Transportation

A bike route map seems like one of those simple yet useful ideas:

So, about a year ago, members at Champaign County Bikes started talking about designing a different kind of map – one that would show the best routes for those on two wheels, said Rick Langlois, board chairman of CCB.

They talked, and for about six months they tested routes, working with the League of Illinois Bicyclists.

On Saturday morning, the map will be unveiled at Market at the Square at Lincoln Square Village, with a 10 a.m. presentation from several people involved. The event won't be hard to find – the neon yellow Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District "Share the Road" bus will be right behind it.

The map depicts ideal routes for the everyday cyclist, and is color-coded by comfort level. It's also designed to fit into a cyclist's pocket or pouch – but unfolds larger – and is free for anyone who wants one, though Champaign County Bikes welcomes donations, Langlois said.

Discuss.

From today's News-Gazette:

An extensive network of off-road paths, bicycle lanes and marked bike routes will be installed throughout Urbana over the next 15 years, under a proposed bicycle master plan headed to the city council.

Urbana would spend $2.8 million over the next 10 years adding the bicycle facilities, most of that during the first five years.

The master plan is geared to making bicycling more convenient and safer for the casual adult cyclist, according to Alderman Brandon Bowersox, D-Ward 4.

"A lot of people may not be hard-core cyclists, but they want a place where they feel comfortable riding a bicycle," he said. "We want them to have a safe place to ride."

Discuss.

From the Daily Illini:

Part of Campustown may soon be getting a makeover in order to become more developed and pedestrian-friendly.

The Champaign City Council gave instructions Tuesday night to move forward with a plan to work on Green Street. Since Green Street between Wright and Fourth streets has been worked on extensively in the past few years, the plan will, among other items, address the area from Fourth to First streets.

A few weeks ago, the City of Champaign wasn't satisfied with the bids it got for a downtown parking garage.  The new bids are in:

On its second round of bids, the city of Champaign got a more competitive price for building a 600-space parking garage at the southeast corner of Randolph and Hill streets in downtown Champaign and now appears ready to move forward on the project.

English Brothers Co. of Champaign submitted a low price of $10.59 million and likely will be awarded the job at the city council's March 18 meeting, said Craig Rost, deputy city manager for development. A bid opening was held Friday.

In the first round of bidding, the lowest responsive bid was $11.9 million by F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co. of Indianapolis.

If the number and severity of potholes has you distressed this winter, jut wait until next year – it will be worse.  That shouldn’t be a surprise.  As long as we continue to under-fund the rehabilitation of our transportation network, it is exactly what rational people would expect.

Roads are typically forever.  Once we put them down, that’s where they stay – and keeping them in good shape becomes a government agency’s never-ending challenge.  New pavements may last 20 or more years before needing rehabilitation.  At that time new asphalt surfaces are typically placed to smooth the surface.  In spite of these new surfaces, the underlying pavement continues to disintegrate and the road will need to be rehabilitated again in 10-15 years.  This is the never-ending cycle.

As the asphalt surface ages, moisture seeps into the cracks and seams.  When the temperature drops, the water freezes, expands, and disrupts the bond between the asphalt surface and the pavement below.  Traffic dislodges the material and a pothole is born.

As long as we build roads, potholes will be a fact of winter.  However this year’s bumper crop is much worse than normal for a reason.  Most agencies’ budgets haven’t allowed them to keep up with the deterioration.  Streets that should have been resurfaced have not been touched.  There are more cracks and seams than ever and potholes are flourishing.

This winter’s potholes are merely the tip of the iceberg.  Fortunately, we are not on the Titanic and we have numerous warning signs for what lies ahead.  Let’s hope we find a way to chart a different course, or conditions will only get worse.

I found this Op-Ed piece about the CU-MTD on Friday’s News-Gazette Online. I didn’t see it in the printed News-Gazette and thought it was worth commentary. It is an accurate assessment of the future appointment of Tom Berns.

Back to the future for transit district
Friday February 15, 2008

It looks like more of the same at the Champaign-Urbana MTD.

