An Excellent Street Makeover in Downtown Aurora
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="576"]
Corner bump-outs with rain gardens shorten crossing distances. Image: Google Streetview[/caption]
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="574"]
Before the makeover, Downer Place was a wide one-way street. Image: Google Street View[/caption]
Here’s a cool project that was completed in 2013 in downtown Aurora on Stolp Island, a piece of land in the middle of the Fox River that’s home to the Hollywood Casino. The Downer Place streetscape project included corner bump-outs to shorten pedestrian crossing distances, storm water-absorbing rain gardens, brick crosswalks, and attractive plantings.
As part of the project, Downer Place was converted from a two-lane, one-way street to a two-way thoroughfare. The streetscape was partly funded by a $70,000 Illinois Green Infrastructure Grant Program from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Hat tip to Ted Villaire from the Active Transportation Alliance for alerting me about this nifty street remix.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog Chicago
It’s electric! New Divvy stations will be able to charge docked e-bikes, scooters when they’re connected to the power grid
The new stations are supposed to be easier to use and more environmentally friendly than old-school stations.
Today’s Headlines for Tuesday, April 23
Communities United: Reports of Bikes N’ Roses’ death have been greatly exaggerated
According to the nonprofit shop's parent organization, BNR has paused its retail component, but is still doing after-school programming and looking for new staff.
Pressure is mounting to replace embattled CTA President Dorval Carter
Here's a look at what elected officials and other media outlets have said about the issue recently.
