Latest news with #RoadDiet
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Roundabout chosen for intersection in Jamestown
Jun. 3—JAMESTOWN — The North Dakota Department of Transportation has selected the roundabout option for the U.S. Highway 52 and 10th Street Southeast intersection, according to Jamestown City Councilman David Steele. Steele informed the City Council during committee reports on Monday, June 2, that the North Dakota Department of Transportation has also selected a five-lane road with a two-way left-turn for Business Loop West, which is similar to the existing road. The project would reconstruct the U.S. Highway 52 and 10th Street Southeast intersection and Business Loop West from 4th Avenue Southwest to 10th Street Southeast. The two bridges on Business Loop West will also be replaced. The project includes restriping 1st Avenue South from 7th to 10th Street Southeast to help match the configuration of the Road Diet project further north in the downtown area. The other three alternatives for the U.S. Highway 52 and 10th Street intersection were a radial T, double crossover and displaced left turns. The other three alternatives for the reconstruction of Business Loop West were four lanes with full intersection access at all streets with raised medians, four lanes with three-fourths intersection access with a raised median, and four-lane right-in and right-out intersection access with a raised median. The estimated cost is nearly $9.2 million for the roundabout and about $6.5 million for the five-lane road with a two-way left-turn lane, The Jamestown Sun reported in February. The purpose of the project is to address bridge and pavement condition, vehicular traffic operations and sidewalks for bicyclists or individuals who walk along and adjacent to the U.S. Highway 52 corridor in Jamestown from 7th Street to 4th Avenue Southwest, the Sun reported in February. The city of Jamestown's Land Use and Transportation Plan identifies the need to improve traffic operations and pedestrian comfort at the intersection of 1st Avenue South and 10th Street Southeast, The Sun reported. The Land Use and Transportation Plan also identifies the need to address gaps in the sidewalk and trail system in the general area. Construction on the project is scheduled for summer 2027. The Jamestown City Council unanimously approved listing city-owned properties for sale in southeast Jamestown. The city-owned properties are located at 301 and 401 11th Ave. SE and 1104 and 1220 Railroad Drive SE. The properties at 301 and 401 11th Ave. SE are in the Harold P. Bensch Addition. The properties at 1104 and 1220 Railroad Drive SE are in the Kourajian Second Addition. The request for proposals for the four properties will be advertised on June 7 with applications due on Aug. 15. The selection date and notice will be on Sept. 2-3, respectively, or as determined by the City Council. The minimum price acceptable for each of the properties is $2 per square foot at 401 11th Ave. SE and $2.50 per square foot at 301 11th Ave. SE, according to the city of Jamestown's request for proposals. The minimum price is $2 per square foot for the property at 1104 Railroad Drive SE. Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said the price of the property at 1220 Railroad Drive SE, which includes a building, is $151,600. "One of the other conditions on the sale of that one with the building on it is that ... the exterior has to be refurbished because it doesn't look very good right now," Heinrich said. The purchaser must agree to sell the property back to the city at the original purchase price if development does not occur within 30 months of the purchase in accordance with the development plan submitted as part of the original purchase proposal. The City Council unanimously approved the annexation of property adjacent to 25th Street and 11th Avenue Southwest. The property is about 7 acres and is located west of Walmart. The property will be used for the construction of a housing complex, Heinrich said at the Jamestown Finance and Legal Committee meeting on May 20. The annexation request was made by Beyond Shelter Inc. and Jtown Land LLC. In other business, the City Council held the first reading of an ordinance to amend and reenact section 8, article 1 of the city of Jamestown's municipal code related to keeping fowl. The ordinance would loosen restrictions on keeping fowl within city limits by eliminating a setback requirement from the applicant's residence. The current ordinance for keeping fowl in an enclosure has a setback requirement of 100 feet at its nearest point from any residence. "Fowl shall be kept in an enclosure not less than 60 feet at its nearest point from any other residence, including any attached structures, and must be constructed as to prevent such fowl from wandering or flying from the enclosure," the new ordinance says. "Any enclosure for the Fowl shall be not less than 30 feet from the permittee's residence and any attached structures." The proposed number of chickens allowed is up to eight. Heinrich said the topic will be on the agenda for the Finance and Legal Committee meeting on June 24. "We do have some proposed changes, and I have visited with our city attorney and we know there's some other changes, but we're confident that we're not ready to go forward with that," he said before the first reading of the ordinance. Lisa Kainz, a Jamestown resident, said the setback distance of 100 feet from a neighbor's residence is "not the best thing." "I know my neighbors personally and they're 150 feet from me because where I live, but I also believe that if you are a minority and you don't have what I have and you receive permission from your neighbors and the majority of the people around you would like you to be able to have chickens because they would enjoy them also, they should have that right," she said.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Prospect Protest': Neighbors divided over potential traffic flow, bike lane changes
