The Aurora City Council has approved spending almost $50,000 for an update to the city’s bicycle and pedestrian plan.
The $49,900 contract will go to Chicago-based A. Epstein and Sons International Inc., and will update the plan that was first adopted back in 2009.
There have been a lot of changes in the city’s biking and walking paths since then, and the plan needs an update to current industry standards, as well as identifying facilities needed in the future, officials said.
“The plan will look at gaps, and how to go after federal funding to close those gaps,” said Ken Schroth, the city’s Public Works director.
The City Council unanimously approved the contract on April 11.
Aurora is currently recognized as a bicycle-friendly community at the bronze level by the League of American Bicyclists. City officials are hoping to get that recognition to the silver or gold level.
Epstein and Sons is one of the experts in the pedestrian and bicycle related industry and the company is currently working with Kane County in updating the county’s bicycle and pedestrian plan, city officials have said.
The county’s plan aligns with the city’s, officials said.
According to the agreement between Epstein and Sons and the city, the company also must get input from the community, and report back to the community on the progress of the plan. That includes at least three presentation-style meetings by Epstein to the city’s Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Board, including a draft of the report and the final plan.
The company will do five, one-hour meetings with different stakeholders in the community, and two public open-house style meetings or public tabling events, one at the beginning of the project to collect initial feedback and one upon release of a public review draft of the plan.
The company will do an online survey to collect feedback from interested members of the community about goals and objectives for the plan, according to the agreement.
The city will also host and maintain a project website.