Document XOZpxb7EK31gOxaMYXgev1Nv4

From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Straka, Joshua Mon, 7 Apr 2025 15:55:39 +0000 Matesic, Hannah (OST) FHWA.Congress; OST Congressional Affairs; Melody, Erin RE: Background for Robert Street RAISE grant inquiry You don't often get email from joshua.straka@mail.house.gov. Learn why this is important This email originated from outside of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Do not click on links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Thank you, Hannah! From: Matesic, Hannah (OST) <hannah.matesic@dot.gov> Sent: Monday, April 7, 2025 11:17 AM To: Straka, Joshua <Joshua.Straka@mail.house.gov> Cc: FHWA.Congress <FHWA.Congress@dot.gov>; OST Congressional Affairs <OSTCongressionalAffairs@dot.gov> Subject: RE: Background for Robert Street RAISE grant inquiry Hi Joshua -- I'm looping in my folks with FHWA to provide you a status. Thanks! Hannah From: Straka, Joshua <Joshua.Straka@mail.house.gov> Sent: Monday, April 7, 2025 10:47 AM To: Matesic, Hannah (OST) <hannah.matesic@dot.gov> Subject: FW: Background for Robert Street RAISE grant inquiry You don't often get email from ioshua.strakamail.house.gov. Learn why this is important Vaill This email originated from outside of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Do not click on links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Deputy Assistant Secretary Matesic, This email follows up my voicemail this morning. I am contacting you to see if you can provide a status update for the RAISE grant referenced in the attached one-pager and in the background below. Background: MnDOT is concerned about the $25 million RAISE grant for Robert Street Complete Streets and Viaduct Reconstruction. The total project cost to be $43.4 million. This grant was awarded on January 6, 2025 as a FY24 RAISE grant. OST-2025-1200 Page 03282 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0028990  We believe this project has been caught up in a DOT memo to halt all projects without signed grant agreements for further review. The project will reconstruct approximately 1.5 miles of State highway 3. The current road has deteriorating pavement, some over 100 years old, a decaying viaduct, and many ADA violations. Existing funds only cover pavement maintenance and ADA fixes, not the multimodal improvements, viaduct upgrades or complete pavement reconstruction that are needed. More funding from the RAISE program would allow these improvements as well as enable additional partnership opportunities, especially with the City of Saint Paul, that would elect to replace old sanitary and water systems from the late 1800s; and Metro Transit to enhance connections to the planned G Line BRT. Normally, MnDOT would expect an initial meeting with the MN FHWA division office to take place 1-2 months after award to set the terms of the grant, but that has yet to happen. Our MN FHWA division office has seen some reduction in force lately and are telling MnDOT that decisions about grants that would normally be made in that division office are being centralized above their heads in DC. Please contact me if you can provide further details: (b)(6) your assistance with this matter. Best, Josh Thank you advance for Joshua Straka Chief of Staff Office of Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) Joshua.strakaRmail.house.gov 2426 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: Mb)(6) Fax: (202) 225-1968 661 LaSalle Street, Suite 110 St. Paul, MN 55114 Phone: (b)(6) Fax: (651) 224-3056 OST-2025-1200 Page 03283 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0028991