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Many neighbors in Champaign are protesting the Illinois Department of Transportation's (IDOT) proposed plan to change Prospect Avenue. Some have put red ribbons around trees and others hung up a 35-foot sign that's turning heads. IDOT hosted a meeting over the summer to gather community input regarding the proposal, impacting drivers on Prospect between Marketview Drive and Springfield Avenue. People had concerns about widening the road then and reconfiguring the lanes then. Now, some are more worried about the one-mile stretch between Bradley and Springfield Avenues because that's where a bike lane could go in and traffic patterns changed. Neighbors near the Prospect and University Avenue intersection want to spread awareness so others know about the project. They feel one way to do that is by installing a sign along the fence that reads 'Future Site of the 'Suicide' Bike Path.' Some think making changes could lead to more problems, while others feel the proposal is good. New safety measures added to Thomasboro road, crash hotspot 'I've spoken with city officials about going ahead and re-striping and trying the three-lane configuration out, let's see how it works,' Brad LaPayne, a neighbor in the area, said. But, he isn't on board with widening the road by four feet. LaPayne tied red ribbons around trees and said neighbors hung the sign. 'Taking the trees down and adding a bike lane seems silly to me,' he added. He said he doesn't see bicyclists on Prospect very often. Cynthia Hoyle, a transportation planner and advocate for safe streets, rides her bike as often as possible but avoids Prospect. 'It is a scary road to bike on,' she described. Hoyle believes the proposed 'Road Diet' would keep bicyclists and drivers safer. However, LaPayne is worried that this type of traffic flow would cause headaches. 'You still have the same number of vehicles, but they're stretched further down the road,' LaPayne said. 'My life could've been taken': Coles Co. mom recounts car crash involving her 3-week-old, pushes for change In the meantime, he's keeping everyone informed. 'The process is still ongoing until they start moving things, I think we can still influence what happens here,' LaPayne added. Hoyle is feeling confident that any changes are a good thing. 'I'm absolutely sure it will work,' she said. 'It has worked everywhere else that we've done it in town. We have not undone any place that we've done a road diet. It has improved safety, made the traffic flow better and everybody's been happier.' WCIA reached out to IDOT with several questions, you can see the full response below. Question: What is IDOT's response to the red ribbons around the trees? Answer: 'The plans were developed for Prospect Avenue with extensive input from the City of Champaign since the inception of this project. The IDOT section of Prospect Avenue will closely match the City of Champaign's proposed section of Prospect Avenue that is south of Springfield Avenue. Our proposed project is a result of working with local government (City of Champaign) to arrive at a plan to make this corridor more accessible to bikes and pedestrians. To implement the Road Diet and on-road bicycle lanes as shown on the City of Champaign's Bicycle Vision Map, widening of the roadway is necessary which will likely impact trees along the corridor between the back of the existing curb and the sidewalk in the grass boulevard. IDOT's policy is to plant new trees to replace those impacted by the project.' Question: What about the large sign about neighbors' concerns about adding a bike path? 'Safety is our top priority on everything we do, including this project. IDOT's Bureau of Design and Environment (BDE) Manual indicates for an Urban Roadway with a posted speed of 35 MPH and an Average Daily Traffic greater than 19,000 an 8-foot on-road bicycle lane is appropriate and the 8' lane will also include the buffer as proposed with our project.' Question: What's the project cost and timeline? Answer: 'The project is currently programmed at $15.6 million for FY 2027, with construction potentially starting in the Spring of 2027 and anticipated to take two construction seasons.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ward 2's Matt Bentley is the first candidate to seek Hillsdale's mayoral office
