cover
TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: John Russell, grant writer
DATE: Feb. 3, 2020
SUBJECT:
Requesting approval to apply for a Bicycle Path Grant Program grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, to create a Bike Repair Station along the Fox River Trail in Wilder Park.
PURPOSE:
The Mayor's Office of Economic Development seeking funding to build a Bike Repair Station in Wilder Park, about 100 yards from where the new Bike/Pedestrian Bridge will link to the western leg of the Fox River Trail. According to Ride Illinois, an estimated 80,000 bicyclists use the eastern and western legs of the Fox River Trail through Illinois each year. The Wilder Park Bike Repair Station will offer these cyclists the ability to make sure their bicycles are in safe riding condition as they make their way along the trail. The Bike Repair Station will feature a repair stand with tools, air pump, bike racks, benches and signage of the Fox River Trail and the connecting trails in the area.
BACKGROUND:
The Bike/Pedestrian Bridge is to be completed in Fall 2020. And an improvement project at Wilder Park, turning it from basically a passive park to a site where festivals and markets and other activities will be held regularly, will be completed in early 2021. The Bike Repair Station should be in place and ready for use in late Summer 2020, making it available use by the riders on the Fox River Trail and the bicyclists who will be joining in activities at the upgraded
Wilder Park. The City has worked diligently in recent years to build a robust bikeway network for recreational purposes and for use as an alternative to motor vehicles, to reduce environmental pollution, and to encourage a healthy lifestyle for our community. In 2016, the City dedicated “The Green Mile,” a protected bike lane running through Aurora’s downtown, which PeopleForBikes recognized as the 4th best bike lane in the nation. And in 2017, Aurora was awarded Bicycle Friendly Community Status from the League of American Bicyclists. This Bike Repair Station project continues that focus..
DISCUSSION:
The total cost of the Bike Repair Station project is estimated at $10,160. The IDNR Bicycle Path Grant Program requires a 1-to-1 local match. The City is seeking a grant of $4,910 for the Bike Repair Stand, Air Pump, Bike Racks and Benches. The City's match of $5,250 will cover the cost of the installation of the equipment, and the trail signage. Funding will come from the Bike and Pedestrian Account: GB119 - Bike and Pedestrian Enhancements - 340-4460-431-73-91.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
The Bike Repair Station will provide a safer ride for the thousands of bicyclists who ride the Fox River Trail through Aurora each year. The Bike/Pedestrian Bridge now under construction north of downtown will improve access between the east and west legs of the Fox River Trail, and the Bike Repair Station will be easily available to riders along both sides of the River.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
I request the proposed resolution be adopted, allowing the City of apply for a Bicycle Path Grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
cc: Finance Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
A Resolution authorizing the application for grant funding in the amount of $4,910 from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Bicycle Path Grant Program.
body
WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the City intends to create a Bicycle Repair Station in Wilder Park for use by the thousands of riders who pass through the City each year along the Fox River Trail: and
WHEREAS, the Bike Repair Station will be installed just 100 yards from the new Bike/Pedestrian Bridge over the Fox River north of downtown; and the bridge, now under construction, will link the east and west legs of the Fox River Trail at Wilder Park and
WHEREAS, the State Grant, if approved, would provide $4,910, almost half of the total cost of $10,160 for the Bike Repair Station.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: that the application for grant funding in the amount of $4,910 from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Bicycle Path Grant Program on behalf of the City shall be and hereby is authorized.