Those who find the relationship between the management and board of the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District entirely too cozy won't take comfort in the latest appointment to the MTD's board of directors.

Former state Rep. Tom Berns, who served on the MTD's board from 1976 to 1986, is returning to fill the spot being vacated by the independent-minded Paul Lucas. Following nomination by Champaign County Board chairman C. Pius Weibel, Berns' appointment was approved last week by the board's appointments committee and will voted on by the full board Feb. 21. Berns was the only applicant.

Given all the controversy surrounding previous appointments, Weibel said he "thought some more people might apply." Two years ago, there were six candidates for two vacancies, with longtime MTD board member George Friedman's effort to win another term rejected.

So despite the controversy and pending litigation over the MTD's unpopular territorial expansion, either the critics don't care or they've given up trying to influence appointments. Given the depth of hostility, it's more likely the MTD's critics have given up on winning appointments of those skeptical of management. In the breakdown between MTD skeptics and cheerleaders, Berns would have to fall in the latter camp. Frankly, it's no surprise because people willing to serve believe in the importance of public transportation.

But the MTD's board has been legitimately criticized for extending Managing Director Bill Volk a double-digit employment contract and overseeing a generous pay package and an even more generous pension. As for policy issues, board members generated considerable ill will when they fell into line behind the MTD's forced expansion of its borders despite incredible hostility from residents who want neither the service nor the taxes that go with it.

Given his professional and personal relationships with MTD managers, it's hard to believe Berns will bring any change to the board's governance. But he should be encouraged to be skeptical. No management deserves a blank check from its overseers.

 

The MTD continues to be the one governmental body that somehow eludes the same scrutiny as other bodies like the Champaign and Urbana City Councils and the County Board. For example, the last MTD budget lists:

Dues and Subscriptions $ 48,000
Travel and Meetings $ 40,000
Public Information $ 125,000
Other Miscellaneous $ 48,000

These are just a few line items that seem excessive year after year (the salaries and benefits for the top administration is another attention-grabber). The only trustee that ever questioned the budget, Paul Lucas, has just retired. “No management deserves a blank check from its overseers” (N-G).  Once appointed by the County Board, MTD continues to rubber stamp the management and its checkbook. I wish I was more optimistic that the needed changes might happen.

There was a hearing today in the case of the  Champaign Southwest Mass Transit's petition to not be in the CU Mass Transit District.  (05 CH 206)  In a half hour hearing, Judge Leonhard denied the motion of the City of Urbana to intervene in the case, but granted the same motion to the City of Champaign, based upon their intergovernmental agreement with CUMTD regarding annexations.  Good news for citizens of Urbana who won't have to pay city legal staff to work on a case that has absolutely no bearing on their community.

The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for February 26, 2008. 

As someone who lives in SE Urbana, I'm really looking forward to this:

A major project to expand Windsor Road to four lanes between Philo Road and Illinois 130 should begin in spring 2009.

The city council Monday will consider an agreement with Champaign County to fund the project jointly. The council meets as a committee of the whole at 7 p.m. at the Urbana City Building, 400 S. Vine St.

Under the proposed agreement, which has been approved by the county board, Urbana and the county would each contribute $1.8 million. Federal funding would provide the remaining $3.4 million.

The road would be expanded from two lanes to four, with an additional turn lane at intersections. Also, a stoplight would be added at Windsor and Myra Ridge Drive, public works director William Gray said.

(Link was missing before - fixed now.  Sorry!)

I was just wondering about this the other day:

Work on this $13.5 million construction project has been under way for about a year, and it's nearly completed.

In fact, if not for all the rain recently and the cold snap, travelers might have been hopping on and off the interstate at Curtis Road early this month.

But Markwell says the last piece of the job – putting down the asphalt surface – will require a few 40-degree or warmer days. Then it will take a few more days to mark the lanes and install the signs before the interchange can open.

"It just depends on the weather and what happens," he added.

