Naperville will spend $300,000 in 2023 and 2024 to connect gaps in the city’s public sidewalks.
Under a program approved by the Naperville City Council this week, the sidewalks to be installed next year will include:
Washington Street from Osler Drive to Gartner Road;
Bauer Road from Royal St. George Drive to West Street;
Sleight Street from Wellner to Hillside roads;
Sunset Drive from Thornwood Drive to Loomis Street;
Thornwood Drive from Sunset Drive to Hillside Road.
Also approved are sidewalks on the city’s north side, which will be done in 2024. They include:
10th Avenue from Webster to Main streets;
12th Avenue from Eagle to Webster streets;
12th Avenue from Main to Washington streets;
14th Avenue from Eagle to Main streets;
Webster Street from 14th to 12th avenues;
Main Street from 14th to 11th avenues;
11th Avenue from Webster to Washington streets.
In addition, Councilwoman Jennifer Taylor Bruzan requested sidewalks at three houses in the 500 block of Spring Avenue be added to the city’s list, which was also approved by the council.
Established in 2004, the sidewalk program defines the policies for implementing the “pedestrian” component of Naperville’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan. To date, the program has installed 13.8 miles of sidewalk in 118 “gap” locations where no sidewalk existed previously.
Transportation, Engineering and Development Director Bill Novack said locations are rated by staff based on such factors as how busy the roadway is, its proximity to schools, whether the new spot would connect to existing sidewalks, if there are sidewalks on the opposite side of the roadway and constructability.
The council has said preference should be given to locations that are beneficial to students, located within the city’s boundaries and don’t pose construction challenges.
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Residents have multiple opportunities to provide feedback before work is done.
Novack said this year staff identified the highest-scoring 36 neighborhood gaps and sent surveys to all 248 adjacent properties.
Locations opposed by two-thirds of respondents were eliminated, he said, and notification letters were sent to residents living in the blocks of the 17 remaining locations so they could offer additional input at a Transportation Advisory Board meeting.
The locations receiving support were recommended by the advisory board for council approval for in the 2023 and 2024 construction seasons.
Based on objections from residents, the transportation board advised staff to further investigate the resident concerns cited by those who opposed having sidewalks install and to revisit them for the 2025 program.