TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approve the recommendation establishing the 2026-2027 Annual New Sidewalk Program.
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Christine Rhoades, Senior Civil Engineer
BACKGROUND:
The New Sidewalk Program was established in 2004 following the adoption of the Comprehensive Sidewalk Policy, a guiding document that defines the policies and programs for implementation of the pedestrian component of Naperville’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan. The New Sidewalk Program annually installs new public sidewalk in locations that are lacking sidewalk along the roadway (sidewalk gaps). The proposed locations are reviewed by the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) and City Council for approval. To date, the program has installed almost 15 miles of sidewalk in 129 gap locations.
The current selection approach splits gap locations between neighborhood and arterial streets. Neighborhood sidewalk segments generally benefit those who live in proximity to the new sidewalk, such as residents of the neighborhood or children walking to school. Sidewalk segments along arterial roadways benefit regional travelers who are traveling to other parts of the City or have destinations outside of their own neighborhood.
Arterial roadways are defined as streets that serve to provide efficient traffic flow, both within the City as well as to locations outside of Naperville. Examples of major arterials are Washington Street and 95th Street, while minor arterials include Naper Boulevard and Aurora Avenue.
The selection process first removes sidewalk gaps that are not within the City’s jurisdiction or that present major challenges in terms of constructability. Neighborhood gaps not along school walk routes and arterial gaps not along primary walk routes are also removed. Staff defines primary walk routes as connections to established pedestrian routes or links to pedestrian generators such as parks, transit, retail, and other key pedestrian destinations. Based on feedback from City Council’s consideration of the 2019-2021 New Sidewalk Program, gap locations that front unincorporated properties have also generally been removed from immediate consideration. The remaining gaps are then prioritized by different criteria, depending on the street characteristics.
The neighborhood gaps that remain after being filtered are scored using numerous factors such as roadway classification, proximity to schools, connectivity to the existing sidewalk network, and presence of sidewalk on the opposite side of the roadway. Property owners who live along top-scoring gap locations are then surveyed in advance of those locations being proposed to TAB. Locations are ranked according to support level, with locations with a high level of opposition (67% or more) being removed from immediate consideration.
For arterial gaps, pedestrian safety is greatly improved by providing sidewalk along high speed, high traffic locations, so arterial sidewalk gaps are often significant barriers to pedestrians due to their traffic volumes. Therefore, arterial gaps are prioritized as follows, based on the roadway’s volume and speed:
1. High Speed, High Volume
2. Moderate Speed, High Volume
3. High Speed, Moderation Volume
4. Moderate Speed, Moderate Volume
High speed is defined as a posted speed limit of 40 mph or greater. High volume is defined as an Average Daily Traffic (ADT) of 20,000 or greater vehicles per day.
DISCUSSION:
NEIGHBORHOOD GAP LOCATIONS
Following the selection process, City staff identified the 57 highest scoring neighborhood gaps. Surveys were mailed to all 316 properties along these segments, requesting that property owners provide a response expressing either their support for or opposition to sidewalk being constructed along the proposed location. The following table denotes the gap locations and the responses received, at the block level.
|
Gap Location |
Support |
Oppose |
Non -Responses |
|
6th Ave from Center St to Ellsworth St - North |
100% |
1 |
0% |
0 |
1 |
|
Douglas Ave from Webster St to Washington St - South |
100% |
1 |
0% |
0 |
8 |
|
Franklin Ave from Julian St to Huffman Ave - South |
100% |
1 |
0% |
0 |
