2b. Harwood bike & pedestrian path-comment letter

Harwood Pedestrian and Bicycle Crossing Study - 2007 7. Project Implementation The City of Harwood approved the Harwood Bicycle and Pedestrian Crossing Study at its City Council meeting on July 9, 2007. Though not committing to any alternative financially, the City of Harwood did select Alternative 3 as the preferred alternative. Alternative 3 has an estimated construction cost of $391,444. The selection ofil Alternative 3 was premised primarily on financial considerations. The City of Harwood can only provided up to $50,000 in local match funds. I Currently the North Dakota Department of Transportation (ND DOT) is developing two roadway projects in near proximity to the Harwood Bike and Pedestrian Crossing Study project area. Project No's. IM-8-029(097)069 and IM-8-029(089)069 are currently in the Project Concept Report (PCR) stage. As part of the PCR the ND DOT is contemplating the inclusion of those portions of Alternative 3 and Alternative 4 which relate to the 1-29 Bridge. The City of Harwood and Cass County should encourage the ND DOT tol include the entirety of Alternative 3 or Alternative 4 with in the PCR, not just thosel portions which relate to the 1-29 Bridge. I When a draft PCR is published in the Fall of 2007, the City of Harwood and cassl County should document its preference for Alternative 3 or Alternative 4. However, thel City of Harwood and Cass County should stress that it can currently only financially support Alterative 3. I I The City of Harwood and Cass County should encourage the ND DOT to integrate either Alternative 3 or 4 (which ever Alternative ND DOT integrates into the PCR) into the project design and permitting process for said ND DOT projects. Inclusion of the design and permitting of either alternative in the current ND DOT project development process assures that as implementation of the Harwood Bike and Pedestrian Study proceeds, the design and permitting would already be complete. I I As funding is made available through various grant processes through which the City of Harwood and Cass County will apply over the coming one to two years, it may be most efficient for these funds to be administered directly by the ND DOT. As such these future potential grants funds which may be awarded to Cass County should be integrated into the overall project implementation of the adjacent ND DOT projects. At such time as the ND DOT project(s) reach construction phase, Cass County would then need to enter intol a local match agreement and maintenance agreement with the ND DOT to support the local share of costs associated with which ever alternative is integrated into the two adjacent ND DOT projects. I What follows is a baseline set of next steps to ensure timely implementation of thel Harwood Bike and Pedestrian Crossing Study over the next one to two years. Fargo - Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments - 22 -