Request to Initiate Preliminary Engineering
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Milwaukee Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee South Side Commuter Rail Project Milwaukee Cudahy/ St. Francis South Milwaukee Oak Creek Caledonia Racine Somers Kenosha Request to Initiate Preliminary Engineering Southeastern Regional Transit Authority June 2010 Southeastern Regional Transit Authority Serving the Southeastern Wisconsin counties of Racine, Kenosha and Milwaukee June 24, 2010 Ms. Susan Borinsky Associate Administrator for Planning and Environment Office of Planning and Environment, TPE-22 Federal Transit Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE East Building Washington, DC 20590 Re: Request to Initiate Preliminary Engineering: KRM Commuter Rail Project Dear Ms. Borinsky: The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SERTA) is pleased to submit for your review and approval this request to initiate preliminary engineering for the proposed Kenosha-Racine- Milwaukee (KRM) Commuter Rail project. The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) acted as staff to, and project manager for, this study for SERTA and an Intergovernmental Partnership of the Cities and Counties of Kenosha, Milwaukee, and Racine, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and the Regional Planning Commission. The KRM project follows 33 miles of freight rail lines, connecting Milwaukee and Racine to the existing Chicago-Kenosha commuter rail service operated by Metra. Nine stations will be provided to support a total of 30 daily weekday trains. Shuttle bus service will complement the rail service, providing important connections between the Milwaukee Intermodal Station and the Milwaukee central business district, as well as dedicated service between General Mitchell International Airport (GMIA) and Cudahy-St. Francis station. Service will be operated with diesel multiple unit (DMU) rail cars. This project will better connect Southeastern Wisconsin with Northeastern Illinois, promoting economic development, improved job and labor force accessibility, and access to destinations within the corridor, including GMIA. Introduction of this service will provide a much needed and desirable transportation alternative in the heavily traveled corridor. The project was selected following an alternatives analysis process culminating in the selection of the KRM Commuter Rail project as the investment that best addresses transportation needs in Southeastern Wisconsin. The higher speeds of commuter rail operating over a separate right- of-way are expected to save travel time for many regional riders, resulting in 3,300 hours of daily travel time savings. A regional vehicle rental fee in addition to state grant support will be used to pay for the non-Federal share of the project. Rail service in the KRM corridor has significant support from local elected officials; business groups; economic development interests; community leaders; and numerous other agencies and organizations. The project was INTERIM STAFFING PROVIDED BY THE SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION W239 N1812 ROCKWOOD DRIVE • PO BOX 1607 • WAUKESHA, WI 53187-1607 TELEPHONE (262) 547-6721 • FAX (262) 547-1103 - 2 - adopted by SEWRPC, the areawide planning agency for the highly urbanized southeastern region of the State, in its financially constrained long-range plan in June 2007. This request is being submitted after extensive coordination with staff at the FTA in Chicago and Washington, D.C. Technical methods and assumptions used to prepare the New Starts measures for the KRM project are in compliance with FTA’s most recent guidance and 2009 New Starts reporting instructions. As you are aware, we have revised our request since a previous submittal in 2007 to ensure that we more fully address governance and funding issues. Substantial work has been achieved on those issues, as reflected in this submittal. The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority is ready to proceed with the design phase of this important project to our region, and we eagerly await the FTA’s review and approval for initiation of New Starts preliminary engineering. We appreciate all the assistance and guidance FTA’s staff, particularly Rhonda Reed, Nazrul Islam, Brian Jackson, Stewart McKenzie, Jim Ryan, and William Wheeler, have provided on the development of this project. Their assistance has been invaluable. If you have any questions regarding this submittal, or about the KRM Commuter Rail project, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Karl J. Ostby Chairman, Southeastern Regional Transit Authority cc: Marisol Simon, Regional Administrator, Region 5 Stewart McKenzie, Region 5 Kenneth R. Yunker, P.E., Executive Director, Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission Enclosure KRM Commuter Rail Project Request to Initiate