A five-year plan to invest around $30 million in roads and trails in Monroe County is open for review.
The Transportation Improvement Program, or TIP, is the work of the Bloomington-Monroe County Metropolitan Planning Organization. The group held its second of two meetings Tuesday to hear input about the kinds of projects residents want to see take priority.
The TIP maps out transportation funding in the county for all levels of government, from the Indiana Department of Transportation down to the City of Bloomington.
Senior Transportation Planner Pat Martin says the group is looking for public feedback as the plan moves forward.
"Are the priorities safety, are they preservation and maintenance are they bicycle pedestrian facilities are they public transportation, any number of projects that are out there," Martin says.
There are dozens of projects slated for funding as part of the TIP, from trails to sections of new roads. Martin says the projects work together to improve overall mobility in the county.
"It’s a very synergistic approach, I mean of Monroe County, City of Bloomington, Bloomington Transit, Rural Transit, Town of Ellettsville and IU campus bus," Martin says.
Residents at the meeting voiced concerns about lack of transparency from the county when it comes to construction projects. Some had specific complaints about future developments in their neighborhoods.
Martin stressed that public input should be concerned with the kinds of projects residents want to see and not specific projects.
The public window to comment on the plan closes March 25. Final approval from INDOT is scheduled for May of this year, with initial spending slated for the beginning of July.