The City of Champaign is considering raising parking rates for downtown:

But city officials say the meter increases are needed both to help pay for an estimated $12 million, 600-space parking garage set to go up at the southwest corner of Randolph and Hill Streets and to better distribute parking in the downtown area in general.

The city council will consider the rate increases and downtown parking policies at a Nov. 20 study session, with a final vote likely Dec. 18.

The city's proposed parking plan would leave parking at 25 cents an hour on the fringe of downtown, increase it to 50 cents in an outer ring and raise rates to 75 cents in the core of downtown, where demand is the greatest.

"I don't expect everybody to be happy about an increase in parking rates," said Elizabeth Hannan, the city's administrative services manager. "But parking rates have an impact on people's behavior. Hopefully, people will adjust their behavior accordingly versus everybody parking in the core of downtown."

The rate increases are expected to generate $370,000 annually to help pay off bonds for the parking garage, with hours of enforcement from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Under the city's expected proposal, the hours of enforcement will be extended to 7 p.m. starting Jan. 1, 2009, and then to 9 p.m. on Jan. 1, 2010. The extra hours of enforcement are expected to generate an additional $70,000 a year for the city.

Discuss.

Interesting:

The Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District is looking into renewing its service contract with the University before the current contract expires on August 19, 2008.

Negotiations will only begin after the completion of an ongoing study analyzing how MTD buses are moving people through campus, concentrating on where riders board and exit the buses. The study will give University administrators and MTD staff a better idea of how to run buses through campus and keep the safety of the campus community at the forefront of the service goal, said Pam Voitik, director of campus services at the University.

"We want to provide good service but service that is also safe," she said.

And note the sub-head:  "Student deaths will not factor in UI's decision process"

A while ago, we were discussing synchronized traffic signals, and somebody mentioned that doing so in CU would be nearly impossible.

Yet Chicago does it to a large degree.

About 2,000 of the 2,800 signalized intersections in the city of Chicago have synchronized traffic lights, according to the Chicago Traffic Management Authority. Another 476 signals are interconnected citywide. The remaining signals are on less traveled streets and act independently.

The rest of the article is pretty interesting, too.

Last night, the Illinois State Senate passed a huge gaming expansion bill, that includes a Chicago land-basd casino, to fund capital projects and a Chicago-area mass transit bailout:

The gambling legislation would authorize three new casinos -- a land-based one in Chicago and two riverboats at unspecified locations. The casino proceeds would fund the construction plan and assist mass transit until a more permanent funding agreement could be reached.

The Chicago area mass-transit systems would get $200 million from a one-year loan that would tide over the systems until that permanent solution is determined, said Sen. Rickey Hendon (D-Chicago), who sponsored the casino legislation.

The construction program, worth about $25 billion in local, state and federal funds, would be the most far-reaching public works initiative in eight years.

Jones' favorite college, Chicago State University, could reap millions of dollars from a new riverboat as part of an arrangement set out in a prior law.

State Senator Mike Frerichs voted in favor of the plan.  He will claim that he did so to support the possibility of locating a casino in Vermilion County.

CapFax has a lot, lot more.  At this point, the plan's fate in the State House is uncertain.

UPDATE:  From the News-Gazette:

"I had a lot of constituents from Danville who said they would like to have a chance at a casino," Frerichs said. "This gives them an opportunity to compete for that. Also, there are a lot of critical projects in my area that will be funded by this capital program, for roads, schools, the university and other important projects.

"This is not a perfect bill; there are some changes that I would like to make, but all in all I think it's good for the area."

From the Daily Illini:

The closing of four streets in Urbana for the expansion of Carle Foundation Hospital was unanimously approved at Monday's Urbana City Council meeting. Urbana will be paid $1 million collectively for the four streets. Charlie Smyth, Ward 1, said most of the money paid to the city will purchase a new traffic signal on Church Street.

The council's approval may allow the closing of portions of Park Street between Busey and Coler avenues, of Coler Avenue between Park and Church streets, and of Coler Avenue between University Avenue and Park Street.

