Urbana Awarded Over $2.5M for Shared-Use Paths

The City of Urbana announces that it will receive over $2.5 million in state funding assistance through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) for two projects, as part of the Rebuild Illinois Program. Passed in 2019, Rebuild Illinois is investing $33.2 billion into the state’s aging transportation system. The awards were announced by Governor Pritzker late last week.

The two projects selected in Urbana include biking and walking paths designed to encourage safe travel across the various modes of transportation in those areas. The first project is to construct a shared-use path parallel to Florida Avenue, from Race Street to Lincoln Avenue. The second project is to also construct a shared-use path along an undeveloped property owned by the City of Urbana along Bakers Lane in east Urbana.  

Made possible by federal and state funds administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation, ITEP awards are focused on improving bike and pedestrian travel, as well as making other surface transportation improvements that promote alternative options for getting around communities. 

IDOT received 213 applications for projects worth an estimated $337 million for the current cycle. The next call for projects will come in late 2024, with a 2025 award announcement.