Forgy outlines 5-year capital improvement plan for city streets

[January 21, 2013]  Last Tuesday evening city engineer Darren Forgy walked through the draft copy of the new five-year capital improvement plan with city aldermen.

The plan addresses all the foreseeable needs of the city in maintaining infrastructure, including items related to streets, sidewalks, curbing, gutter and forestry.

It also spreads out the major projects across the next five years, scheduling them in order of importance according to the recently completed street condition report, also prepared by Forgy and Prairie Engineers.

During his presentation, Forgy went through each item on the five-year list and added further comments when needed.

Some of the topics he touched on more completely included a desire to see a program of restoration and preservation of the city's brick streets.

Some of the work he proposes that the city do in the next five years includes digging up concrete patches on the brick streets and re-laying the area with real brick.

Another more aggressive project on the list regarding brick streets is the restoration of McLean Street north from Broadway past City Hall. McLean Street is the longest continuous brick street in Lincoln, but right at the downtown area the street has been overlaid with asphalt. Forgy wants to pull up the asphalt and restore the brick underneath. There is also a similar proposal for a section of McLean near Scully Park.

Earlier in the evening Lisa Kramer, with Prairie Engineers, the city's official engineering firm, told the council that the Fifth Street Road project was two-thirds funded, with approximately $4 million set aside and a need of just over $6 million. She talked to the council about the land acquisition project they have on hold, urging them to go ahead and make the purchase of land for water runoff and a retention pond.

She told aldermen there is still $75,000 remaining in the Obama stimulus funds the city received, and it should be spent to avoid the risk of having to give it back.

The Fifth Street Road project is in the five-year plan for completion in the calendar year 2015.

Away from street repairs, the five-year plan also addresses the emerald ash borer with a tree inventory program. Forgy said it wasn't a matter of if emerald ash borer was going to hit Lincoln, it was more a matter of when. He said the city should take an inventory of the trees in town, determine what ash trees they might want to try to prolong the life of, and decide if there were any they wanted to try to save.

He said there were treatments that would prolong the life of the trees a few years and more costly treatments that could save a tree.

When the ash borer comes to Lincoln, many trees will have to be destroyed and replaced. Forgy said that while there might not be many that the city wants to spend the money to try to save, using the life-prolonging treatments would allow the city time to spread the cutting out over a few years.

One project is not on the list, and that is the Union Street overlay that is scheduled to happen this summer. Forgy had said at an earlier meeting that because that project was a two-step plan that began with the sewer slip lining in 2012, he would not include it in the five-year plan, as it is already known that the second part of the project will be done this year.

The council on the whole gasped just a little when Forgy addressed a new surfacing program, calling it similar but better than slurry. In the past, the city tried slurry as a less expensive seal coat for roads that were in otherwise good condition. The outcome was extremely disappointing. The slurry didn't cover properly and it came up in areas, leaving roadways not only unprotected, but looking very unsightly.

Forgy said microsurfacing would again offer a thinner seal coat, but that the product to be used was harder and much more durable than the old slurry.

Forgy also talked about funding for the projects and pointed out that some of them, especially in the later years, are listed as "unsecured." This means that currently there is no money to do the project, and of course if the money can't be found, the project won't be done.

Forgy had passed out copies of the complete five-year plan to each council member. As he wrapped up an hour presentation, going through each project for the next five years, he told the council that this was only a draft and subject to change.

He encouraged them to look at each item and offer him their input. He also said that the five-year plan would be revisited in future years to determine if the priorities were still where they should be and that adjustments could be made as needed.

Below is the list of the projects Prairie Engineers is proposing over the next five years. The complete copy of the five-year plan will be available on the city website when the plan is finalized.

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Fiscal 2014, with work to be completed during the calendar year 2013 summer months

1. Oglesby Avenue bridge removal
Removal of existing bridge over Brainard's Branch and construction of cul-de-sac south of Brainard's Branch.
Project also includes either a cul-de-sac or total pavement removal between Brainard's Branch and 20th Street.
Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $112,000.

2. Pulaski Street reconstruction
Total reconstruction of Pulaski Street between Hamilton and Ladue streets from a brick pavement to a 32-foot wide concrete pavement.
Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $1,200,000.