HILLSDALE — Freshman politician Matt Bentley is the first candidate to announce his intention of seeking Hillsdale's top office as the race to find a new mayor this fall inches closer. Bentley, of the city's Ward 2, was elected to the council last November and took office and with five months experience, he is seeking to fill a void left in the city when Adam Stockford resigned from office Dec. 1, 2024, and moved to Camden Township. The Hillsdale Daily News interviewed Bentley on his positions and why he wants to run for mayor. These were his answers. Why did you get involved in local government to begin with? "My friend Joshua Paladino recruited me to run for councilman of Ward 2. I resisted for over a year. Why would anyone want to give up their private life for the stress of being on city council? But Josh is persuasive and unrelenting." Why did you decide to run for mayor? "I have been firmly against the TAP Grant/Road Diet/bike lanes from the moment I heard of it, as I know the people of Hillsdale are. I have been organizing and lobbying against it since December. The citizens were told that there would be a council vote sometime between the January 16th public hearing and the end of February. Feedback would be heard, adjustments could be made, and we could alter or end the process at any time. None of that happened. On February 4th, we received an email from Manager Mackie, that council's authorization to apply for the TAP Grant was not needed. There have been many such cases. Two weeks later I decided to run. Two weeks after that I filed the paperwork. Regardless of whether I become mayor or not, I will continue to fight against the bike lanes until 2027." What direction would you like the city to go if you're elected mayor this fall? "I am running for Mayor of Council. The specific name of the office may seem unimportant, but I would argue that the actual title does shed light on one of the reasons that I am running. I love Hillsdale. Hillsdale in many ways remains as it was forty years ago. Hillsdale doesn't need me as mayor. It doesn't need some grand vision of the future. It needs the roads to be repaired. Council and staff seem unable to provide serviceable roads. I am running to be Mayor of Council because City Council is where the dysfunction is." What skillsets/knowledge do you have that you believe will make you a great mayor? "I don't have any particular expertise in municipal matters. I've only been on council for five months. I don't have any delusions about being a Great Mayor — Hillsdale has a 'weak mayor system'. What I bring is the voice of the people of Hillsdale, because I am the people of Hillsdale, and I'm willing to fight to preserve the city which we were all blessed to inherit." — Contact Reporter Corey Murray at cmurray@ or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @cmurrayHDN. This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: First candidate for Hillsdale mayor race this fall explains platform
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NDDOT expects to have plans ready in 2026 for intersection, Business Loop West in Jamestown
Feb. 19—JAMESTOWN — The North Dakota Department of Transportation is expected to have plans ready to go to bid by May 1, 2026, for a project to reconstruct a major intersection and road in Jamestown, according to Wayne Zacher, urban engineer for the NDDOT. The project would reconstruct the U.S. Highway 52 and 10th Street Southeast intersection and Business Loop West from 4th Avenue Southwest to 10th Street Southeast. The two bridges on Business Loop West will also be replaced. The project includes restriping 1st Avenue South from 7th to 10th Street Southeast to help match the configuration of the Road Diet project further north in the downtown area. The NDDOT has not made a final decision on the options for the U.S. Highway 52 and 10th Street Southeast intersection and the reconstruction of Business Loop West from 4th Avenue Southwest to 10th Street Southeast. Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said the NDDOT made a recommendation to the Jamestown City Council and the council unanimously agreed with its recommendation. The recommendation included a roundabout for the U.S. Highway 52 and 10th Street Southeast intersection and a five-lane road with a two-way left-turn lane for Business Loop West, which is similar to the existing road. Zacher said the NDDOT wants everything ready for the project to go to bid by May 1, 2026. He said the project is expected to use funds for 2027. He said the NDDOT's consultant has received multiple recommendations for the options. "The consultant is actually working through the comments and recommendations that were received during the draft document review, and then once those are incorporated, they'll be resubmitted, and then we will work through our process and up to our deputy director for engineering to make all my decisions on how to move forward with the project," Zacher said. The other three alternatives for the 10th Street Intersection are a radial T, double crossover and displaced left turns. "I do believe that the roundabout is the best option for that," Heinrich said. "I believe ... that intersection is quite frankly a perfect one for a roundabout." Heinrich said a roundabout will be safer at the intersection. "There have been a fairly good number of accidents there over the past years," he said. "My guess is that that number will be reduced." Heinrich said the roundabout will help prevent traffic congestion in other areas in Jamestown. "You're just going to swap to the roundabout a little bit and move on right through and keep traffic flowing," he said. " ... It should keep that traffic flowing." He said the city won't have to worry about traffic lights failing at the intersection as well. "There's also the added safety feature here of crosswalks with rapid-flashing beacons on both sides of the road and one in a middle median to make it much easier for pedestrian traffic to pass through there," Heinrich said. The