One of the proposed closings, a portion of Busey Avenue between University Avenue and Park Street, was deleted from the agreement between the city and Carle because it will only be used for construction equipment. The other streets have been designated as future sites for the additions to the facility.

John Snyder, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Carle Hospital, said the streets will be closed within the next six to nine months, pending approval by the health facility planning board. The expansion is currently a $144 million project, he said.

Discuss.

From today's News-Gazette:

Effective today, the city of Champaign is closing three bridges and posting load limits on three others.

Many of the bridges in question cross the Boneyard Creek just south and north of University Avenue along Second Street, and were originally scheduled to be removed or replaced in 2009 or 2010 as part of the Boneyard Creek Second Street detention improvement project.

Jake Wolf, an engineer with Frauenhoffer & Associates, said the Frauenhoffer firm inspected the city's 87 bridges between January and May and recommended closing or establishing weight limits for the six bridges in late June.

Two of the bridges in question will be repaired by this fall, while another could be repaired next year. Three of the bridges, including two little-used alley bridges, will be removed this fall or winter. Many of the bridges in question suffer from salt corrosion, with weakened bridge deck sections.

The Governor signed it yesterday.

The Champaign City Council will consider a draft plan for development of the Curtis Road / Interstate 57 Interchange area:

The draft plan is a detailed guideline for developing the Curtis Road interchange area, which consists of 640 acres, a full 515 acres of which is developable. Most of the property is farmland.

City officials say the interchange area will be a new southern entryway to the city and the University of Illinois, and that it represents a rare development opportunity for a mature city like Champaign.

"Our goal is to create an area that people want to come to and enjoy, not a place they just have to come to," Knight said.

You can view a draft of the plan here.

For all of his other faults, Gov. Rod Blagojevich has alway been very effective at capitalizing on media opportunities.  This is another great example:

Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Thursday ordered state inspectors to examine all bridges considered to be critical as Illinois officials sought to assess the safety of its bridge network in the wake of the deadly collapse in Minneapolis.

But even as the governor took aggressive measures, structural engineers and bridge safety experts cautioned that there was no cause for panic -- Illinois bridges are inspected regularly and tragedies such as the one in Minnesota are isolated incidents, often involving many factors.

"American bridges simply don't collapse of their own volition," said David Schulz, director of the Infrastructure Technology Institute at Northwestern University. "It's almost always a chain of low-probability events coming together. It takes a lot to bring these down.

"I don't worry about bridges," he said. "When we look at spectacular bridge failures, I think what you're going to find is that somebody did something that affected the bridge and that it wasn't the structure or the bridge itself."

Regardless, this will reassure a lot of people who are nervous about bridges right now.

I just now got off the phone with Jim Turpin, of Penney for your thoughts. I saw a link to a story about the CU-MTD being sued  complained about by Allerton Transit Co. for using CU-MTD buses at the John Deere Golf Tournement in Moline, concerning an intergovernmental agreement that Allerton Transit claims is a violation of federal law.  I told him that I had seen a link to the story on, ILLINIPUNDIT.COM open thread 08-01 07  www.badmtd.com A link is posted at the bottom of that page. Why can't the NG dig up this kind of news...or do they want this kept under the radar?

MTD officials will hold a public hearing at 3:00 pm today at the Illinois Terminal Building to seek input about raising their school tokens, adult passes ($200 to $235), and school passes ($125 to $145).

Here’s what Bill Volk said in the N-G: “The board adopted in 2000 a periodic review of fares, after a 12-15 year period in which we didn’t adjust on a more frequent basis. Since then, we have reviewed fares and have adjusted token rates every three years.”

I have two questions. First, why does the MTD continue to meet at a very inconvenient time for the public to attend?

Second, one major component missing in Volk’s 3 year policy is a compelling financial reason to increase these rates. Two of the three rate increases are on the backs of school children. I haven’t looked at MTD’s fund balance in awhile but it has been quite substantial. I hope those who go today will expect to hear how financially strapped the MTD is to warrant such an (automatic) increase.