It’s “if you first don’t succeed try again” for the City of Danville’s efforts to get a grant from the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program.
On the first attempt, City Engineer Sam Cole says, they came up just a couple points short. But this time, the city has a more specific plan ready to go. The idea is to improve pedestrian and bicycle rider accommodations, at the intersection of Voorhees and Bowman and in nearby areas. Residents who live in Holiday Hills, for example, might be walking or biking to work and need to cross at some busy intersections. The $2.8 million grant, where the city would need to kick in $625,000; would provide for better cross ways and better signaling. Cole explains some of the other areas that would be involved.
AUDIO: That project will start at Crestview on Bowman; go south to Voorhees Street, connect to an existing path that’s on Voorhees Street on the north side. (Then) pick up some gaps along there, and actually go down Voorhees all the way to Michigan Avenue; to provide access to bicyclists, pedestrians, to all the businesses through that area; and just to provide a safe network for people to walk and ride on.
Cole says a major part of this is definitely from Griffin to Michigan on Voorhees. Cole calls that area an employee base that needs to be better served. He says if all goes well, Danville would obtain the grant this year, do the planning and engineering work next year, and put it in place in 2024.