other three alternatives for the reconstruction of Business Loop West are four lanes with full intersection access at all streets with raised medians, four lanes with three-fourths intersection access with a raised median and four-lane right-in and right-out intersection access with a raised median. The estimated cost is nearly $9.2 million for the roundabout and about $6.5 million for the five-lane road with a two-way left-turn lane, according to an NDDOT report with SRF Consulting Group as the principal author. The purpose of the project is to address bridge and pavement condition, vehicular traffic operations and sidewalks for bicyclists or individuals who walk along and adjacent to the U.S. Highway 52 corridor in Jamestown from 7th Street to 4th Avenue Southwest, the NDDOT report says. The report says the city of Jamestown's Land Use and Transportation Plan identifies the need to improve traffic operations and pedestrian comfort at the intersection of 1st Avenue South and 10th Street Southeast. The Land Use and Transportation Plan also identifies the need to address gaps in the sidewalk and trail system in the general area. The roundabout option includes a single-lane roundabout and single-lane bypass lanes for all three approaches. It also includes two-lane entries to all streets. The bypass lanes would have medians painted on pavement separating them from the circular roadway. The roundabout will include raised medians to separate lanes opposing directions of traffic and to help create a refuge for pedestrians, the report says. Painted medians between the roundabout and bypass lanes will reduce the total pedestrian crossing distances. The roundabout option requires the acquisition of permanent right of way from northeast properties and parking space reconfiguration. The properties include the former Hardee's and the building that houses Cornerstone Nutrition and Kropp Law Offices P.C. The five-lane option is similar to what currently exists on Business Loop West, the report says. Tenth Street Southwest and Riverside Drive would be realigned so vehicles can easily cross Business Loop West. The five-lane option also has two protected pedestrian crossings adjacent to U.S. Highway 52. Portions of the two-way left-turn lane may be removed at potential pedestrian crossing locations to allow for the construction of a pedestrian refuge. All side-street and mainline vehicle movements will be permitted at public intersections. The estimated cost of the five-lane option is about $6.5 million. The radial T includes two lanes for southbound and westbound traffic going westbound. It would include one lane for eastbound traffic going northbound, eastbound going eastbound, southbound going eastbound and westbound going northbound. It would also include one traffic signal and pedestrian crossings. The estimated cost is more than more than $8.7 million for the radial T intersection. The double crossover includes three traffic signals with pedestrian crossings. Left-turn movements would cross over at two signals. Only right turns would be allowed to get onto 2nd Avenue Southeast or get off that street. The estimated cost is more than $9.3 million for the double crossover intersection. The intersection with the displaced left turns includes westbound left-turn movements that would cross over at the east signal. The intersection would include two traffic signals with pedestrian crossings. Only right turns would be allowed to get onto 2nd Avenue Southeast or get off that street. The estimated cost is more than $9.3 million for the displaced left turns intersection. The other three alternatives for the reconstruction of Business Loop West are four lanes with full intersection access at all streets with raised medians, four lanes with three-fourths intersection access with a raised median and four-lane right-in and right-out intersection access with a raised median. The four-lane option with full intersection includes installing raised medians from 4th Avenue Southwest to 10th Street Southwest and from 10th Street Southwest to 2nd Avenue Southwest. Tenth Street Southwest and Riverside Drive would be realigned. There would be a left-turn lane for eastbound and westbound traffic to turn onto 10th Street Southwest. The estimated cost is $6.4 million for the four-lane option with a full intersection including raised medians. The four-lane option with three-fourths intersection access includes installing raised medians from 4th Avenue Southwest to 10th Street Southwest, 10th Street Southwest to 2nd Avenue Southwest and 2nd Avenue Southwest to the 10th Street Southeast intersection. Traffic from 4th Avenue Southwest, 10th Street Southwest and 2nd Avenue Southwest would only be able to make right turns to get onto Business Loop West. There would be a left-turn lane for eastbound and westbound traffic to turn onto 10th Street Southwest. A left-turn lane for westbound traffic would also be added to turn onto 2nd Avenue Southwest. The estimated cost is more than $6.4 million for the four-lane option with three-fourths intersection. The four-lane right-in and right-out intersection option includes installing a median from the bottom of Mill Hill to the 10th Street Southeast intersection. Only right turns would be allowed for traffic on 4th Avenue Southwest, 10th Street Southwest, Riverside Drive and 2nd Avenue Southwest. The estimated cost is about $5.9 million for the four-lane right-in and right-out intersection option.
