City of Cedar Falls
Summer 2016 Volume 26 No. 1
Our citizens are our business
UNIVERSITY AVENUE UPDATE Transformation of University Avenue is progressing! Work kicked off on March 1st. The overhaul of University Avenue from Grove Street to McClain Drive will continue all summer and fall. The first step, in the spring, was improvements to underground utilities such as the water main, storm sewer (pipes that carry rain water away), and waste water in the side areas with frontage roads. That work will be drawing to a close. Some frontage roads have been replaced in their new configuration. The second step is now in action: tearing out the north lanes of University Avenue and installing new roadway. Two west-bound driving lanes will be constructed on the north side, along with right and left turn lanes. During construction, Tucson Drive, Valley Park Drive, Blackhawk Village, and Waterloo Road intersections will FIND INFO AT continue to have signals. llswww.cevdeaprrfa ct.com je o Please be patient during construction and watch for changes at intersections. Throughout sitya r e iv n u the summer, there will be spots that are temporally closed for a number of weeks. This is all part of the construction process. Things are always changing as the new road and intersections take shape. Each week the City updates a map identifying closures and sections of focus for each week. The updates are published on the University Avenue project website www.cedarfalls.com/universityave and Channel 15, and are also in the newspaper. Sign up for direct e-mail notifications through “Notify Me” on the City’s web page: www.cedarfalls.com. Over the course of the project, the City will hold public information meetings and provide education on driving in a roundabout. All businesses and residences will continue to have access during construction. University Avenue will remain open throughout construction. Please support the businesses during construction, they are open! The entire transformation of University Avenue spans from Main Street to Midway Drive. It is anticipated to take three to four years to complete. While improving safety of the roadway is a key goal, the project is much more than that. When completed, sidewalks, trails, bus pull offs, shelters, and landscaping will be in place. It will meet the visions of the Cedar Falls Comprehensive Plan and the 2020 Strategic Plan. • Project web page: www.cedarfalls-universityaveproject.com • Facebook page: www.facebook.com/University-Avenue-Reconstruction-Project-1687983378126994/ • Twitter: twitter.com/CFUnivAveRecon Because the overhaul of University Avenue is a significant project for the community, a variety of efforts to update citizens on project progress and offer information on how to use two-lane roundabouts will occur. In June, a guided tour for driving a roundabout was hosted at UNI’s West Dome parking lot. Cones and chalk were used to create a two-lane roundabout. Staff drove participants through the roundabout covering key points on use of a two-lane roundabout. A floor display at the Library entrance is in full swing. Patrons entering the foyer may follow a “traffic lane” into the roundabout and experience the signage in place as well as see the layout of a two-lane roundabout.
From July – September, the following are planned: July 23 Monthly Sep. 10 Sep. 20
Downtown Farmers Market Currents Up Close (Channel 15) Downtown Farmers Market Public Information Meeting #2 (on Phase 2)
Additional events may be added to this list. If you would like to volunteer to help with these efforts or to schedule a presentation for a group, please contact Stephanie Houk Sheetz at (319) 268-5151.