Looking back: Community access, mobility, and connectivity

The City's Strategic Plan identifies 6 main "vision areas." They are:

• Quality of Relationships - Our City fulfills its commitment to building quality relationships throughout the community.
• Sense of Place - Our Community generates an appealing sense of place and fosters a welcoming, sustainable environment.
• Service Delivery, Resources and Needs - Our City organization maintains an optimal service delivery framework that balances resources with needs.
• Economic Vitality - Our Community prospers in a diverse, self-renewing climate of business, industry and housing.
• Vibrant Downtown - Captivating downtown St. Charles, rich with social, cultural and economic vibrancy, is a distinctive element of our community.
• Mobility and Connectivity - A quality transportation system assures community access, mobility and connectivity.

This week, I am sharing the achievements that I am most proud of in the area of Mobility and Connectivity. They are as follows:

• In 2008, the City partnered with PACE Suburban Bus and other Kane County government entities to provide Ride In Kane, a transportation program for senior, disabled, and low-income individuals in Kane County provided through taxis, PACE lift-equipped buses, or mini-vans.
• In 2008, the City adopted a Traffic Calming Policy to provide guidance to citizens and regarding the process to be followed for submitting and reviewing a request for the installation of traffic calming measures on a public street. Traffic calming is the application of traffic engineering and other physical measures designed to control traffic speeds and encourage driving behavior appropriate to the environment.
• In 2009, the City secured new public right-of-way that will provide a future roadway and sidewalk connection between Foxfield Drive and Smith Road.
• In 2011, the Transit Circulator Study, funded by grants from the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and Kane County, was completed and provides recommendations regarding future expansion of public transit in St. Charles.
• In 2011, the PACE Suburban Bus Geneva-St. Charles Call-n-Ride system was initiated to provide curb-to-curb transportation for St. Charles residents based on customer reservations.
• The reconstruction and widening of East Main Street began in April, 2012 and is scheduled for a Fall, 2013 completion. The project will reconstruct, widen, and resurface Illinois Route 64 (Main Street/North Avenue) from 7th Avenue near the St. Charles Library to Route 59 in West Chicago. In addition to the roadwork, street lighting, retaining walls, and sidewalks will be installed.
• In 2012, the City and District 303 agreed to work cooperatively to fund the installation of a traffic signal on Red Gate Road at St. Charles North High School. This will enhance the safety of the existing intersection that serves as the main entrance to the high school for teachers, school busses, and student drivers.
• In 2012, the City worked cooperatively with the Illinois Department of Transportation to install Countdown pedestrian signals (CPSs) at downtown intersections. CPSs supplement traditional pedestrian signals with flashing numbers that count down the number of seconds remaining until the end of the pedestrian change interval.
• In 2012, construction of the expanded intersection at West Main Street and Oak Street was completed, including widening the intersection to 5 lanes (2 through lanes in each direction, right turn lanes, and a center turn lane) and a traffic signal.
• In 2012, the City opened the long-awaited Red Gate Bridge. A pedestrian and bike bridge to connect the area forest preserves and bike trails opened in May, 2013. The bridge is getting positive reviews as residents cite the benefits to their daily lives including decreased travel times, greater convenience, and recreation opportunities.

This concludes my 6-part series on the City's achievements during the past 8 years that I am most proud of.

St. Charles is a wonderful community and I leave with many fond memories and a feeling of accomplishment. St. Charles is also a community with significant untapped potential. I hope that current and future City leaders will strive to realize that potential.