On December 11, 2009 the NOACA Governing Board approved the following regarding this project: Resolution No. 2009-037 Project Planning Review Resolution No. 2009-038 Plan and TIP Amendment Title: Towpath Trail Stage 4 Sponsor: Cuyahoga County Engineer Estimated Total Cost: $18,000,000 - Preliminary Engineering (PE) and Construction (C) Proposed Source of Federal Funds: SAFETEA-LU History/Background: During 2001 and 2002, the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission (CCPC) assembled $225,000 in funds from the Ohio & Erie Canal Association, the Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners, the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Metroparks, The Cleveland Foundation and The George Gund Foundation for the purpose of retaining a team of consultants to conduct the Towpath Trail Extension Alignment and Design Study, October 2002 (available on the Web). The Cuyahoga County Engineer’s Office joined eight other agencies: the City of Cleveland, the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (Resolution No. 2004-047), Cleveland Metroparks, Ohio Department of Transportation, the Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Ohio Canal Corridor to form the Towpath Trail Partnership Committee dedicated to the completion of the last 6 miles of Towpath Trail. The Cuyahoga County Engineer (CCE) is the sponsor of two Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005 – a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) earmarks: 1) a House High Priority Projects (HHPP) Earmark No. 1688 (Construct Cleveland Towpath Trail 6-mile extension towards downtown) and 2) a Senate High Priority Projects (SHPP) Earmark No. 4637 (Design and construct a Towpath Trail from southern Cuyahoga County through downtown Cleveland to Lake Erie). The Towpath Extension is listed in NOACA’s Connections 2030: A Framework for the 2030 Transportation System 2009 update (as adopted by NOACA Governing Board Resolution 2009-013 on May 8, 2009) Table 5 - Major Projects Meeting TIER IV Definition. On June 9, 2006, the NOACA Governing Board approved Resolution No. 2006-023 amending CUY CLEVELAND TOWPATH TRAIL (STAGE 1), PID No. 80997, from Harvard Road to Steelyard Commons, to Connections 2030 and the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Stage 2 of the Cleveland Towpath Trail (i.e. the Steelyard Commons Site) was constructed by the site developer. On September 14, 2007, the NOACA Governing Board approved Resolution No. 2007-033 amending CUY CLEVELAND TOWPATH TRAIL (STAGE 3), PID No. 84112, from Steelyard Commons to the Tremont/Literary Trailhead, in Cleveland to Connections 2030 and the TIP. The sponsor has authorized its consultant to proceed per ODOT policies. Current Conditions: The Cuyahoga County Engineer’s Office signed on as the management agency to oversee the design and construction of the Towpath Trail, the first time in Ohio that a county engineer has partnered with other agencies to manage a trail project. The consultant for Stage 1 (Harvard Road to Steelyard Commons) has been authorized to proceed per ODOT policies. Stage 2 (Steelyard Commons Site) was constructed by the site developer. The consultant for Stage 3 (Steelyard Commons to the Tremont/LiteraryTrailhead) has also been authorized to proceed per ODOT policies. The County’s qualification-based Consultant Selection Process will be used with the prime consultant pre-qualified with ODOT. The County will follow ODOT’S Project Development Process (PDP) for Minor Projects, Steps 1 through 10. The Cuyahoga County Engineer’s Office, in conjunction with the Partnership Committee, will solicit “qualification- based” proposals to select a design team to engineer Phase 4 of the Towpath Trail from Tremont/Literary Trailhead to Canal Basin Park. Working with the Partnership Committee, the group was also successful in requesting the City of Cleveland to form a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District at the Steelyard Commons Site. This TIF will provide the mechanism to generate the local share of construction dollars needed to match future federal funds to construct the Towpath Trail and Canal Basin Park. Proposed Project: The project involves the development, design and construction of the Cleveland Towpath Trail (Stage 4), from Tremont/Literary Trailhead to Canal Basin Park, in Cleveland (location map) (Stage 4 components). Stage 4 of the Towpath Trail has been broken up into components. Each component has unique characteristics that must be studied to refine the preferred alignment as documented in the Towpath Trail Extension: Alignment and Design Study. ODOT’s PDP will be used to refine the preferred alternatives as identified for each component of the towpath. The Stage 4 components are available in PDF. The project will follow ODOT’s PDP for Minor Projects (Steps 1 through 10). The Towpath Trail Extension Alignment and Design Study will be used to identify the corridor that the towpath will be built upon (Steps 1 & 2). Copies of the 1999 Study, Linking the Corridor and the 2002 Alignment and Design Study are available through the County Engineer’s Office Web site: www.cuyctyengineers.org. This Agreement will be implemented in parts appropriate to the plan development process (PDP). Part I will cover the PDP for Minor Projects up to and including step 4 (Environmental Clearance Only) and will