News release from the City of Fort Wayne:
City/Citilink Construction Project Gets Underway
Parts of Randallia, Lake and Beacon to Get Sidewalks and More(April 25, 2013) – Beginning as early as Friday, April 26, 2013, occasional lane restrictions will be in place along portions of Randallia Drive, Beacon Street and Lake Avenue. Sidewalks, trails, bus pads/shelter, curb ramps and crosswalks will be constructed along Randallia from Forest to Lake, along Lake from Pemberton to Coliseum and along Beacon from Forest to Lake. Work is expected to be completed by mid-June depending on weather conditions.
Thanks to a partnership between the City of Fort Wayne and Citilink, a $152,704 grant from the Federal Transit Administration to Citilink will be matched 20 percent with City Community Economic Development Income Tax (CEDIT) funds to pay for this project. This is the first grant of this kind awarded to the community, and plans are being made to pursue future grants similar to this.
Trails and sidewalks will be built throughout the area, filling in gaps and replacing some existing walkways. (Along Lake, the sidewalk will only be completed from Pemberton to Beacon.) Existing bus stops will be enhanced with concrete pads, and curb ramps will be constructed to provide accessibility to sidewalks where feasible. One existing bus shelter will be retrofitted with solar lighting and a new shelter will include solar lighting.
This project advances the priorities of Mayor Tom Henry’s Walk Fort Wayne Plan adopted in early 2011. Walk Fort Wayne is a ten-year plan to make Fort Wayne a better place to walk by creating a transportation network that accommodates pedestrians and transit users along major roadways.
“The strong partnership between the City and Citilink is making this project possible. The sidewalks, trails, bus pads and curb ramps will increase accessibility for walkers, bikers, people with disabilities and those who use public transportation,” said John Urbahns, division director of Community Development. “It will also increase residents’ access to the nearby school and health care facilities.”
Through citizen surveys, work with neighborhood leaders and extensive fact-finding, Community Development planners identified geographic areas most in need of improvements to make them more connected and pedestrian-friendly. The Randallia/Lake area was identified as a high priority because of its high population density and proximity to hospitals, medical facilities, schools and the local transit system.
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