Board approves Phase 2 engineering for Gannon Drive resurfacing and multi‑use path

The Village of Hoffman Estates Board of Trustees approved a Phase 2 engineering services agreement with TranSystems Corporation of Schaumburg, Illinois, for the Gannon Drive Resurfacing and Bicycle Facility project in an amount not to exceed $110,000.

The project, presented to the Transportation and Road Improvement Committee, will resurface Gannon Drive and add a multi‑use path intended for both cyclists and pedestrians. Sonya, a staff member who presented the project, said the village’s 2011 Complete Streets policy and the village bike plan inform the proposal and that the project would convert the northbound through lane at Gannon and Golf into a right‑turn‑only lane to improve circulation.

The plan leverages federal funding: Sonya said roughly 75% of the Phase 3 construction will be federally funded, about $785,000, leaving an estimated village out‑of‑pocket cost of about $480,133 for the full project including construction. By contrast, staff said a plain resurfacing without the improvements would not qualify for federal funds and would cost about $383,000.

Trustees pressed staff on business impacts. Trustee Staunton asked whether the $480,133 local share was correct and whether simply resurfacing would save the village money; Sonya confirmed the figures and reiterated that the federal grant would not be available for a basic resurfacing. Trustee Staunton and others raised concerns that Gannon is primarily a commercial block with daily vehicle deliveries for several dealerships. Staunton said delivery trucks park or circulate on the street “almost on a daily basis,” and asked how the design accounts for large delivery vehicles.

Sonya said staff reviewed site plans for the Audi and Acura dealerships and considered truck circulation on their properties; she noted parking is currently prohibited on both sides of Gannon and that the village could increase enforcement if on‑street parking or delivery parking became a problem after construction. Trustee Palafis noted lane reductions on other streets — Hassell and Bodie — and stressed the village’s earlier commitments to a connected bike and pedestrian network. Mayor McLeod said the village should avoid gaps in the multimodal system and supported moving forward.

Trustees also discussed safety and capacity. Staff reported that Phase 1 traffic analysis found no existing capacity issues on Gannon and that similar lane reductions on other streets with higher traffic volumes have not produced flow problems. Trustee Belafis asked whether staff could produce safety statistics comparing pre‑ and post‑conditions; Sonya said safety analysis was done and that the post‑condition path was reviewed to provide a safe bicycle route.

A roll call vote approved the Phase 2 agreement; the committee recorded one abstention and the motion carried.

The board directed staff to proceed with the Phase 2 engineering agreement; construction funding and detailed striping/turn‑lane geometry will be determined in later project phases and are subject to final design and grant conditions.