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Urbana advances Lincoln Avenue safety demonstration after DOT removes immigration condition from grant language
Summary
Council approved sending a grant amendment to the regular agenda that obligates $160,000 for a 90-day demonstration of a new lane configuration on North Lincoln Avenue; staff said DOT will remove an immigration-enforcement condition following a court decision and agency letter.
Urbana’s Committee of the Whole moved forward with a grant amendment to fund a temporary safety demonstration on North Lincoln Avenue, obligating $160,000 to install and evaluate a one-lane-per-direction configuration with a shared turn lane.
Project staff and John (public works) explained the grant amendment to the FY23 Safe Streets and Roads for All award administered by the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (RPC). "We're obligating $160,000 for the demonstration project," the project lead said, and staff described the demonstration area from Washer Avenue up to Killarney south of the interstate.
Staff reported the U.S. DOT issued a letter reflecting a court decision that removed the immigration-enforcement condition from DOT-administered grant agreements; project staff said DOT is expected to remove that entire section from the final amendment. That change allowed staff to present a draft amendment they expect will remain substantially similar in the final form.
The demonstration is planned for approximately mid-March through mid-June (about 90 days) to capture student and spring traffic patterns and to allow concurrent public engagement before final design moves forward. Staff emphasized a tight timeline to bid in January and to install pavement markings in time for the spring demonstration.
The committee moved the amendment to the consent agenda and approved it by unanimous voice vote. Staff said they expect to return with a final executed amendment and to proceed to bid to meet the demonstration window.
Next steps: staff will incorporate any last-minute changes required by DOT into the final amendment, finalize procurement documents, and proceed to bidding so the demonstration can begin in spring.
