Corridor Investment Management Strategy
Pilot Solicitation
Advancing Minnesota’s Sustainable Solutions
Introduction
This document outlines the requirements and guidance for applying for funding through the Corridor Investment Management Strategy (CIMS) pilot solicitation. As part of the overall CIMS initiative and consistent with the Minnesota GO Vision,[1] MnDOT anticipates having $30 million for this competitive solicitation to fund trunk highway projects that improve quality of life, environmental health or economic competitiveness. Funding for the solicitation will come from the state trunk highway fund and is included in MnDOT’s 2014-2015 biennial budget request to the Legislature. Selection of projects will be contingent on the inclusion of requested funding in the final authorized MnDOT biennial budget.
Through CIMS, MnDOT places a strong emphasis on building and maintaining a sustainable transportation system through the use of solutions that ensure a high return-on-investment and complement the unique social, natural and economic features of Minnesota. The CIMS solicitation is intentionally casting a wide net for types of projects, as the funding is provided to address issues for which MnDOT has no system performance target and is therefore unlikely to address through the normal programming process.
Project proposals from the Twin Cities metropolitan area (as defined by MnDOT’s Metro District, which includes Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties) will compete separately from proposed projects in Greater Minnesota. No more than 60% of funding will go to either metro area projects or projects in Greater Minnesota.
In order to award funds to multiple projects and to fund projects of varying sizes and scales, the maximum award provided to any one project in this solicitation will be $10 million. The minimum award will be $200,000. Applicants are required to identify other public and/or private funding sources that will be leveraged to contribute to the project. Under this program, MnDOT will provide up to 90% of the total project costs or the trunk highway share as determined by MnDOT’s Cost Participation Policy,[2] whichever is less. Project proposals that request less than 90% of total project costs will receive additional points in the project scoring.
Funding awards through this solicitation will be contingent on projects receiving final plan approvals and cooperative construction agreements prior to construction commencement.
Eligible Applicants and Projects
Eligible applicants are any governmental entity as defined by state law. MnDOT districts are eligible applicants. City, county or tribal applicants must include with their application a letter of support from their MnDOT district that at a minimum a) expresses support for the project, b) willingness to commit necessary staff time to the project, and c) confirmation that the funding plan conforms to MnDOT’s Cost Participation Policy.
To be eligible for funding, a proposed project must have a trunk highway purpose—it must improve, enhance or modify a state trunk highway or highway right-of-way. Eligible projects may do more than improve the trunk highway (i.e. improve a recreational trail, replace local utilities, improve a city or county road, etc.), but funding from this solicitation can only fund work on the trunk highway and trunk highway right-of-way as specified in MnDOT’s Cost Participation Policy.
Eligible projects may be standalone projects, modifications to existing programmed projects or bundles of work (i.e. not geographically contiguous). In the instance of applications requesting funding for a bundle of work MnDOT reserves the right to fund only a specific portion of the proposed project.
As the solicitation will be funded through MnDOT’s biennial budget, all funding for the program must be encumbered by June 30, 2015. Therefore, selected projects must be let for construction by early June 2015. Projects unable to meet this timeline will not be considered for funding in this pilot round of the solicitation.
Project Scoring and Evaluation
Through the CIMS pilot solicitation, MnDOT intends to fund highway projects with the greatest potential to improve quality of life, environmental health and economic competitiveness. To that end, more than half of the project score will be determined based on a benefit-cost (B/C) ratio that considers economic, environmental and social factors. More detail on the factors considered in this calculation and how the data requested in this application correspond to those calculations is available on the CIMS website.
In addition to the B/C ratio, local economic impacts, context sensitivity, system considerations, community health and access, and multimodal impacts will be considered. Additional points will be awarded to projects that request less than 90% of total project costs through this solicitation.
Points Available(100 total) / Criteria
60 / Benefit-Cost Ratio
30 / Other Factors:
· Local Economic Impacts
· Context Sensitivity
· System Considerations
· Community Health and Access
· Multimodal Impacts
10 / Local Match
Applicants are encouraged to attach documentation with their application listing sources, major assumptions and notes on methodologies used to complete the application. Applicants may be asked to provide additional information or details regarding sources and methodology used to provide data required for the application.
MnDOT has formed an advisory group of other state agencies that helped develop the project evaluation criteria and will help evaluate project proposals. The advisory group includes representation from the following agencies: Explore Minnesota Tourism, Department of Commerce, Department of Education, Department of Employment and Economic Development, Department of Health, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Public Safety, and the Pollution Control Agency.
