Since 2014, the intersection where Veterans Parkway (Interstate 55 Business) meets Empire Street (Illinois Route 9) had witnessed the most crashes of any intersection in Bloomington, IL, a city of nearly 80,000 residents and home to over 60,000 cars. Local leaders, residents, and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) all agreed: something had to change. That's why IDOT tapped the expertise of Wight & Company's Transportation & Infrastructure team to perform a feasibility study of the intersection and provide alternative solutions, which were presented at a virtual public information meeting.
This ambitious project was built on a commitment to safety and transparency in all phases of work. With COVID rates still high, the team quickly and nimbly built a microsite to share project information; disseminated information on the virtual meeting via social, local radio, and newspaper ads; and produced a 45-minute video program (see below) that presented eight alternatives (including leaving it as-is) using 3D modeling software designed to give viewers a realistic sense of how the intersection could look in the future. Wight & Company's Jake Hohl and Seth Johnson of Quigg Engineering, along with colleagues from IDOT, then fielded questions from the nearly 60 participants.
Local coverage in The Pentagraph emphasized participant's desire to see a reimagined intersection that would be more friendly to pedestrians and cyclists. There were no pedestrian crosswalks. All seven alternatives included some form of a separate multi-use pathway. Kevin Kothe, Bloomington’s Director of Public Works at the time, told WMBD-TV that “We do have some pedestrians out there so as a city we’ve advocated with IDOT to consider the pedestrians. We want it to be as safe as it can be, not only for the cars, but also pedestrians and bikes/other users that might be crossing it as well.”
Additional coverage from WGLT highlighted how the intersection's landscape further contributed to driver confusion and lead to crashes: "Highway-style signs overhead created a perception of a high-speed area, while close intersections and high congestion conveyed a slow-speed area," Hohl explained during the public meeting.
No clear favorite alternative emerged in polling conducted during the public meeting, and the team continued to actively work to ensure that individuals had multiple means by which to take in project information and provide their feedback. The public was invited to view the video program, download the transcript, take the survey, view a comprehensive Q&A, and leave their input - which would become a part of the project's record. The virtual outreach was highly successful, with 3,400 unique views, 250 responses to the poll, and 67 comments.
The project earned an ACEC Special Achievement Award for Public Outreach.