting Date: March 1, 2022
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Ben Martig, City Administrator
Title
Consider Resolution of Support for State General Funds for a Corridor Study of Regional Passenger Rail Service Connecting South Central Minnesota and the Twin Cities on Existing Rail Line Through Northfield.
Body
Action Requested:
Staff recommends a motion to approve Resolution of Support for State General Funds for a Corridor Study of Regional Passenger Rail Service Connecting South Central Minnesota and the Twin Cities on Existing Rail Line through Northfield.
Summary Report:
The City Council approved a resolution of support for this legislation in 2021 (see attached staff report and action from 2021). We are recommending approval again this year to demonstrate ongoing support of this action. This is also an opportunity for a refresher on the request and importance of pursuing this project related to Northfield.
Background
In 2015, the City Councils of Northfield and Faribault, the Rice County Board of Commissioner, and over 40 other regional stakeholders (cities, counties, colleges, chambers and Convention and Visitors Bureaus) in support of a request for State designation of a regional passenger rail corridor connecting South Central Minnesota to Saint Paul Union Station and Minneapolis/Target Field Station using existing rail line through Albert Lea, Owatonna, Faribault and Northfield. In 2016, the State granted added the South Central Minnesota (Albert Lea - Twin Cities) Passenger Rail Corridor to the 2010 Minnesota Statewide Rail Plan (See Map 1).
The South Central Minnesota Rail Corridor connects the southern tier of the State (counties south of the 7-County Twin Cities Metro) to a connected statewide network of passenger rail corridors that make use of existing rail line to connect (or re-connect) the most populated regions of Greater Minnesota with the largest urban centers of our State and wider Midwest region.
The Corridor includes two potential routes between Northfield and the Twin Cities: both make use of existing rail line to connect Saint Paul Union Depot and Minneapolis Target Field Station, and both do so using existing rail line that happens to run directly below the bridge that carries the University of Minnesota Twin Cities InterCampus Busway (See Map 2) Towards the southern border of the State, the South Central Passenger Rail Corridor designation includes an east west subsidiary passenger rail designation, that offers potential connections at Owatonna to cities including Mankato, Rochester and Winona on existing rail line through Owatonna (See Map 3).
In addition to restoring regional transit to the southern tier of Minnesota, passenger rail service on the South Central Minnesota Rail Corridor opens the way for inter-state regional passenger rail service on the same line that continues due south of the State border to offer connections to Des Moines, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio using existing rail line. Along the way, the rail corridor intersects with four of the most popular national long distance passenger rail lines serving the West and Southwest (See Map 4). The restoration of passenger rail service on the inter-state extension of the line, would open a time-saving shortcut into Minnesota from the South making it possible for millions of rail passengers to enter Minnesota on a straight shot from the south - instead of having to travel by way of Minot or Milwaukee.
Review of the attached maps makes clear the strategic significance of the South Central Minnesota Passenger Rail Corridor for reintroducing a reliable regional transit option to South Central Minnesota, AND at the same time, significantly improving Minnesota’s strategic location within the Nation’s Passenger Rail Network. The return of passenger service in the South Central Rail Corridor is a cost-effective way to re-introduce regional mass transit to the Southern Tier of the State, and at the same time serves as an instant ridership multiplier for all of the existing local transit and “end mile” service options that serve Minnesota’s communities.
Owing to strong ridership projections for the rail corridor, and its potential for accommodating both in-state and interstate regional rail service, the South Central Minnesota (Albert Lea to Twin Cities) Corridor is the now identified as the top ranked “Phase One” Passenger rail corridor in the State Rail Plan - next in line for study and potential development.
The next step needed for the development of passenger service on the line, is the required engineering study of the line that has been requested by MnDOT to identify both the routes for the line and the specific upgrades needed to introduce passenger rail service on the corridor. The following is the language of the request for funding:
$500,000 in fiscal year 2022 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of transportation for a feasibility study and alternatives analysis of the passenger rail corridor connecting Saint Paul/ Minneapolis to Albert Lea on existing rail line through Faribault and Northfield; and auxiliary east west passenger rail service connecting Mankato to Winona on existing rail line through Owatonna and Rochester.
Attached Maps:
Map 1 Minnesota Statewide Rail Plan Map of Designated Regional Passenger Rail Corridors - including the South Central (Albert Lea-Twin Cities) Passenger Rail Corridor.
Map 2 the South Central (Albert Lea-Twin Cities) Passenger Rail Corridor - including two routes (North of Northfield) that are approved for study and their connection to the University of Minnesota Inter-Campus Busway
Map 3 Subsidiary East-West Regional Passenger Rail Corridor Designation - connecting Mankato-Owatonna-Rochester and Winona on existing rail line
Map 4 National Amtrak System -revised with the addition of the South Central (Albert Lea-Twin Cities) Corridor - which exponentially improves Minnesota's strategic location within the Nation's Passenger Rail Network.
The designated Phase One Passenger Rail Corridor:
• makes use of existing rail infrastructure
• The upgrades to existing rail infrastructure serves to benefit freight rail and passenger conveyance alike.
