Lincoln residents will have a chance to help shape plans for improvements along 70th Street during a public design open house next week. Lincoln Transportation Utilities is hosting the open house for the 70th Street project between Pioneers Boulevard and Van Dorn Street on Thursday, August 6, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Holmes Lake Golf Course.
The project includes street repairs and resurfacing, storm drain and inlet replacements, new StarTran bus stop locations, traffic signal upgrades, and new pedestrian push buttons at the intersections of 70th Street and Pioneers Boulevard and 70th Street and Holmes Park Road.
Lucas Nelson, Community Engagement Specialist with Lincoln Transportation Utilities, the pedestrian improvements are intended to make crossing the busy roadway safer. “Just to provide better crossings and better infrastructure for pedestrians, and then for the street improvements, provide a safe, smooth ride for all road users,” Nelson says.
The event will be an open-house format with no formal presentation. “Members of the community can meet with project staff, ask questions, view project information, and really share their concerns with the project team to help adjust the overall design before we get to that final point,” Nelson says.
Nelson says public input has become an important part of the city’s transportation planning process. “That community engagement piece, getting input from the community, really helps shape the final design of projects,” Nelson says. “Especially for a frequently used corridor like this, it’s important to make sure the design reflects the needs of the community.”