The High Cross bike path project proposed to serve the eastern highway corridor of Urbana was approved with a 5-2 vote at the Cunningham Township Board meeting Monday after more than five years of planning.

Under the recommendation of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the path will now be built, but not to completion.

According to research done by the League of Illinois Bicyclists (LIB), although the High Cross street fits the category of “most suitable” for the construction of a multi-use bike path, construction will only commence for a partial distance of the trail.

Jennifer Selby, city civil engineer and director of Bike Urbana, sees many advantages to the bike path in terms of safety.

“I think that the side path will be good on High Cross Road because it is a pretty busy street — 55 mph on two lanes of traffic, which will eventually be widened,” Selby said. Safe cycling is only one of the goals of Bike Urbana, a movement ran by Urbana through the Urbana Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, established in 2006.

After the implementation of Bike Urbana, the League of American Bicyclists named Urbana a “bike-friendly community,” (BFC) in May of 2010, making it the first city to receive the award in downstate Illinois.

Bike Urbana has several components, including the Bicycle Master Plan, an outline of the city’s bike-oriented goals and objectives. So far the city has succeeded in increasing bicycle usage and attaining the BFC award. The third goal of expanding the bicycle network has been in the works, and the city’s composite trail length will gain distance after the High Cross Road path is completed. The full path will eventually be built from Windsor Road to the northern half of University Avenue, creating pedestrian access to the Stone Creek and Beringer Commons subdivisions, the Post Office and several businesses along High Cross Road.

The city of Urbana received an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant (ITEP) in 2006, said William R. Gray, director of public works. The grant makes up to $558,000 refundable from the construction costs of the multi-use bike path, originally slated for construction in 2008. However, construction was delayed because Menards Company purchased property with intent to develop a subdivision in the same area.

After the delay, the price estimate, originally covered 65 percent by ITEP, increased from $800,000 to $975,000 by 2009.

The estimate to complete the entire project in entirety is now closer to $1.2 million after adding in the costs of necessary traffic signal upgrades, drainage culverts, earthwork and nearly half a decade of inflation.

The price increase made several city aldermen, including Charlie Smythe, question the approval of the Urbana city budget at the June 21 meeting of the Urbana City Council.

“The bike path is a questionable expense,” Smythe said at the meeting. “We could re-coupe that project.”

After pressure from the aldermen, the bike path was reassessed. IDOT looked into alternatives to the original plan and came up with five options. The option eventually approved by the city council at the July 12 meeting entailed the construction of a 3,350 foot path from Windsor Road to the Po’ Boys BBQ & Pizza entrance, 1901 South High Cross Rd, where the Menards properties begin. In addition to the short stretch of the path, the Preliminary Design Report (PDR) will also be completed from Windsor Road through University Avenue after the city receives clearance.

The budget currently allocates $402,530 to the project, but the estimated cost of the shortened plan is $310,000. Further grants can be requested in the future to complete the remainder of the project, which would be planned after the Menards subdivision is built.

It is not certain what will come of the project, but its approval is great news to Bike Urbana Representative Jennifer Selby.

“When High Cross Road gets development and when (the Mendards subdivision) comes and more development is up there, it will be a way for pedestrians to live and shop in that area,” Selby said.