• Northfield’s passenger rail corridor (and the other regional corridors proposed for our State) will consist of conventional speed or "high-enough speed" rail service as compared with the far more expensive infrastructure and right-of-way purchase required for high speed rail projects
• Introduces a reliable safe and affordable source of regional transit option for Northfield as well as Faribault, Owatonna and Albert Lea
• Serves Northfield's beautifully renovated Historic Depot and Transit Hub Facility project that is strategically sited and located in anticipation of the potential return of rail service.
• Provides connections from Northfield to existing transit centers in other cities including Faribault, Rosemount, Farmington,
• Connects to both St Paul Union Station and Minneapolis Target Field Station, and importantly does so on existing rail line that happens to run directly beneath the bridge that carries the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Inter-Campus busway.
In addition to serving commuter (point to point) vehicular traffic on the I-35 corridor, the restoration of passenger service on the South Central Minnesota corridor introduces a safe and reliable means for students to access the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus, and more than 30 private colleges and vocational schools along the corridor including Mankato State and South Central Community College, Carleton and St. Olaf Colleges.
The availability of regional passenger rail service in other States has proven effective in attracting business investment and employers. For this reason, the campaign to designate the corridor for passenger rail was generously supported by many regional employers, chambers and CVBs.
Passenger rail is also supported by groups representing the two fastest growing demographic blocks in our State and Country: Seniors (many of whom prefer to avoid long distance driving) and Millennials who proclivity for mass transit is very well attested - even here in Minnesota.
The potential restoration of regional passenger service on the South Central Minnesota Rail Corridor would re-introduce a regional transit alternative to central Minnesota cities south of the Twin Cities 7-County Metro - a vast southern third of our State that has been unserved by regional mass transit since the last passenger train left Northfield's Depot for St Paul Union Depot in 1967.
Beyond Albert Lea to the Twin Cities, the restoration of passenger rail service on the Corridor will open the opportunity for inter-(rail) line connections to the 5 other Phase One passenger rail corridors that are already underway in other regions of Greater Minnesota, those being:
1. NLX - Northern Lights Express between St Paul -Duluth
2. Western Wisconsin Rail Service from St Paul - Eau Claire (a public private partnership)
3. TCMC - Twin Cities Milwaukee Rail service - St Paul - Milwaukee - Chicago and points further east
4. Amtrak Empire Builder Service West to Seattle, and
5. NorthStar Commuter Rail Service - from Minneapolis to Big Lake/St Cloud (with potential service further to Moorhead and Winnipeg, Canada)
Taken together, this connected network of rail corridors opens the opportunity for dozens of "origin-destination" pairs within our great state, and introduces a powerful "ridership multiplier" for all of the public and private transit modalities local transit, taxi, Uber, rideshare) that serve the communities along the corridor.
Benefits of the South Central Minnesota Passenger Rail Corridor for our State:
In addition to the benefit of passenger rail service for in-state travelers, the inter-state potential of the passenger rail corridor, offers a significant double benefit for interstate travel and our State's tourism industry.
As shown on the amended Amtrak map, the South Central Minnesota Passenger Rail Corridor runs on an existing rail corridor that continues south of our State border to existing station stops in American cities including Mason City, Des Moines, Kansas City, Wichita, Oklahoma City, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio. Along the way, that same section of rail (referred to as the American "Spine Line" by railroad professionals, intersects with four of the nation's most popular long-distance passenger trains from the American West and South West . Restoration of passenger service on the full reach of that "spine line" (from San Antonio to Duluth) would create a time-saving "short-cut" into our great state from the south for the millions of passengers who travel aboard those lines each year - making it possible, for instance, for tourists to enter Minnesota on a straight shot from the south, rather than having to travel to Minnesota by way of Minot (SD) or Milwaukee.
Minnesota's investment in the required engineering study of our portion of the rail line would, therefore, serve the double benefit of opening the line for in-state travel, AND opening the way for the same corridor to be considered for incorporation into the national passenger rail network that comes under the purview of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The FRA is currently working on a regional passenger rail map for the Upper Midwest, so the timing of this corridor study could not be better!
In short, State investment in the South Central Minnesota Regional Passenger Rail Corridor offers to restore a regional transit connection to the southern tier of our State, and open a time saving short-cut into our beautiful state for passengers travelling aboard the vast national passenger rail network just south of our border.
The study of our passenger rail corridor is needed to further analyze the opportunities and challenges along the corridor. The information gathered would inform the rail companies more about the viability and address issues such as congestion related to other freight uses of the existing lines. Additionally, local community issues such as impact to highway crossings and noise also would require additional exploration. Total cost also is necessary.
The study is required to determine the particular logistics of the rail corridor including the line's routes, station stops and the infrastructure needed to accommodate the addition of passenger service while also expediting commercial freight conveyance on the same line.
Representatives Lippert and Hausman have authored HF1393 (see attachment). Senator Pappas has authored SF2365 (see attachment).
Alternative Options:
The Council could choose not to support the resolution.
Financial Impacts:
The funding request amount is $500,000 for State funds.
Tentative Timelines:
The resolution would be provided to our legislators and other key legislative stakeholders in the event this is approved.