Effingham council discusses new public transportation service

Jul. 6—EFFINGHAM — Effingham City Council members on Wednesday discussed the recent expansion of public transportation services in the city and voted to take the next step in the reconstruction of the intersection at Evergreen Avenue and Willenborg Street.

During the meeting, the council discussed the new public transportation service, ETrax, which includes designated stops at Walmart, Kirby Foods, medical centers and the parking lot just north of the Effingham County Office Building.

The new service began Wednesday.

Unlike other stops on the route, the stop at the county building is on a public right of way, which Effingham Public Works Director Jeremy Heuerman explained requires an ordinance related to the city's parking regulations for loading zones.

Heuerman said he's been working on the matter with Effingham County Board Chairman Josh Douthit and John Althoff of Central Illinois Public Transit for the past couple of weeks.

"What they're looking at doing is they're looking at implementing a bus route through CEFS, using one of their buses, with multiple stops throughout, for right now, the north half of Effingham," Heuerman said. "They're looking at anywhere from 10-12 bus stops, going from about 5-7 minutes long at each stop."

Heuerman explained that the intention is to make the route a one-hour loop, and he said there are already plans to add a route covering the southern part of Effingham in the future.

Heuerman also told council members there is enough space at the stop to allow for the addition of a shelter and a bench, assuming the new service gets enough use, and, after checking out the stop, he isn't concerned about the new stop disrupting traffic or parking in the area.

"Currently, it's not a parking spot, so we're not technically losing any parking spots in the downtown area," he said. "We would just be designating this area as a loading zone for this bus stop," he said.

Effingham City Commissioner Merv Gillenwater called the new service and bus route a "great idea."

"I know the county's been trying to do something like for quite some time," Gillenwater said. "It looks like a great place for us to have a stop."

Additionally, Effingham City Commissioner Larry Micenheimer voiced his support for the new transportation service, referencing the "untold number of people" he often sees walking to and from their destinations throughout the city.

"It contributes greatly to the quality of life," Micenheimer said.

The council did not vote on the matter during the meeting Wednesday but will likely consider it for approval at its next regular meeting.

In other matters, the council accepted a proposal from Feutz Contractors Inc. in the amount of $534,870.80 for the reconstruction of the Evergreen Avenue and Willenborg Street intersection.

Also during the meeting, Effingham Police Chief Jason McFarland said he and Effingham Tourism Director Jodi Thoele recently attended a regional meeting regarding the total solar eclipse, which will be briefly visible in various parts of southern Illinois, including Effingham, which will be under its shadow for roughly 40 seconds on April 8, 2024, at approximately 2:03 p.m.

"We are preparing for that," McFarland said. "I don't think it's going to have that much of an impact as far as traffic in this community, but I wouldn't make plans to travel in southern Illinois if I were you."

Thoele said the eclipse could bring some people to the area, which could benefit local businesses, and she noted that local restaurants and other businesses will be notified in advance, so they are able to properly prepare for a potential influx of customers.

"We are in the process, but there are a few people that we know for sure are having events," Thoele said.

Meanwhile, Effingham Assistant City Administrator Dennis Presley announced that he expected the city's revamped website to be up and running Thursday evening. The website, effinghamil.com, can now be accessed by the public.

In other matters, the council:

—Approved final change No. 2 from Effingham Asphalt Co. for the second phase of the 2022 Resurfacing Project, which reflects a $112,382.42 decrease in the cost of the contract.

—Approved a certificate of project completion from Effingham Asphalt Co. for the second phase of the 2022 Street Resurfacing Program.

—Approved change order No. 1 in the amount of $75,395 for emergency water main replacement as part of the Fayette Avenue Sanitary Force Main Replacement Project.

—Authorized an agreement with Magoo & Associates LLC for the expansion of the city's cybersecurity and data system management services package.

—Authorized the execution of a service agreement with Development Planning Partners and the 1861 Group to create a plan for the city's $75,000 RISE grant.

Nick Taylor can be reached at nick.taylor@effinghamdailynews.com or by phone at 618-510-9226 or 217-347-7151 ext. 300132.