ACTION REQUESTED:
Title
Communication from the City Manager and Director of Public Works with a Request for the Following:
A. APPROVE up to $100,000.00 for the City’s Contribution to Apply for the FEDERAL RAIL ADMINISTRATION CORRIDOR IDENTIFICATION and DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM with the Remainder of the Funds Coming from the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission and the North Central Illinois Council of Goverments; and,
B. ADOPT an ORDINANCE Amending the City of Peoria 2022-2023 BIENNIAL BUDGET Related to the Use of General Fund Balance, in an Amount not to Exceed $100,000.00 in 2022.
Body
BACKGROUND: The Federal Rail Administration has $66 Billion available for passenger rail initiatives over the next 5 years. One of these initiatives is the Corridor Identification and Development Program, a new program to identify future rail corridors throughout the USA. The Corridor Identification and Development Program applications will be released in the 4th Quarter of this year. The City of Peoria, Tri-County Regional Planning Commission and the North Central Illinois Council of Governments have been working on a plan to prepare an application to get into the new rail corridor pipeline. The estimated cost for an application is between $200,000-$250,000.
The consultant teams that have worked on the feasibility study, Patrick Engineering and Hansen Engineering, are willing to engage with the City and our partners to prepare an application. Staff would request to utilize up to $100,000 of fund balance to support this effort. Tri-County Regional Planning Executive Director Eric Miller is asking for $50,000 of funding from the Commission, and the remaining $100,000 would come from our colleagues up north. The Rail Working Group has asked IDOT to utilize any unspent funds that they may have on the rail engagement to be applied to the application. Should the route be selected, the FRA would cover 80% of the cost of a Service Development Plan for the route.
The Corridor Identification and Development program includes:
(1) A process for eligible entities to submit proposals for the development of corridors;
(2) a process for the review and selection of such proposals; (3)criteria for determining level of readiness for Federal financial assistance of a corridor (to include identification of the service operator, service sponsor, and capital project sponsors; engagement with host railroads; and other criteria determined appropriate by the Secretary);
(4) a process for preparing service development plans;
(5) the creation of a pipeline of intercity passenger rail corridor projects;
(6) planning guidance; and
(7) such other features as the Secretary considers relevant to the successful development of intercity passenger rail corridors.
Eligible Entities include:
(1) Amtrak;
(2) States;
(3) groups of States;
(4) entities implementing interstate compacts;
(5) regional passenger rail authorities;
(6) regional planning organizations;
(7) political subdivisions of a State;
(8) federally-recognized Indian Tribes; and
(9) other public entities, as determined by the Secretary.
Eligible Routes include:
(1) A new intercity passenger rail route of less than 750 miles;
(2) the enhancement of an existing intercity passenger rail route of less than 750 miles;
(3) the restoration of service over all or portions of an intercity passenger rail route formerly operated by Amtrak; and
(4) the increase of service frequency of a long-distance intercity passenger rail route.
The 14 criteria previously discussed as part of the selection criteria were included again:
(1) Whether the route was identified as part of a regional or interregional planning study;
(2) The projected ridership, revenues, capital investment, and operating funding requirements;
(3) The anticipated environmental, congestion mitigation, and other public benefits;
(4) The projected trip times and their competitiveness with other transportation modes;
(5) The anticipated positive economic and employment impacts;
(6) The committed or anticipated non-Federal funding for operating and capital costs;
(7) The benefits to rural communities;
(8) Whether the corridor is included in a State’s approved State rail plan;
(9) Whether the corridor serves historically unserved or underserved and low-income communities or areas of persistent poverty;
(10) Whether the corridor would benefit or improve connectivity with existing or planned transportation services of other modes;
(11) Whether the corridor connects at least 2 of the 100 most populated metropolitan areas;
(12) Whether the corridor would enhance the regional equity and geographic diversity of intercity passenger rail service;
(13) Whether the corridor is or would be integrated into the national rail passenger transportation system and would create benefits for other passenger rail routes and services; and
(14) Whether a passenger rail operator has expressed support for the corridor.
For each proposed corridor, FRA will provide 80% of the funding to develop a Service Development Plan. The Service Development Plan provides more detailed information on routes, frequencies, speeds, trip times, capital projects needed, schedule of phasing, project sponsors, station locations, rolling stock needed, financial plan, intermodal plan, how it fits in the national rail network, and environmental and energy consumption benefits. The goal would be to develop a series of corridors that would establish a Project Pipeline for the FRA.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The $100,000 would come from the General Fund Balance, which has sufficient funds to support this effort.
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS: Passenger Rail service was overwhelmingly supported by Public that took the survey earlier this year.
IMPACT IF APPROVED: Staff will work with our partners and the engineering team to prepare the application.
IMPACT IF DENIED: Funds would not be available for the Rail Working Group to put its best application forward.
ALTERNATIVES: City staff could prepare an application, but the ability to answer specific technical questions would be compromised.
EEO CERTIFICATION NUMBER: N/A
WHICH OF THE GOALS IDENTIFIED IN THE COUNCIL’S 2017 - 2032 STRATEGIC PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION ADVANCE?
1. Grow Peoria
WHICH CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S) FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENT?
1. Invest in our infrastructure and transportation.
DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office