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Recovery Act Bucks Will Help Hickory Enhance Streetscape09-04-09 | News

Recovery Act Bucks Will Help Hickory Enhance Streetscape

Hickory Hills, a suburb southwest of Chicago, will use a $500,000 federal grant for street beautification. The money is part of an economic stimulus program funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for economic development along business corridors.

Hickory Hills, a Chicago suburb, will use a half-million dollar federal grant to beautify a 12-block stretch of 95th Street with trees, stamped crosswalks and signal timers, among other proposals. The $500,000 is part of an economic stimulus program funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for economic development along business corridors.

Landscape architects presented their project designs to the city council in mid-August.

The design for the 12 blocks of 95th Street includes six-inch raised curbs, stamped colored concrete, colored concrete banding at intersections to slow traffic and the addition of pedestrian signal timers.
Rendering: Landscape Resources

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The city expects to complete the streetscape enhancements by 2010.

The Illinois Transportation Enhancement previously provided a grant worth $1 million that the city used to replace streetlights along 95th Street.

Planning Resources, a Wheaton-based landscape architectural firm, will design the landscape (see ?EUR??,,????'?????<

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At most major intersections along 95th, the landscape architects proposed stamped concrete crosswalks, as well as timers on pedestrian signals that indicate how much time people have to walk across the street. The stamped concrete pattern, at least in theory, will cause traffic to slow a bit, making it safer for pedestrians and drivers.

The plan calls for three types of plants around the new streetlights, and enclosing them in concrete strips to protect the investment put into the new streetlights. The flowers will be salt and drought tolerant and require little maintenance. Ornamental trees may be grouped on every corner. The landscape architects also suggested matching garbage cans to streetlights and replacing transit shelters.