3. 2014 street pulverization and seal coat program
Pulverization, regrading and compacting of approximately 4.3 miles of oil-chip and poor bituminous pavements.
Seal coating of approximately 8.6 miles of pavements.
Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $404,800.

4. 2014 miscellaneous maintenance program
Includes gutter cleaning, snow removal and salt spreading, spot patching, crack sealing, cleaning of inlets and culverts, alley maintenance, and traffic signal energy and maintenance.
Funded by motor fuel tax fund, $325,000.

5. Kickapoo Street safety modifications
Installing rumble strips and striping on South Kickapoo Street to calm traffic speed.
Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $10,000.

6. 2014 street tree inventory
Inventory of city's street trees and preparation of emerald ash borer management plan.
Funded by forestry fund, $35,000.

7. Heat scarification and microsurfacing program
Heat scarification and microsufacing of approximately 2.6 miles of city streets.
Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $386,000.

8. Hamilton Street white-topping
Milling and overlay of one block of Hamilton Street between Pulaski and Broadway streets with 4-inch concrete pavement.
Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $84,300.

9. 2014 brick street repair program
Partial restoration of existing brick streets by replacing existing concrete and bituminous patches and surface deformations with reclaimed brick pavers.
Streets include:

• North Ottawa Street between Broadway and Pekin streets.

• McLean Street between Keokuk Street and Lincoln Avenue.

• McLean Street between Clinton and Decatur streets (adjacent to Scully Park).

• Seventh Street between Pine and Walnut streets (adjacent to APEX site).

Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $238,800.

10. 2014 sidewalk inventory and condition index
Inventory of city's sidewalks and rating of their condition for prioritization of maintenance and construction funds,
Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $30,000.

11. 2014 curb and gutter and sidewalk program
Repair and infill of city's sidewalks and curb and gutter.
Funded by motor fuel tax fund, $170,000.

Total fiscal 2014 roadway projects, $2,883,900.

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Fiscal 2015, with work to be completed during the calendar year 2014 summer months

1. High-speed rail at-grade crossing improvements
Total reconstruction of Sangamon Avenue and Chicago Street between Decatur Street and Pekin Street, using brick pavers.
Total reconstruction of Decatur, Clinton, Pulaski, Broadway and Pekin streets between Sangamon Avenue and Chicago Street, using brick pavers.
Total reconstruction of Keokuk and Tremont streets between Sangamon Avenue and Chicago Street.
All reconstruction to be done by Illinois Department of Transportation at no cost to the city of Lincoln.
Cost included is for upgrade of planned improvements from bituminous pavement surface to brick pavement surface in Historic Sangamon Street District.
Unsecured, $2,058,600.

2. Downtown streetscape
Total reconstruction of 12 blocks of downtown pedestrian sidewalks, including ADA upgrades, parking, street furniture and curb extensions.
Unsecured, $2,300,000.

3. Union Bike Trail
Development of the first phase of the Union Bike Trail, from Adams School north to Kickapoo Creek.
Unsecured, $1,098,650.

4. Microsurfacing program
Microsurfacing of approximately 5.4 miles of city streets.
Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $267,900.

5. Miscellaneous maintenance program
Includes gutter cleaning, snow removal and salt spreading, spot patching, crack sealing, cleaning of inlets and culverts, alley maintenance, and traffic signal energy and maintenance.
Funded by motor fuel tax fund, $325,000.

6. Brick street repair program
Partial restoration of existing brick streets by replacing existing concrete and bituminous patches and surface deformations with reclaimed brick pavers.
Streets include:

• Logan Street between Clinton and Decatur streets.

• McLean Street between Lincoln Avenue and Peoria Street.

• Water Street between Delavan and Tremont streets.

• Seventh Street between Pine and Mill streets.

Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $196,300.

Total fiscal 2015 roadway projects, $4,187,850

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Fiscal 2016, with work to be completed during the calendar year 2015 summer months

1. Fifth Street Road reconstruction
Total reconstruction of Fifth Street Road from Lincoln Parkway to Interstate 55.
Project includes a bike trail.
Funded by federal appropriations, surface transportation urban funds, county motor fuel tax funds, county high-priority project funds, general obligation bond funds, $6,242,500.

