For many residents of the Lierman neighborhood, a muddy, worn trench lined with empty packs of cigarettes, plastic vodka bottles and soggy McDonald’s cups is their shortest pathway to accessing food, medicine and day care, all of which lie on Philo Road in Urbana. 

“It’s been like this ever since I’ve been around,” said Christopher Huxhold, resident of the neighborhood for 29 years, who walks frequently walks a path on an empty city lot connecting Lanore Drive and Fairlawn Street to get to a nearby gas station. “I don’t walk out here at night. It’s too dangerous in this neighborhood. There’s been a lot of shootings out here.” 

In an effort to improve safety and convenience for residents, the Urbana City Council approved $50,000 in funding at their meeting Monday night for the construction of an eight-foot wide multi-use path on the lot. Funding for the project comes from the Community Development Block Grant, which was previously allocated to neighborhood sidewalk funds. 

Brad Bennett, senior civil engineer for Urbana Public Works said construction will begin in March, weather permitting, and is expected for completion by May 1.

Nancy Barrett, member of the Lierman Neighborhood Action Committee and Amvet Subdivision, said the neighborhood group has worked with the city on the project to create a “pleasant solution.” 

“(The layout of the neighborhood) really isolates people, and it’s hard to get to places without a sidewalk,” she said. “It’s half a mile longer to walk down Washington to Philo and around. It’s out of the way, and this is a really nice, logical shortcut.” 

Bennett said the path will be a huge improvement for the area. 

“(The current path) can be hazardous when wet or icy and isn’t accessible to everybody,” he said. “One of our goals is to create a new multi-use path that would meet all the disability regulations for paths, so it would be usable by the whole population.” 

Robin Arbiter, who lives on the north side of the neighborhood, said the path will allow her to access the amenities on Philo Road in her wheelchair. 

“Wheelchairs are not designed to traverse some of the territories of the unsanctioned pathways,” she said. “I’ve gotten stuck in the mud in the past.” 

Although this multiuse path will allow for a safer travel option for many residents, Arbiter said there are many other unsanctioned routes in the neighborhood, one of which is a hole through a chain-linked fence behind her apartment.  

“(Tuesday night) one of my neighbors fell on the shortcut trying to navigate the ditch and broke a wrist and an ankle,” she said. “I think that really speaks to the physical dangers of those kinds of unlit and informal pathways.” 

Bennett said the new pathway will premiere the city’s first installation of solar-powered LED lights in a residential area. Currently, the neighborhood currently does not have any street lights. The pathway will also feature park benches and aesthetic landscaping. 

Landscaping in the area will consist of low-maintenance trees and prairie plants. The city does not have a budget for clearing snow and garbage from the path, but nearby residents have volunteered their efforts.

Corinne can be reached at [email protected].