Village of Bluffton Administrator Jesse Blackburn showed LACRPC Executive Director Tara Reynolds-Bales and Bluffton Mayor Richard Johnson a new project coming to Bluffton at the TIP open house Wednesday afternoon.
Precious Grundy | The Lima News
LIMA — Over the next four years, local government agencies are calling for a change of pace and a change of traffic. The Lima/Allen County Regional Planning Commission held its open house to showcase its plans for the next four years. Community members joined the event to see the new plans unveiled. Starting in 2024 until 2027, the organization plans to make changes to the infrastructure. The overall goal of the changes is to create safer ways of navigation throughout the region. The LACRPC Public Outreach and Community Program planner weighed in on the commission’s open house Wednesday afternoon.
”Every four years we do this,” said Basinger. “The transportation improvement plan (TIP) is a comprehensive list of projects that we are going to put our MPO or metropolitan planning organization (government funding) towards which is used for planning projects in our area. We have projects from the City of Lima, Bluffton, etc. that we are going to be able to help finance.”
LACRPC plans to work on various projects including a new roadway construction on Central Avenue. According to Basinger, Central Avenue in the city of Lima will transform from a two-lane one-way into a single-lane one-way with ‘reverse angle parking’. According to LACRPC, the project is set to cost $4,400,000. Construction will begin in 2024.
”Every year some money will go towards the sidewalk maintenance system,” said Basinger. “Keeping an eye on the pavement in Allen County in general. What sidewalks are there and what sidewalks need to be replaced? Some money will go towards RTA. RTA will go from a flagging system to a fixed route stop. So some money will go towards that to make sure those fixed routes are able to be used by people.”
A fixed route system refers to a regular schedule of timed pick-ups and drop-offs at each RTA location, as opposed to a flagging system where bus drivers have discretion on where to pick up riders.
Basinger said overall the LACRPC plans to update roadways and continue with active transportation in the area.
“Everything is starting to shift more towards how can we all work better together on a larger scale,” said Basinger. “It is not just Bath by themselves or Shawnee by themselves or the City of Lima on its own island. All of these things work together. Our roadways connect, people are going from one place to another and if people can work political subdivisions to get one large project done with a lot of different hands on the wheel we can make these projects happen.”
2024
• Central Avenue in Lima will transition from a two-lane one-way to a single-lane one-way with parking at a projected cost of $4,400,000.
2025
• Napoleon Road in Harrod will be reconstructed with changes to sidewalks and lighting at a projected cost of $2,940,000.
• Regional Transit Authority will create fixed stops for transportation; seeking funding
2026
• Cable Road in Lima between Latham Ave. and College Park will be reconstructed with the addition of a road diet, new signals and raised medians and sidewalks at a projected cost of $6,400,000.
• Regional Transit Authority will obtain a new vehicle and is currently seeking funding.
• Napoleon Road in Lafayette will be reconstructed with changes to sidewalks, curbs, gutters and drainage upgrades at a projected cost of $1,700,000.
2027
• Thayer Road in Lima will be reconstructed with widened pavement, drainage, and a new bridge over Lost Creek at a projected cost of $3,200,000.
• Intersection of Breese and Shawnee Road will be reconstructed into a single-lane roundabout at a projected cost of $3,000,000.
• Breese Road in Shawnee Township will be reconstructed with widened pavement and drainage upgrades at a projected cost of $1,500,000.
Annual Projects
• $25,000 in each year is budgeted to the Allen County Engineer for assessing needed updates to roadways.
Reach Precious Grundy at 567-242-0351.
