Overview and Scope

The City of Rockford’s Corridor Plan, “Envision North Main Street” was completed in September 2007. The goal of this plan was to develop a community driven plan for revitalizing the North Main Street Corridor.

North Main Street has had a long history of serving the Rockford community as a gateway corridor for business, education, recreation, and shopping. After World War II, Rockford’s manufacturing base declined and the retail market moved eastward, causing North Main Street to fall below community standards. In the fall of 2006, the City of Rockford publicly recognized the importance of elevating the quality of North Main Street and launched the Envision North Main Street project. The project was directed by a Task Force made up of City staff, elected officials, community leaders, business owners, merchants, and residents. The result of the Task Force planning and collaboration was a unique plan that included organizing the corridor into three distinct zones of control (public right-of-way, mixed-use neighborhood centers, and a transitional area between neighborhoods).

The study area is comprised of approximately 2.0 miles of Illinois Route 2 in the City of Rockford, Winnebago County, from north of Auburn Street on the south to north of Riverside Boulevard on the north. This portion of N. Main Street will undergo total reconstruction including new pavement, storm sewer, traffic signals and sidewalks. The study area contains a mixture of commercial, industrial, institutional, recreational and residential land uses, and serves as an important gateway corridor for the City of Rockford. The roadway currently consists of an undivided four-lane facility for a large portion of the study area. The improvements will include a wider pavement and turning lane construction at major intersections. Details regarding specific improvements will be developed as the project progress.

The Public Awareness Meeting served to inform the general public that the project study has been initiated and provide a convenient and effectives means to disseminate information and obtain project-related feedback. An open house format was used to display project information that primarily highlights the existing conditions of the corridor. It served as a basis to discuss the needs identified to date and to gather input from those attending. At this point of the study, design details have not been developed. However, the meeting was intended to provide an opportunity for the public to interact with project representatives in a meaningful way so that information gathered can be considered during development of the design.

The first Public Information Open House provided the general public with preliminary project information through exhibits, maps, preliminary layouts and other similar materials. It is at this point that details regarding the preliminary project design were made available. The layouts were based largely on recommendations made by the Citizens Advisory Group. Comments regarding the concepts presented were gathered and questions were answered. The input received was considered and implemented into subsequent design efforts where feasible.

The second Public Information Open House will provide the general public with pre-final project information through exhibits, maps, plans and other similar materials. It is at this point that specific details regarding the proposed project design will be made available. Details will include layout of intersections, driveways, proposed right-of-way and temporary easements. Input from the public regarding the preliminary design will be solicited and considered for inclusion in the final preliminary engineering document.

IDOT is enlisting the input of the Illinois Route 2 Citizen Advisory Group (CAG) to assist with the project. This group of community leaders from the study area, and stakeholders with specific interest in the project corridor meets throughout the duration of the study. CAG membership was initially developed by the Project Study Group, and includes a wide cross-section of corridor interests. Municipal and County leaders and technical staff, property and business owners, residents and interested citizens were invited to attend. In addition, individuals wishing to be considered for serving on the CAG were able and can continue to do so by signing up on the project website or by filling out a form at public meetings. CAG membership promotes balanced representation of corridor stakeholders in an effective and manageable workshop setting. It is anticipated there will be seven of these meetings, scheduled to correspond with key project milestones.

The Phase I project process involves several distinct, but interrelated sequential steps.

• Step I. Analyze Existing and Future Conditions
  The first step is to analyze and understand the conditions of the corridor. This task includes collecting information such as current and future traffic volumes, crash history and design standards. This information allows IDOT to identify deficiencies and begin the process for developing solutions. 
• Step II. Detailed Technical Studies and Design
  The next step involves the preparation of detailed technical studies and geometric design. Reports considering various issues including accident occurrence, traffic-related needs and drainage features within the study area are included in this step. Also included is the geometric layout of various roadway facilities to meet the identified needs. 
• Step III. Project Report Preparation & Approval
  The process culminates in a Project Report which includes documentation of the various elements that guided the project design. This includes project data, plans, typical cross sections, estimated cost, public involvement summaries, accident analysis, environmental and other agency coordination, public coordination and analysis of traffic management during construction. The Project Report is ultimately submitted to IDOT’s central office and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for review and approval.

The project study team consists of representatives from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and consultant team. The membership of the PSG may evolve as the understanding of the project’s context is clarified.

The PSG has primary responsibility for the project development process. This group will meet throughout the study process to provide oversight and expertise in key areas including study process, agency procedures and standards, and design approaches.

Other responsibilities of the PSG include the following:

• Expediting the project development process.
• Identifying and resolving project development issues.
• Promoting partnerships with stakeholders to address identified project needs.
• Working with Citizen Advisory Group to assist with development of project alternative(s).
• Working to develop consensus among stakeholders.

The PSG will make the ultimate project recommendations and decisions on this project.