Resident criticizes Uptown design, cites missing pedestrian underpass and long-out streetlights

During the public-comment portion of the April 7 Normal Town Council meeting, resident Ron Ulmer criticized Uptown planning for omitting a pedestrian underpass near the station and said he had contacted state and utility officials about long-running streetlight outages.

Ulmer said Uptown was "generally very well done" but singled out two omissions: the lack of a pedestrian underpass at the crossing near the station and issues with pick-up and drop-off areas. He said he contacted the Illinois Commerce Commission’s director of railway safety and that his account of earlier town discussions about high-speed rail did not match what a former town manager had told him.

Ulmer also described repeated streetlight outages on Towanda Avenue that he said persisted for years. He said his own contact with Ameren resulted in repairs after the utility marked poles with tape to indicate problems; he contrasted that with what he said the city manager previously told him about lacking resources to repair the lights.

Ulmer’s remarks were made during the public-comment period and did not prompt formal council action at the meeting.