Long-range transportation plan takes green approach

With $2 billion in funds, transportation over next 25 years expected to be environmentally friendly

A long-range transportation plan for the Champaign-Urbana area anticipates more than $2 billion in funding over the next 25 years.

The plan, prepared by the Champaign County Regional Plan Commission, also includes increased use of bike lanes; reduced vehicle miles traveled and reduced greenhouse gas emissions; and increased use of mass transit, including buses and trains.

Eric Halvorsen, transportation planner with the Champaign County Regional Plan Commission, said in presentations last week to the Urbana and Champaign city councils that the federal government requires a 25-year plan update every five years showing the projected growth and transportation needs.

The plan is required to qualify for federal transportation funding, he said.

Based on current and projected transportation operations, the proposed long-range plan projects federal funding of $275 million, state funding of $92 million and local transportation funding of $2.3 billion for a total of $2.7 billion through 2035.

That compares to the 2025 long-range plan, which projected federal funding of $155 million, state funding of $29 million and local funding of about $1.29 billion for a total of $1.4 billion.

The long-range transportation plan is a regional document but takes into account all local planning efforts in the past five years, Halvorsen said.

The plan considers various corridor studies, such as the Staley/Rising Road Corridor Study in Champaign, the St. Mary's Road Corridor Study on campus, and the Illinois 130/High Cross Road Corridor Study in Urbana, according to Halvorsen.

"What we want to focus on, first and foremost, is reducing vehicle miles traveled and reducing greenhouse gases," Halvorsen said.

With increased use of buses, people will be able to go from their homes to work or shopping without using a personal vehicle, he said.

Based on comments so far, Halvorsen said, people have been excited about prospects for high-speed rail and increased use of bike and pedestrian traffic.

"We also need to see a more competitive airport in our urbanized area," Halvorsen said.

Halvorsen said comments were taken during meetings in April to introduce the planning concept.

Public comments will continue to be taken until Nov. 25, including online at www.ccrpc.org (click the link to "planning and development") or by calling Halvorsen at 328-3313.

In Urbana, Alderman Charlie Smyth complained that the plan continues to focus on more new roads rather than maintaining existing roads.

"This is just a thing to build roads," Smyth said. "That may or may not be a good thing. We know, from experience, if you build a road far away (from the existing development) people will move and you increase sprawl.

"The federal government has it backwards," Smyth said.

Urbana Community Development Director and City Planner Libby Tyler said the long-range plan is consistent with Urbana's own comprehensive plan.

Champaign Planning Director Bruce Knight said the long-range plan is "very consistent" with that city's transportation master plan, which calls for Champaign to have transportation choices that will lead to a reduction in greenhouse gases, more compact development and bike paths.

Knight said the Champaign plan has "nodes" of higher density population and "corridors" that connect the nodes, "so people can move around by other than personal vehicle."

Knight also said the long-range plan identifies priorities for future projects. Past plans, he said, identified Curtis Road and Windsor Road improvements.

"The way we grow and develop probably affects vehicle miles traveled more than our transportation plan," Knight said told city council members Tuesday.

Council member Marci Dodds asked how development of Olympian Drive fits into the long-range plan.

"It's up north. There's not a lot up there," she said.

Halvorsen said the long-range plan looks primarily at regional projects for federal funding. Olympian Drive is a regional project which requires federal funding, so it needs to be listed in the plan, he said.

Furthermore, he said, Olympian Drive provides connection between Champaign and Urbana, greater mobility with roadway, bike and pedestrian traffic and encourages economic development.

"Olympian Drive is a roadway project that has been shown in the future plans of Champaign and Urbana for quite some time," Halvorsen said. "The extension of this roadway has the potential of bringing additional economic development opportunities to our community."

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