4 |
|
Killdeer Dr from Foxcroft Rd to Starling Ln - East |
100% |
3 |
0% |
0 |
19 |
|
Vest Ave from Lockwood Cr to Bauer Rd* |
100% |
2 |
0% |
0 |
1 |
|
Wright St from Villa Ave to Wehrli Dr - West |
80% |
4 |
20% |
1 |
8 |
|
Highland Ave from Wright St to Columbia St - South |
67% |
2 |
33% |
1 |
3 |
|
Parkway Dr from Jefferson Ave to Benton Ave - East |
67% |
4 |
33% |
2 |
2 |
|
Sleight St from 8th Ave to Cul-de-Sac - East |
67% |
2 |
33% |
1 |
5 |
|
Webster St from 13th Ave to 14th Ave - East |
67% |
2 |
33% |
1 |
4 |
|
Wright St from Hillside Rd to Prairie Ave - West |
67% |
2 |
33% |
1 |
3 |
|
Main St from 12th Ave to 13th Ave - West |
60% |
3 |
40% |
2 |
2 |
|
10th Ave from Main St to Washington St - North |
50% |
1 |
50% |
1 |
0 |
|
Franklin Ave from Columbia St to Julian St - South |
50% |
1 |
50% |
1 |
0 |
|
Laird St from Benton Ave to Wilson Ave - West |
50% |
1 |
50% |
1 |
1 |
|
Main St from 13th Ave to 14th Ave - West |
50% |
2 |
50% |
2 |
3 |
|
Porter Ave from Loomis St to Sleight St - North |
50% |
1 |
50% |
1 |
0 |
|
Prairie Ave from Brainard St to Victoria Ct - South |
50% |
1 |
50% |
1 |
3 |
|
Victoria Ct from Prairie Ave to Cul-de-Sac - West |
50% |
1 |
50% |
1 |
2 |
|
Willow Rd from Maple Ln to Golden Larch Ct - West |
50% |
1 |
50% |
1 |
3 |
|
Wright St from 8th Ave to 5th Ave - East |
50% |
4 |
50% |
4 |
6 |
|
Wright St from Wehrli Dr to Hillside Rd - West |
50% |
4 |
50% |
4 |
5 |
|
Webster St from 14th Ave to Bauer Rd - East |
40% |
3 |
60% |
2 |
4 |
|
Maple Ln from Melody Ln to Willow Rd - North |
0% |
0 |
0% |
0 |
2 |
|
Sleight St from Chicago Ave to Highland Ave - West |
0% |
0 |
0% |
0 |
2 |
|
|
|
Webster St from 12th Ave to 13th Ave - East |
33% |
1 |
67% |
2 |
5 |
|
Wright St from Highland Ave to Porter Ave - East |
33% |
1 |
67% |
2 |
8 |
|
Sunset Dr from Hillside Rd to Thornwood Dr - East |
27% |
3 |
73% |
8 |
3 |
|
Brainard St from Prairie Ave to Hillside Rd - East |
25% |
1 |
75% |
3 |
0 |
|
Main St from 12th Ave to 11th Ave - West |
25% |
1 |
75% |
3 |
3 |
|
Prairie Ave from Sleight St to Wright St - South |
25% |
1 |
75% |
3 |
0 |
|
Wright St from Porter Ave to Prairie Ave - East |
25% |
1 |
75% |
3 |
8 |
|
Melody Ln from Hillside Rd to Maple Ln - West |
20% |
1 |
80% |
4 |
3 |
|
7th Ave from Washington St to Center St - South |
0% |
0 |
100% |
1 |
1 |
|
7th Ave from Center St to Ellsworth St - South |
0% |
0 |
100% |
1 |
1 |
|
7th Ave from Ellsworth St to Brainard St - South |
0% |
0 |
100% |
1 |
1 |
|
10th Ave from Eagle St to Webster St - North |
0% |
0 |
100% |
2 |
0 |
|
11th Ave from Webster St to Main St - North |
0% |
0 |
100% |
1 |
1 |
|
11th Ave from Main St to Washington St - North |
0% |
0 |
100% |
1 |
1 |
|
12th Ave from Webster St to Main St - North |
0% |
0 |
100% |
1 |
1 |
|
14th Ave from Main St to Washington St - South |
0% |
0 |
100% |
2 |
0 |
|
Buttonwood Cr from Plainfield/Naperville Rd to Thornapple Dr - South |
0% |
0 |
100% |
2 |
1 |
|
Franklin Ave from Sleight St to Loomis St - South |
0% |
0 |
100% |
3 |
0 |
|
Highland Ave from Loomis St to Sleight St - South |
0% |
0 |
100% |
3 |
1 |
|
Main St from 14th Ave to Dead End - West |
0% |
0 |
100% |
1 |
3 |
|
Maple Ln from Melody Ln to Cul-de-Sac - South |
0% |
0 |
100% |
3 |
1 |
|
Maple Ln from Willow Rd to Sunset Dr - North |
0% |
0 |
100% |
1 |
1 |
|
Porter Ave from Sleight St to Wright St |
0% |
0 |
100% |
2 |
0 |
|
Porter Ave from Wright St to Columbia St - North |
0% |
0 |
100% |
2 |
0 |
|
Porter Ave from Columbia St to Julian St - North |
0% |
0 |
100% |
1 |
1 |
|
Prairie Ave from Victoria Ct to Sleight St - South |
0% |
0 |
100% |
1 |
2 |
|
Prairie Ave from Wright St to Columbia St - South |
0% |
0 |
100% |
2 |
1 |
|
Sleight St from Ogden Ave to Dead End - West |
0% |
0 |
100% |
2 |
8 |
|
Victoria Ct from Prairie Ave to Cul-de-Sac - East |
0% |
0 |
100% |
4 |
3 |
|
Webster St from 12th Ave to 11th Ave - East |
0% |
0 |
100% |
4 |
4 |
|
Willow Rd from Gold Larch Ct to Diane Ln - West |
0% |
0 |
100% |
1 |
1 |
|
Wright St from 11th Ave to 12th Ave - West |
0% |
0 |
100% |
4 |
0 |
*This sidewalk gap fronts an unincorporated property, however, it has been included because the neighborhood to the north previously expressed a need for this gap to be filled.