2. Street pulverization and seal coat program.
Pulverization, regrading, and compacting of approximately 4 miles of oil-chip and poor bituminous pavements.
Seal coating of approximately eight miles of pavements.
Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $385,000.

3. Miscellaneous maintenance program
Includes gutter cleaning, snow removal and salt spreading, spot patching, crack sealing, cleaning of inlets and culverts, alley maintenance, and traffic signal energy and maintenance.
Funded by motor fuel tax fund, $325,000,

4. Pavement condition index
Update of city's roadway condition rating.
Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $20,000.

5. Brick street repair program
Partial restoration of existing brick streets by replacing existing concrete and bituminous patches and surface deformations with reclaimed brick pavers.
Streets include:

• McLean Street between Peoria and Delavan streets.

• Tenth Street between Elm and Mundy streets.

• Ladue Street between Broadway and Pulaski streets.

Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $217,500.

6. Curb and gutter, sidewalk, and concrete patching program
Repair and infill of city's sidewalks and curb and gutter.
Also includes concrete pavement patching on Heitmann Drive.
Funded by motor fuel tax fund, $195,000.

Total fiscal 2016 roadway projects, $7,385,000.

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Fiscal 2017, with work to be completed during the calendar year 2016 summer months

1. Kickapoo Street reconstruction
Total reconstruction of Kickapoo Street between Clinton Street and Wyatt Avenue as a concrete pavement.
Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $420,000.

2. Microsurfacing program
Microsurfacing of approximately four miles of city streets.
Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $228,800.

3. Miscellaneous maintenance program
Includes gutter cleaning, snow removal and salt spreading, spot patching, crack sealing, cleaning of inlets and culverts, alley maintenance, and traffic signal energy and maintenance.
Funded by motor fuel tax fund. $325,000.

4. Fourth and Burlington streets overlay
Patching and bituminous overlay of nine city blocks:

• Fourth Street between State Street and Maple Street

• Burlington Street (between Kickapoo and Commercial Drive).

Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $288,000.

5. McLean Street brick restoration project
Removal of existing bituminous overlay and restoration of one partial block of existing brick McLean Street between Broadway and Pekin streets.
Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $118,800.

6. Brick street repair program
Partial restoration of existing brick streets by replacing existing concrete and bituminous patches and surface deformations with reclaimed brick pavers.
Streets include:

• Lincoln Avenue between Water and College streets.

• McLean Street between Keokuk and Davenport streets.

Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $168,300.

7. Ottawa Street brick restoration projects
Removal of existing bituminous overlay and restoration of one partial block of existing brick Ottawa Street between Union and Broadway streets.
Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $62,000.

Total fiscal 2017 roadway projects, $1,610,900.

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Fiscal 2018 with work to be completed during the calendar year 2017 summer months

1. Stahlhut Drive extension
Extension of Stahlhut Drive from existing end to Woodlawn.
Unsecured, $2,500,000.

2. Miscellaneous maintenance program
Includes gutter cleaning, snow removal and salt spreading, spot patching, crack sealing, cleaning of inlets and culverts, alley maintenance, and traffic signal energy and maintenance.
Funded by motor fuel tax fund, $325,000.

3. Brick street repair program
Partial restoration of existing brick streets by replacing existing concrete and bituminous patches and surface deformations with reclaimed brick pavers.
Streets include:

• Pekin Street between Sherman and Sheridan streets.

• Part of Lincoln Avenue between Clay and Union streets.

• Sixth Street between Mill and Pine streets.

Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $157,200.

4. McLean Street brick restoration project
Removal of existing bituminous overlay and restoration of one block of existing brick.
McLean Street between Decatur and Wyatt streets.
Funded by non-home rule sales tax, $97,500.

5. Curb and gutter and sidewalk program
Repair and infill of city's sidewalks and curb and gutter
Funded by motor fuel tax fund. $170,000.

Total fiscal 2018 roadway projects, $3,249,700.

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After the meeting Forgy and Kramer spoke briefly about the plan, saying that looking at the numbers all at once may be a little shocking for the aldermen, but they need to realize this is all money they would have spent anyway on road projects. The five-year plan offers them an opportunity to prioritize the work according to necessity, based on current street conditions.

[By NILA SMITH]