The city of Bloomington is looking for public input on its major north-south transportation corridor.
College Avenue and Walnut Street are multiple lane one-way streets. One proposal leaves both streets one-way, while the other would make them two-way.
The designs are from consultant Toole Design Group, which was selected in 2022 during mayor John Hamilton’s administration.
Read more: College Walnut Corridor Study Presentation
The effort was to improve safety, boost multiple modes of transportation, and increase economic development.
But with budget cuts and lost revenue, councilmember Dave Rollo said the project should be reconsidered.
“It may be advisable in an optimal sense maybe to have redesign of major streets but is it something that we can afford to do,” Rollo said.
The study focuses on areas with high traffic and vehicle accidents.
Mayor Kerry Thomson says recent state legislation limited the city’s ability to bond, halting plans for capital projects such as a new police station.
“My ask up at the statehouse was to reinstate those G. O. bonds, which we had already put in our fiscal plan, to have rolling G. O. bonds every year,” Thomson said.
She said the project may not be the highest priority, but the city needs to have facilities in place to meet the needs of the community.
Read more: Public voices mixed opinions on future of College and Walnut
Two open houses are scheduled at city hall October 28 and 30 at 5:30 p.m.
Members of the public may also email planning@bloomington.in.gov or complete an online form at https://bton.in/VnxRS. The form will be open from Oct. 28 to Nov. 27.
