LIMA — City officials on Monday will ask Lima City Council to approve submitting a letter of interest to the state for the addition of a bike lane along a portion of North and South Main Street.
According to a letter sent to councilors, Mayor David Berger has authorized legislation to submit the letter to the Ohio Department of Transportation, which is the first step in applying for Transportation Alternatives Program Funds through ODOT, according to the letter from Public Works Director Howard Elstro and City Engineer Kirk Niemeyer.
Transportation alternatives funding is available for “the construction of bicycle and pedestrian transportation and recreational facilities, projects or systems to aid non-drivers to access daily needs, traffic calming solutions” among other projects.
According to the letter, if the city applied and is successful in receiving funds for the project, the state would pay 80 percent of the project costs.
“The scope of the project would include bike lane pavement markings and signage and improvements to the wheelchair ramps on S. Main St.,” Elstro and Niemeyer wrote. “Because most of N. Main St. was last resurfaced in 2000, the application would also include a request to resurface the street prior to new bike lane markings. The pavement condition on S. Main St. is good to excellent.”
The total project cost is estimated at $564,000. The city’s 20 percent local match of the project cost would be $112,800, according to the letter.
In other business, the council will consider legislation to put a series of city charter changes before voters during the May 7 primary election.
The Charter Review Commission has been working for several years to update the city charter. Those changes were reviewed and approved by City Council meeting as a committee of the whole earlier this month.
