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Destiny Remezas
Daily Egyptian

The Carbondale City Council will prepare two grant applications for state money to make improvements to Illinois Avenue and to add bicycle paths near Oakland Avenue.

Carbondale would apply for a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation. Official city approval to send the application will take place at the July 19 City Council meeting.

The application is due Aug. 1 and requires the city to provide input from members of the community, which was the reason for discussion at yesterday's City Council meeting.

If the applications are approved, the city would be required to match some of the money received from the transportation department.

"That would come from our general fund and we would just have to budget accordingly," City Manager Jeff Doherty said.

City officials and staff are considering two possible improvement projects that would qualify for the grant. Each project would require its own application.

One of the projects suggested would include improvements to downtown along Illinois Avenue. These improvements would include things like moving utility poles and lines and planting some 40 trees along the street.

The project would cost more than $1.5 million and require the city to provide an estimated $310,000.

"I do think Illinois Avenue would be our primary proposal," Mayor Brad Cole said.

The second proposed project is Oakland Avenue to Illinois Route 13 Bicycle Trail, which would cost approximately $500,000 with the city matching 20 percent.

While she was not opposed to either project, City Councilwoman Sheila Simon said she liked the idea of the bicycle paths better.

"I'd like to show enthusiastic support for the bike path," Simon said.

However, a shorter version of the trail, which would end at New Era Road, was also suggested and would cost about half of the first proposed trail.

Anne Johnson, vice president of the Carbondale Bicycle Club, said the club would like to see the addition of a bike path.

The city has applied for the improvement program three times in the past but was only approved once.

Reporter Destiny Remezas can be reached at destiny_Remezas@dailyegyptian.com.