Schedule
The schedule for the solicitation and selection of projects for funding is as follows:
February 28, 2013 Solicitation announcement issued
March 6-26, 2013 Informational and technical assistant sessions
April 30, 2013 Application deadline
May-June 2013 Project application evaluation and award selection
Information about the MnDOT/DEED Transportation Economic Development (TED) program will also be presented at the sessions. RSVPs for the information sessions are requested for planning purposes, but not required. To RSVP for a session, email .
Date / City / Time / LocationMarch 6 / Detroit Lakes / 1:00 – 3:00 pm / MnDOT District Office
1000 Highway 10 West
Detroit Lakes, MN 56501
March 8 / Brooklyn Park / 10:00 am – noon / Brooklyn Park City Hall
5200 85th Avenue North
Brooklyn Park, MN 55443
March 11 / Mankato
& online via Adobe Connect / 10:00 am – noon / MnDOT District Office
2151 Bassett Drive
Mankato, MN 56001
Adobe Connect information available at www.mndot.gov/cims - the info session will be recorded
March 21 / Brainerd/Baxter
Bemidji / 10:00 am – noon
2:00 – 4:00 pm / MnDOT District Office
7694 Industrial Park Road
Baxter, MN 56425
MnDOT District Office
3920 Highway 2 West
Bemidji, MN 56601
March 22 / Duluth / 10:00 am – noon / MnDOT District Office
1123 Mesaba Avenue
Duluth, MN 55811
March 25 / Rochester / 1:00 – 3:00 pm / MnDOT District Office
2900 48th Street NW
Rochester, MN 55901
March 26 / Willmar / 10:00 am – noon / MnDOT District Office
2505 Transportation Road
Willmar, MN 56201
NOTE: The CIMS solicitation and TED program share a goal of economic competitiveness, but the CIMS solicitation has broader objectives than job creation. CIMS considers job creation/retention as one of many factors that contribute to quality of life and economic competitiveness. Projects may apply for funding from both programs, but given the overlapping goals can only receive funding from one of the solicitations.
Submission Instructions
Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on April 30, 2013. The preferred method of submission is via email to , but hard copy applications can be sent to:
Minnesota Department of Transportation
Attn: Philip Schaffner
395 John Ireland Blvd.
Mail Stop 440
Saint Paul, MN 55155-1899
Questions
For more information about the application process, data requested and evaluation criteria, or to request a presentation on the CIMS pilot solicitation, please contact the CIMS Project Manager Philip Schaffner at or 651-366-3743.
Additional information about the solicitation, including resource links, is available on MnDOT’s website at: www.mndot.gov/cims.
Corridor Investment Management Strategy Pilot Solicitation 1
Corridor Investment Management Strategy Pilot Solicitation
Advancing Minnesota’s Sustainable Solutions
Funding Application
I. Applicant Information
1. Applicant:2. Mailing Address:
3. Contact Name: / 4. Title:
5. Contact Phone: / 6. Contact Email:
II. Project Information
7. Project Name:8. Amount Requested: / 9. Anticipated Year(s) of Construction:
10. Can the project be let by June 5, 2015?
☐ Yes ☐ No
11. Project Location (County and MnDOT District):
12. Brief Project Description: (Include road name(s), type of improvements, modes/users affected, etc.)
13. What quality of life, economic competitiveness or environmental health objectives will the proposed project address (see the Minnesota GO vision for reference)?
14. Is the project a modification of an existing programmed project?
☐ Yes ☐ No
If yes, please explain:
Note: if the project is modifying an existing programmed project. The existing project without this proposal should be used as the “no build” scenario for this application.
15. Is the project located within the planning area of a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)?
☐ Yes ☐ No
If yes, please attach a letter of support from the MPO indicating the project is consistent with the MPO’s long-range transportation plan.
Land and Water
16. Total Site Area (acres):17. Will the project increase or decrease the quantity of wetlands?
☐ Yes - Increase ☐ Yes - Decrease ☐ No Change
If yes, please indicate by how many acres:
18. Will the project decrease the quantity of agricultural land (either currently used for agricultural purposes and/or zoned for agricultural use)?
☐ Yes ☐ No
If yes, please indicate by how many acres:
19. Is there a combined sewer in the project area?
☐ Yes ☐ No
If yes, what percentage of runoff contributes to combined sewer outflows:
20. Site Ground Cover by Type (percent) with and without the project (build/no build):
Cover Type / No Build / Build
Concrete/Asphalt
Permeable Pavement
Unimproved Area
Lawn/Forest
Traffic
For this section, information is requested for a base year and a forecast year for both build and no build scenarios. The base year should be the first year of full operations after completion of construction. The recommended forecast year is 20 years after the completion of construction, but any forecast year at least 10 years after construction will be accepted (note: analysis will be based on a 20 year forecast. MnDOT staff will extrapolate to 20 years for any forecast less than 20 years). Please specify the base and forecast years.