be compensated under a cost plus fixed fee form of agreement. The specific scope of work and cost proposal for PDP for Minor Projects Steps 4 through 10 will be developed as the initial part is completed (Part 2). The consultant is to locate and identify all existing and foreseeable utilities (public or private) accordingly. As required, the consultant can recommend underground utility investigations where structural conflicts may occur. The consultant will use an accredited Subsurface Utility Engineering firm. The consultant will follow the procedures for utility relocation as per ODOT’s Utilities Manual and the Ohio Revised Code. Neighborhood trail connectors must be factored into layout of the preferred alternative. A technical advisory group will be established to provide the consultant direction though the PDP. Stakeholder groups will be identified to discuss the project and gather additional input into the PDP. Stakeholder groups will be identified to discuss the project and gather additional input into the PDP. Soil borings, as necessary are to be provided by the consultant. Plan submittals and agencies to receive plans shall be documented by the consultant in their proposal. Cost estimates will be provided for each option, as the preferred alignment is refined. Environmental and right-of-way impacts will also be presented in a manner that will assist the decision makers in refining the preferred alignment. The estimated total cost for Phase 4, provided by the sponsor, is $18,000,000. The estimated cost for preliminary engineering is $1,000,000, and for final engineering, $2,000,000. The engineering will be funded entirely from the SAFETEA-LU earmarks. The preliminary construction estimate is $15,000,000. The sponsor intends to use one hundred percent federal (SAFETEA-LU) funding for this project, using the Toll Revenue Credit, similar to what was used for Stages 1 and 3. The total SAFETEA-LU HHPP earmark (No. 1688) is $4,640,000. An obligation limit of 91% ($4,222,400) has been applied to the earmark total. The total SAFETEA-LU SHPP earmark (No. 4637) is $1,800,000. An obligation limit of 91% ($1,638,000) has been applied to the earmark total. Therefore, a combined total of $5,860,400 in earmark funding is available to the sponsor for this project. Anything over $5,860,400 is the responsibility of the project sponsor. The Cuyahoga County Engineer’s Office will provide project management for the plan development and construction phases of this project. The Engineer’s Office will also provide surveying and right-of-way plan preparation services, as needed to the prime consultant for base mapping and for the acquisition of all property rights necessary for the construction of this stage of the towpath. A Web site specifically for Stage 4 will be developed. The Web site will contain various documents and information to keep the public informed of the projects progress. Also, the Web site will have a password-protected link, to provide Partnership Member access to all documents prior to any meeting. Also, meeting notes, environmental documents, etc. will be posted to the Web site. Staff Comment (Summary): Plan and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Team: This project is consistent with NOACA’s Connections 2030 Goals #3 (Preserve and Improve the Efficiency of the Transportation System), #7 (Reinvestment in the Urban Core) and #10 (Quality of Life through Attention to Aesthetics) and ODOT’s Access Ohio 2004 - 2030 Goal #2 (Economic Development and Quality of Life). A combined total of $5,860,400 in earmark funding is available to the sponsor for the Towpath Trail project. Approximately $3,087,234 has been programmed for Stage 1 ($1,988,792) and Stage 3 ($1,098,442), leaving a balance of $2,773,166 for Stage 4 and/or subsequent stages. Therefore, sponsor is responsible for all costs over the balance of the obligation limit. This corridor is a regional priority, however, other than the earmark funding, the funding remains unidentified. The proposed project is eligible for NOACA-attributable Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ), Surface Transportation Program (STP) and Enhancement STP (E/ STP-M) funds. Eligibility for CMAQ funding will require an analysis from the sponsor demonstrating pollutant emission reduction as a result of the project. A request for CMAQ funds will need to be processed consistent with Governing Board policy that was approved on April 13, 2007. Recommend committee and public review in order to obtain comments. Regional Transportation System (RTS) Team: This is the last stage of the Towpath Trail project in the NOACA region and is a project of great regional significance. Intergovernmental Review and Consultation (IGRC): If you are a representative of a governmental entity and would like to comment on this project, please email us. Public Involvement: NOACA encourages comments from the public on this proposed transportation improvement project. Please notify us if you would like to be added to our e-mail notification list for future updates. Committee Review: Regional Transportation Investment Subcommittee (RTIS)/Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC): No comments; recommended for amendment to NOACA's Transportation Plan and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Bicycle Advisory Council (BAC): The BAC supports the project.