The selection process ranks the locations by percentage of responses received expressing support and removes locations that are opposed by two-thirds of the respondents. Non-responses are considered as support to break ties. Notification letters were sent to the properties located along the 25 blocks selected to inform residents that their block is still under consideration for near-term sidewalk installation and to invite them to attend the upcoming TAB meeting to provide additional feedback. Input from residents who could not attend the meeting is attached.
ARTERIAL GAP LOCATIONS
All eligible arterial gap locations in the high speed, high volume and the moderate speed, high volume category have been built. Due to the impact of arterial gaps and the characteristics of the remaining gaps, staff recommends delaying completion of the remaining gaps until after approval of the bicycle and pedestrian plan.
PETITION LOCATION
Staff has received a resident request to include Laird St between Wilson Ave and Douglas Ave in the program. The requestor completed the petition process, and the gap has 100% support from the adjacent property owners. Staff has discussed the sidewalk layout with the impacted property and recommends inclusion of this gap in the program.
RECOMMENDED PROGRAM
To estimate the funding level required, a cost of $68 per linear foot of new sidewalk is used. This is the average cost from the most recently constructed New Sidewalk Programs and includes costs from concrete, earthwork, driveway adjustments, retaining walls, parkway restoration, and other construction elements. Historically, $300,000 is budgeted annually through the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for new sidewalk installation, however, the budget amount is subject to City Council approval.
While the construction timeline for the new sidewalk program mostly depends on the level of support received in responses, staff is recommending some modifications so that adjacent segments are built in the same year and use of the available budget is maximized. Staff proposes the following construction timeline:
|
2026 Program |
Cost |
|
6th St from Center St to Ellsworth St - North |
$11,832 |
|
Douglas Ave from Webster St to Washington St - South |
$43,860 |
|
Franklin Ave from Julian St to Huffman Ave - South |
$10,880 |
|
Killdeer Dr from Foxcroft Rd to Starling Ln - East |
$33,320 |
|
Laird St from Wilson Ave to Douglas Ave - West |
$11,560 |
|
Vest Ave from Lockwood Cr to Bauer Rd |
$13,192 |
|
Wright St from Villa Ave to Wehrli Dr - West |
$55,284 |
|
Wright St from Wehrli Dr to Hillside Rd - West |
$66,640 |
|
Wright St from Hillside Rd to Prairie Ave - West |
$29,920 |
|
Highland Ave from Wright St to Columbia St - South |
$23,120 |
|
Total: |
$299,608 |
|
|
|
|
2027 Program |
Cost |
|
Parkway Dr from Jefferson Ave to Benton Ave - East |
$38,080 |
|
Sleight St from 8th Ave to Cul-de-Sac - East |
$25,500 |
|
10th Ave from Main St to Washington St - North |
$9,520 |
|
Main St from 12th Ave to 13th Ave - West |
$21,760 |
|
Main St from 13th Ave to 14th Ave - West |
$27,200 |
|
Prairie Ave from Brainard St to Victoria Ct - South |
$17,000 |
|
Victoria Ct from Prairie Ave to Cul-de-Sac - West |
$28,832 |
|
Webster St from 13th Ave to 14th Ave - East |
$29,580 |
|
Wright St from 8th Ave to 5th Ave - East |
$57,868 |
|
Willow Rd from Maple Ln to Golden Larch Ct - West |
$33,320 |
|
Total: |
$288,660 |
|
|
|
|
Contingency |
Cost |
|
Franklin Ave from Columbia St to Julian St - South |
$24,140 |
|
Laird St from Benton Ave to Wilson Ave - West |
$12,580 |
|
Porter Ave from Loomis St to Sleight St - North |
$25,160 |
|
Webster St from 14th Ave to Bauer Rd - East |
$49,232 |
|
Maple Ln from Melody Ln to Willow Rd - North |
$13,600 |
|
Sleight St from Chicago Ave to Highland Ave - West |
$22,100 |
|
Total: |
$146,812 |
Rather than doing three smaller programs, staff recommends a two-year program with a list of contingency locations. The contingency locations offer staff the opportunity to maximize the use of the available budget, depending on the final sidewalk design and bid prices. The shorter program also offers an earlier opening to incorporate any changes that may come out of the bicycle and pedestrian plan.
NEXT STEPS
Following TAB consideration, the 2026-2027 Annual New Sidewalk Program will be scheduled for a City Council meeting. The TAB recommendation, TAB meeting minutes, and all public comments will be provided to the City Council when they consider this matter.