By: Diane Benjamin
How much did the bike trail from Chenoa to Funks Grove cost?
Good question – but I have no idea!
Researching anything the County does is close to impossible. The County took the lead, but Bloomington, Normal, Chenoa, Lexington, McLean and Towanda all contributed.
All County work is done in committees and then brought to the Board. Using the Search Box on the County website means documents from both committees and the Board will be located. Details can be found in the committee documentation and sometimes in the Board documentation. The only definitive way to determine what payments are approved is the Board Minutes – the problem is the AMOUNT probably isn’t listed, that’s in the documentation.
I think every phase had costs for both engineering and then construction. Finding when each happened isn’t easy. Below is not the entire cost. I’m still missing a lot of information. See this table:
Everything in yellow I haven’t located yet – but look at the total so far:
$4,377,604
The actual cost could be double! Frankly, I’m tired of doing the research. The research that really needs to be done is how many people are using the trail? Who is paying future costs to maintain the trail?
Plans are already being made for a trail toward Champaign. Before flushing more money, how about a user study?
Below is where the data in the table came from.
If anyone wants to track down more of the costs – let me know.
http://www.mcleancountyil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4602 May 3, 2016
Construction From Shirley – 1.1 miles south PDF page 19
- IDOT paid $360,000
- Local: McLean County, Bloomington, Normal, Chenoa, Lexington, McLean and Towanda split another $90,000
Total $450,000
Engineering 3.25 miles from the above to Funk’s Grove PDF page 26
- $160,000 Federal
- $40,000 local (see above)
Total $200,000
Engineering 2.5 miles North of Towanda to 1.5 miles south of Lexington PDF page 26
- $384,000 federal
- $96,000 Local (see above)
Total $480,000
Engineering Towanda to 2.5 miles north
- $345,000 Federal
- $115,000 Local (see above)
Total $460,000
________All of the above are on the same link_____________________________________
Construction Normal to Towanda http://www.mcleancountyil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4279 PDF page 4 1/19/2016
- $1,334,083 Federal
- $333,521 Local (See above)
Total $1,667,604
______________________________________________________________________________
July 16, 2013 Board Minutes: http://il-mcleancounty.civicplus.com/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3422 PDF page 128
Construction Shirley to 1.09 miles south
- $520,000 – 80% Federal, 20% Local – Project must have been cancelled since construction was approved again in 2016 (see above)
Engineering from Towanda to Lexington 3.91 miles
- $224,000 Federal
- $56,000 Local
Total $280,000
Construction from Towanda for 2.5 miles north Transportation Doc
- $460,000 Federal
- $115,000 Local
Total $575,000
From 3000 North to Route 24 Chenoa http://www.mcleancountyil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2859
Transportation committee 3/17/2008
- City of Chenoa – $18,500
- Federal – $246,500
Total $265,000
Copy this to Trump, maybe it’ll be one of his cuts.
Trump is already considering ending TIGER Grants, used for road repair. Ending subsidized bike paths should be a no-brainer.
So all that money COULD HAVE gone to road resurfacing. But the liberal progressive marxist democrats who make these decisions would not choose to do that. The roads around town are in horrible condition. But the more uncomfortable drivers are, the better they like it. The next time I see a bike rider on the road I might ask them why they’re not on their nicely paved bike trail. After all, they were given priority over automobiles. Heck, you’d think the mayor owned a bike shop or something. (P.S. I NEVER go in there.)
One needs to keep in mind that routine maintenance (resurfacing) of the Route 66 bike trail will need to be done. That future cost will fall on the communities and the county.
The bike trails are in better shape than the streets and sidewalks. And make no mistake, this is by design. Renner and Koos – and their leftist comrades at the local and national levels – intend to make driving and personal transportation as expensive and inconvenient as possible, forcing people to central planning, public transportation and bikes. Every election victory brings them closer and closer.
Notice we don’t hear about Tari’s “Roads 2.0” now that he’s been re-elected?
“b” is absolutely correct–at the local, State, and, if you have a “D” after your name, national, level. The war on private transportation–and hence, individual liberty–goes on EVERY day.
This is insane……so many other needs which are of higher importance than a bike trail which costs this much……I am floored.
Oh they want people on bikes and on foot, trust me, or dependent on Public transportation. You may let your imagination go wild as to why and you will likely not be far off.
Just remember when you say who pays for what, you really mean how much the TAXPAYER is paying for this bike path.