Contact:
Jon Dienst, Civil Engineer
563-589-4104
jdienst@cityofdubuque.org
www.cityofdubuque.org
September 21, 2012 - For Immediate Release
Millwork District Complete Streets Project Nets State and National Recognition
DUBUQUE, Iowa – The City of Dubuque’s Complete Streets Project in the Dubuque Millwork District is garnering recognition at the state and national level.
The project was completed in May and was recently awarded “Project of the Year in Transportation” by the Iowa Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA), an organization that serves professionals in all aspects of public works. The Millwork District Complete Streets Project took top honors in the “Greater than $5 million, less than $25 million” category. Formal presentation of the award took place at the APWA Iowa Chapter’s fall conference awards banquet on Sept. 20 in Iowa City. The Complete Streets Project is a result of the combined efforts of the City of Dubuque Engineering and Economic Development Departments; Portzen Construction, Inc.; and Veenstra and Kimm, Inc.
In addition to the APWA award, the Complete Streets Project was also named one of the “Top 10 Roads” of 2012 by Roads & Bridges, a magazine aimed at public works professionals, contractors, and consulting engineers who work in the road and bridge construction and maintenance industry. Each year, Roads & Bridges determines the Top 10 list based on project challenges, impact to region, and scope of work.
The $7.7 million Complete Streets Project was funded in part through a $5.6 million U.S. Department of Transportation TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Grant. A $150,000 Iowa Great Places grant from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs helped fund the streetscape portion of the project.
Completed in May 2012, the project involved the design of streets to facilitate use by a broad range of users, including drivers, public transportation vehicles and riders, pedestrians, bicyclists, older people, children, and people with disabilities. The project included the reconstruction of Washington Street, Jackson Street, Elm Street, 9th Street, and 10th Street in the district as well as street connections to the central business district, Port of Dubuque, and the Washington Neighborhood. It also included the reconstruction of underground utilities, and the installation of concrete sidewalks, pervious pavers in some of the parking areas, and re-use of existing brick pavers in streetscape areas. New curbs and bumpouts were added to improve pedestrian crossings, and new energy-efficient historic street lights were installed, along with locally designed and manufactured benches, bike racks, and receptacles.
The benefits of Complete Streets are that they increase the capacity and efficiency of the road network, reduce traffic congestion, improve mobility options, limit greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the general quality of life. Promoting pedestrian, bicycle, and public transportation travel as an alternative to the automobile reduces negative environmental impacts, promotes healthy living, and is less costly to the commuter.
# # #
* * * * * * *
A PDF version of this news release is available online at http://www.cityofdubuque.org/newsreleases
This complimentary message is being sent to opt-in subscribers who might be interested in its content. Please note, we will not sell or give your e-mail address to any organization without your explicit permission.