Widening Oak Park Avenue Will Bring South End of Village 'Up a Notch,' Officials Say

With a little help from the state, officials hope to eventually widen a portion of Oak Park Avenue—but not for vehicle traffic.

The village is planning to apply for the second consecutive year for grant money through the Illinois Department of Transportation. The Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, or ITEP, helps pay for initiatives that include landscape beautification or the promotion of pedestrian activities, like biking or walking, according to board documents.  

The vision for the local project includes adding a 10-foot multi-use pathway from 183rd Street to 179th Street. Plans also entail widening Oak Park Avenue to make room for a 4-foot bike lane on the east and west sides of the street from 179th Street to the . Landscaped parkways including street trees, planters and brick crosswalks are also part of the proposal, according to board documents. 

"This will coincide with our ," said Trustee Greg Hannon, chairman of the Village Board’s Planning and Zoning Committee. "Hopefully we get it this year." 

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The village sent the same proposal to the state last year and was denied, officials said. 

"It's not a slam dunk that we're going to get this; that's the first thing to be aware of," said Trustee David Seaman, who is also the chairman of the Finance and Economic Development Committee. "But the idea … is it would really help the south end of town. (It would) kind of bring it up a notch." 

The total project is estimated to cost slightly more than $1.7 million but the grant would divide the burden with Tinley Park by an 80-20 split. If approved for the nearly $1.4 million grant, the village would have to come up with about $345,000. 

But work on the project would not start until 2014. That's because a roundabout intersection at 183rd Street and Oak Park Avenue that got the go-ahead from the board more than a year ago is set to be built that year.

"We hope to connect the two projects," Hannon said. "The whole idea is that we don't want to have to tear up Oak Park Avenue twice."

The roundabout—currently in the engineering and design phase—will do away with traffic lights at that intersection. That project is also part of the village's approved Legacy Plan, officials have said. It will be paid for using a $2.2 million federal grant from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program. The village will fork over about $552,000, according to board documents.

A motion on whether or not to apply for the ITEP grant will go before the full village board for approval on May 15, but it got the go-ahead from committeemen on Tuesday.

"This would enhance that end (of town) tremendously," Hannon said. "We're keeping our fingers crossed."

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