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City to design Highway 50 shared-use path after $3 million ITEP award; council hears calls to prioritize missing sidewalks on 7 Hills Road
Summary
Council committee moved a $273,683 engineering agreement with TWM Inc. to design a shared-use path on Highway 50 after the city won an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant. Members of the public urged council to prioritize completing sidewalks and crosswalks on 7 Hills Road and other local pedestrian gaps.
The Public Works Committee recommended a $273,683 engineering-services agreement with TWM Inc. to design the Highway 50 shared-use path from Hillgrove Street to RecPlex Drive, work the city plans to fund initially with motor fuel tax dollars. The project previously received an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) grant award of up to $3,000,000 to fund a portion of construction.
Public Works staff said the TWM agreement covers phase-one engineering: topographic surveys, conceptual layout, and identification of potential right-of-way needs. “This is the phase 1 engineering services to design a trail along Highway 50 from essentially Community Park out to the RecPlex. This is the project that we recently received ITEP funding,” the presenter said.
The nut graf: The ITEP award will support construction (the city received the maximum award of $3,000,000); the engineering agreement will be paid with local motor fuel tax funds so the city can complete design and be ready to bid construction. Staff warned the city’s final share could exceed a typical 20% match because the award amount reflects a maximum and design will determine actual construction costs.
During public comment, residents urged the council to prioritize other pedestrian projects—specifically completing the last 225-foot sidewalk segment on 7 Hills Road connecting Deer Creek Road to existing sidewalks near a junior high school, YMCA and police station. One resident said students currently walk in constrained space next to 40–60 mph traffic and asked why the city was not using available funds to finish that sidewalk. A committee member acknowledged both projects’ merits and said the Highway 50 path was identified as a top priority in the city’s forward 50 and bike-trail master plans and that state grant availability guided the project selection.
Staff said crosswalk and drainage issues on 7 Hills Road are also under review and that pedestrian improvements will be included when drainage work occurs. The TWM engineering agreement will allow staff to identify right-of-way needs and finalize construction plans to be bid later.
Next steps: The committee approved forwarding the engineering agreement to the full council; construction funding will depend on final bid results and the awarded ITEP funds. Public commenters requested that the city consider reallocating discretionary or grant-seeking effort to close sidewalk gaps around schools as a matter of immediate safety.
Less critical details: The path design begins at Community Park and ends at RecPlex Drive; staff said the ITEP funding is intended primarily for construction rather than design.
