Goodwin Avenue receives Exemplary Human Environment Initiative Award
The City of Urbana is pleased to announce that the Goodwin Avenue Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Improvement Project was recently awarded with a Exemplary Human Environment Initiative Award by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
The Exemplary Human Environment Initiative (EHEI) recognizes outstanding examples of transportation projects that either create or improve conditions for human activities. By recognizing EHEIs, FHWA acknowledges the important efforts of municipalities to expand and enhance human activity associated with transportation projects. The EHEIs also showcase activities that other localities can implement. The Goodwin Avenue project was recognized in the Enhancing the Environment for Human Activities category. This category includes infrastructure changes that benefit human transportation to increase livability and quality of life.
Goodwin Avenue is a collector street through the campus of the University of Illinois which serves primarily as a route for students traveling to and from classes. It is a direct north-south route with very high pedestrian and bicycle traffic. The corridor was identified by the City as a location of high-risk for pedestrian and bicycle crashes. The proposed improvements to this corridor were constructed as a means to increase safety – especially for pedestrians and cyclists.
Improvements included: construction of bump-outs to shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians; construction of ADA compliant, directional ramps at all corners to provide guidance for visually impaired pedestrians and to assist those in wheelchairs in crossing the street; striping of high-visibility crosswalks to enhance visibility and conspicuity of the pedestrian crossing locations; striping of bike lanes to designate space on the roadway for bicycles to travel; upgrade of traffic signals to include protected-permissive left turns on all legs to decrease possible conflicts with pedestrians in crosswalks; and installation of new full cut-off fixture street lighting that meets the lighting standards for a roadway with bike lanes - full cut-off fixtures direct light directly down and out, preventing any light from being wasted upwards therefore decreasing light pollution.
Read coverage in the News Gazette.
