Niles To Use Grant Money To Improve Pedestrian Safety

From the Village of Niles:

The Village of Niles is proud to share significant progress that has been made towards funding key capital projects in the Village, most notably those focused on pedestrian safety.

The Mayor and Manager's Office of the Village of Niles have been busy collaborating to secure funds from the recent "Rebuild Illinois" capital bill. To date, the Village has been informed that $495,000 has been appropriated to Niles for Police and Fire building upgrades and sidewalk construction on regional roads. The Village will continue to work to further pursue projects important to Niles through the discretionary funds process allotted to legislators and via new capital bills over the next decade.

Also, in the Village's continuing efforts to improve regional roadway safety for pedestrians, Niles was awarded two grants totaling $1.5 million for key sidewalk and crosswalk locations. These projects were identified through a joint effort of the Mayor, Village Manager's Office, Police, Public Works, and GIS to study regional roadway crash data. These grants require a "match" of $521,000 from the Village of Niles. These grants were skillfully prepared by the Engineering Department.

The first of these two grants is a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant. The HSIP is a core federal program intended to produce a measurable and significant reduction in fatalities and serious injuries resulting from traffic-related crashes. The Village received official notice of receipt of an HSIP Grant on August 30, 2019. The grant is for $909,000 with a required 29% local match for a total available budget of $1,270,000.

For the second of these two sidewalk and crosswalk grants, the Village of Niles has been informed that the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) Access to Transit Program application to the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program for Fiscal Year 2020-2024 was approved by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) Board and MPO Policy Committee on October 10, 2019. This RTA application included Niles’ plans for Pace access improvements along major roads in the amount of $795,721, which will provide improved safety for all pedestrians, not only those using Pace buses. This grant also requires a partial local match. The CMAQ-funded grant amount is $636,577, and the Village of Niles and the RTA will each contribute $79,572, adding up to a total budget amount of $795,721.

The Village intends to use these funds to improve pedestrian safety along Greenwood Avenue, Golf Road, and Milwaukee Avenue. Along with numerous other improvements, the Village intends to install sidewalks on Golf Road from Dee Road to Golf Terrace (1,450 feet), on Golf Road from Western Avenue to Washington Street (4,850 feet), on Greenwood Avenue from Sunset Road to Crain Street (1,700 feet), and on Greenwood Avenue from Church Street to Golf Road (2,500 feet). This project will also include pedestrian countdown signals at the following intersections: Golf Road at Greenwood Avenue, Golf Road at Golf Milwaukee Plaza, and Golf Road at the Four Flags entrance. In addition, a pedestrian crossing with an RRFB (Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon) is proposed at Greenwood Avenue, near Betty Terrace.

The Village of Niles is taking thoughtful and innovative steps to ensure safety and quality of life for residents, and looks forward to bringing these new projects to fruition.

This release was produced by the Village of Niles. The views expressed here are the author's own.