Base Year: / Forecast Year:No Build / Build / No Build / Build
21. Annual Average Daily Traffic (vehicles per day)
22. Vehicle Miles Traveled for the Affected Network (miles per day)
Automobile
Commercial Truck
23. Vehicle Hours Traveled for the Affected Network (hours per day)
Automobile
Commercial Truck
24. Average Vehicle Speed (miles per hour)
Automobile
Commercial Truck
25. Nonmotorized Miles Traveled for the Affected Network (miles per day)
Bicycle
Pedestrian
Transit
26. Are changes in transit service anticipated as a result of this project?☐ Yes ☐ No
If yes, please complete the following tables:
No Build / Build
Average Bus Headway (minutes)
Average Bus Trips Per Day
Base Year: / Forecast Year:
No Build / Build / No Build / Build
Average Bus Vehicle Occupancy
Bus Hours Traveled for the Affected Network (hours per day)
Safety
27. Use of rumble strips with and without the project (build/no build):No Build: ☐ Edge ☐ Centerline
Build: ☐ Edge ☐ Centerline
28. Please estimate the effect the project will have on the number or rate of crashes. For the crash statistics assumed in the no build base year, please use a five or ten year historical average if available. Crash statistics can be expressed as either an annual number of crashes (Option A) or as a crash rate per 100 million VMT (Option B).
Please indicate which method is being used:
☐ Option A: Annual number of crashes
☐ Option B: Crash rate per 100 million VMT
Base Year: / Forecast Year:
No Build / Build / No Build / Build
(K) Fatality
(A) Serious Injury
(B) Moderate Injury
(C) Minor Injury
(O) Property Damage Only
Methodology used for the no build base year estimate:
☐ 5 year average ☐ 10 year average ☐ Other, please specify:
Lifecycle Costs
29. Please specify the capital cost schedule. Please also indicate any capital costs that would be anticipated without the construction of the project (no build). Costs should be reported in real dollars, not year of expenditure dollars.Please indicate which base year is used (select only one).
☐ 2010 dollars ☐ 2011 dollars ☐ 2012 dollars
Year of Construction (calendar year) / Anticipated Capital Costs Without the Project (No Build) / Project Capital Costs (Build)
2013
2014
2015
2016*
*Projects must begin construction by 2015, but construction may extend into 2016.
30. For major capital items included in the project, please estimate their expected lifespan.
Major Infrastructure Item / Cost / Expected Life in Years
31. For both a build and no build scenario, please estimate the rehabilitation, replacement, operations and maintenance costs for the project. Costs should be reported in real dollars, not year of expenditure dollars. Note that Year 1 should be the first full calendar year after construction is completed (for example, if construction is finished in August 2014, year 1 of operations would be 2015).
Please indicate which base year is used (select only one).
☐ 2010 dollars ☐ 2011 dollars ☐ 2012 dollars
No Build Scenario / Build Scenario
Year of Operations / Periodic rehabilitation & replacement costs / Operations & Maintenance Costs / Periodic rehabilitation & replacement costs / Operations & Maintenance Costs
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Additional Considerations
32. Please describe the impact the proposed project will have on natural, historical, archeological and cultural resources. If negative impacts are possible, please describe how the project will minimize or avoid adverse impacts.33. Does the project close or otherwise address a gap in a trail, bikeway, oversize/overweight network or other type of system gap?
☐ Yes ☐ No
If Yes, please explain:
34. Does the project add system redundancy that will improve the overall transportation system’s reliability?
☐ Yes ☐ No
If Yes, please explain:
35. Is the project on a designated Scenic Byway?
☐ Yes ☐ No
If Yes, please describe how the project is consistent with the existing plan for the Byway:
36. Please describe any local economic impacts that are expected from the project (i.e. job creation/retention, improved access to tourist destinations or schools/universities). If non construction-related job creation or retention is expected, please describe how many and what type(s) of jobs are anticipated to be affected by the project.
37. Does the project increase or otherwise change access to preventative or clinical health care facilities or recreational facilities?
☐ Yes ☐ No
If Yes, please explain:
38. Please describe how the proposed project will impact low-income or otherwise disadvantaged populations. If negative impacts are possible, please describe how the project will minimize or avoid adverse impacts.
39. Please describe any multimodal aspects of the project (i.e. implements complete streets, improves transit service, positively impacts freight or passenger rail service, improves access to an airport or intermodal facility, improves conditions for pedestrians, bicyclists and/or other trail users).
III. Funding Information