Preliminary Engineering Table of Contents Letter from Southeastern Regional Transit Authority 1.0 Project Background The Case for KRM Project Description Template 2.0 Certification of Technical Methods, Planning Assumptions, and Project Development Procedures Certification Template 3.0 Travel Forecasts Travel Forecasting Methodology Summit Reports and Maps Travel Forecasts Template Annualization Factor Justification 4.0 Operating and Maintenance Costs 5.0 Capital Costs Capital Costing Approach Standard Cost Categories Worksheet 6.0 Project Justification Measures Mobility Improvements Cost Effectiveness Operating Efficiencies Environmental Benefits Other Factors Project Justification Templates (mobility, cost effectiveness, operating efficiencies) 7.0 Land Use and Economic Development Effects Supplemental Land Use Information Template Quantitative Land Use Information Template 8.0 Local Financial Commitment Project Finance Worksheet Local Financial Commitment Checklist Project Finance Plan Southeastern Regional Transit Authority i KRM Commuter Rail Project Request to Initiate Preliminary Engineering Table of Contents (continued) 9.0 Project Management Plan 10.0 Before and After Study Plan 11.0 KRM Support Southeastern Regional Transit Authority ii KRM Commuter Rail Project Request to Initiate Preliminary Engineering 1.0 Project Background This section provides a general description of the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee (KRM) Commuter Rail project and sets forth the “Making the Case” narrative. The narrative includes a summary of the purpose and need for the KRM project and a discussion of the benefits of this capital investment priority in southeastern Wisconsin. Section 1.0 is organized as follows: • 1.1 KRM Commuter Rail Project Description; • 1.2 Baseline Alternative; • 1.3 Project Development Status; and • 1.4 Making the Case for KRM. 1.1 KRM Commuter Rail Project Description The Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) selected by the KRM Intergovernmental Partnership Steering Committee in November 2006 and the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority in January 2007, evolved as a result of an Alternatives Analysis, which drew heavily from prior Regional Planning Commission studies. More recently, the Steering Committee and the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority approved a modified LPA in 20101. The following lists the key characteristics of the KRM commuter rail alternative as currently envisioned: • Commuter rail service connecting Milwaukee and Racine to the existing Metra Chicago-Kenosha commuter rail service; 1 The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority determined to submit a “New Starts” application requesting entry into preliminary engineering to the Federal Transit Administration at its May 17 meeting, on a 7-2 vote of its members. Two members, both elected officials in Milwaukee County – Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway and Milwaukee County Board First Vice- Chairman and Southeastern Regional Transit Authority Treasurer Michael Mayo, Sr. – disagreed with submitting the application at this time and prepared a Minority Report explaining the reasons for their dissenting votes. This Minority Report and a summary of the action taken by SERTA to submit the New Starts application are included in Section 11.0, KRM Support, of this application. Southeastern Regional Transit Authority 1-1 KRM Commuter Rail Project Request to Initiate Preliminary Engineering • Thirty-three-mile route using existing Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) freight lines; • Nine stations in Wisconsin: − Existing Metra Kenosha Station, recently renovated transit center in Racine, and the new Milwaukee Intermodal Station; and − New stations at Somers, Caledonia, Oak Creek, South Milwaukee, Cudahy- St. Francis, and Milwaukee’s South Side. • Level of service: − Service provided in both directions during all weekday time periods; − A total of 30 daily weekday trains; and − Average speed of 38 mph. • Shuttle service: − Dedicated service between Milwaukee Intermodal Station and various points in Milwaukee central business district; and − Dedicated service between General Mitchell International Airport (GMIA) and Cudahy-St. Francis station. − The shuttle service has been assumed to be provided with buses. However, the City of Milwaukee is evaluating a potential downtown streetcar line as part of the Milwaukee Downtown Connector Study being conducted by the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce, and the Wisconsin Center District. The streetcar lines under evaluation would serve the Milwaukee Intermodal Station. Should that study conclude with a decision to implement a downtown streetcar, the streetcar would provide the downtown shuttle service linking KRM commuter rail with downtown Milwaukee. • Train operation: