Drop in a question of your very own BY CLICKING HERE or by emailing Kathy Reiser at mailbag@news-gazette.com.
An Urbana street that may be going on a “road diet” … how abolishing overdue fines may have affected library hold times … a partial baseball diamond at a Champaign park … and how the Savoy McDonald’s came to fly the colors of the Unity Rockets. All in this week’s Mailbag.
A view of North Lincoln Avenue in Urbana on Wednesday.
Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
Changes coming to part of North Lincoln Avenue
*“Have you heard anything about the City of Urbana reducing North Lincoln Avenue, from Killarney to Wasche…
Drop in a question of your very own BY CLICKING HERE or by emailing Kathy Reiser at mailbag@news-gazette.com.
An Urbana street that may be going on a “road diet” … how abolishing overdue fines may have affected library hold times … a partial baseball diamond at a Champaign park … and how the Savoy McDonald’s came to fly the colors of the Unity Rockets. All in this week’s Mailbag.
A view of North Lincoln Avenue in Urbana on Wednesday.
Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
Changes coming to part of North Lincoln Avenue
“Have you heard anything about the City of Urbana reducing North Lincoln Avenue, from Killarney to Wascher Drive, from four lanes to two lanes with a middle turn lane and two bike lanes?”
Assistant City Engineer Justin Swinford told me the city is in the “preliminary design phase of the Lincoln Avenue Wascher-to-Killarney Improvements Project, which will provide safety improvements for vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians along this corridor.”
Indeed, he said current plans include a roadway reconfiguration to a single lane in each direction with a shared left-turn lane. This project also will include improved facilities for bicycles, “but whether that is in the form of on-street bike lanes or a shared-use path is yet to be determined,” Swinford said.
Principal Planner Kevin Garcia said this type of reconfiguration is common throughout the country, with plenty of local examples including Main Street through downtown Urbana and Philo Road south of Florida Avenue.
“They’re commonly referred to as ‘road diets,’ and despite that being a terrible name — I mean, who can really get excited about a diet? — they’re very effective at making streets safer for all users without, your reader may be pleased to learn, making traffic worse,” Garcia said. “The key is the middle turn lane, which gets turning cars out of the way while traffic goes safely by.
Readers may learn more about the proposed Lincoln Avenue project in Urbana’s Capital Improvement Plan, available on the city website.
And for anyone who’d like to know more about the proposed reconfiguration, Garcia says the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) “has a nice, succinct page about the benefits of such roadway reconfigurations; I refuse to say ‘road diet.’”
Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette
Are hold times longer since overdue fees went away?
“Is it my imagination, or are hold times longer for popular items since the Champaign Public Library abolished overdue fees? Do they follow up with patrons whose items are overdue?”
Like many libraries around the country, CPL stopped charging overdue fines in 2020; the idea was to remove an economic barrier to use of public library materials.
“To encourage timely returns, customers receive a series of reminders — starting with a pre-overdue notice and followed by three overdue notices,” said Tricia Duzan, CPL’s deputy director. “This process usually leads to any late items being returned. We monitor holds lists, including for items that are overdue. Our goal is to ensure wait times are reasonable, and we will order additional copies to meet demand as needed.”
The CPL website says “items will automatically renew up to 10 times, as long as no one else is waiting for them,” and “accidents do happen. If an item you have checked out is lost or damaged, you will be charged for it.”
Customers who have questions about holds or wait times are invited to contact the library at 217-403-2000 or via email at info@champaign.org.
Kathy Reiser/The News-Gazette
Extra baseball infield at Spalding Park
“In Spalding Park, across from Franklin STEAM Academy, there’s a partially completed baseball diamond — just the infield — right next to a full-sized baseball field. Why was it built? Is it ever used?”
Franklin’s physical education classes use the infield for kickball, according to Stacey Moore, chief communications officer for Champaign Unit 4 Schools. “Our baseball team has used it for practice if Edison has a game; they also use it to warm up before games. The softball team hasn’t used the field because they use the Central High School facility,” Moore said.
Bret Johnson, director of operations and planning for the Champaign Park District, tells us the infield property is owned by the park district but leased to Unit 4 through a ground-lease agreement. Unit 4 is solely responsible for the operation and maintenance of the athletic facilities in Spalding Park, which includes the baseball infield.
Prior to Unit 4’s construction of the new baseball field(s) and locker/restroom/concession building, an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) was developed between the two entities for the use and improvement of Spalding Park. When the park’s tennis courts were reconstructed a few years ago, a separate IGA was executed for those. Responsibilities for both parties are spelled out in those documents.
Sarah Sandquist, CPD’s executive director, adds that the area beyond the spare infield — what would ordinarily be the outfield — “drops substantially into a drainage swale.” Thus, the infield was never intended to be used as anything other than a practice field.
Kathy Reiser/The News-Gazette
New trucks for some mail delivery routes
“I’m noticing some new mail-delivery trucks on routes around Savoy. Are they hybrids? Until recently, I could always hear my mail carrier’s truck from a block away.”
The new postal delivery trucks with the oversized windshields are NGDVs — Next Generation Delivery Vehicles — made by the Oshkosh Corporation’s Oshkosh Defense unit.
NGDVs are replacing the U.S. Postal Service’s boxy Long Life Vehicles (LLVs), which have been in service for more than 30 years. A postal service press release says “engine technology has evolved considerably in that time, which is why our newer vehicles don’t have the distinctive sound that many associate with the LLV.” (And here I thought they all just had bad mufflers.) The Postal Service is one year into its planned 5-year LLV replacement cycle across the nation.
USPS spokesperson Susan Wright was unable to tell me exactly how many of the new NGDVs are in service in our area or which communities they serve. But she said to date, some 4,000 new, modern vehicles are operating in Illinois – all part of the total delivery fleet of nearly 11,000 vehicles in the state. Other types of newer vehicles also are being used on some mail routes around the area.
Many of the new NGDVs across the country are zero-emission electric vehicles, though I understand from a local postal staffer that all of the NGDVs in use here have internal-combustion engines because of our harsh Midwest winters.
The new NGDVs have greater cargo capacity than the LLVs, which enables more packages to be transported per trip. They also are expected to be more reliable, mechanically.
An October 2024 press release about the NGDVs said “these vehicles have been designed with employee safety and comfort in mind, ensuring a better working environment for the Postal Service’s dedicated letter carriers.
“Features such as improved visibility, ergonomic seating, air conditioning, safety improvements and user-friendly operations will give Postal Service employees a more comfortable and intuitive experience while performing their duties.”
Books to Prisoners benefit sale Saturday
The Urbana-based Books to Prisoners (B2P) program is holding its semi-annual benefit book sale on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Independent Media Center in downtown Urbana. That’s in the former main post office building at 202 S. Broadway, just north of Lincoln Square Mall.
They expect to offer 7,500-8,000 gently used books — on all topics — for $1 to $2 each. New at this fall’s sale: some “novel jewelry.”
B2P is a volunteer-run organization that provides free books for incarcerated individuals, to help them constructively use their time in jail or prison. Donated books that cannot be sent directly to them are sold to help provide operating funds for the program.
What are the regs for farm field operations on windy days?
“What are the regulations pertaining to farmers plowing fields, and spraying herbicides and pesticides, on windy days when the dust and chemicals can blow over roads and into nearby neighborhoods? Is there any recourse for neighbors affected by these operations?”
The Illinois Department of Agriculture regulates use of pesticides, and its website says commercial and public applicators must be licensed to use any pesticides. Farmers and homeowners must be licensed to apply restricted-use pesticides.
The department’s website says proper pesticide use begins before application, with reading the product’s label. “Some label directions specify the maximum wind speed for application. Others simply indicate the product should not be used when weather conditions favor drift. Strong winds blowing pesticides onto surrounding properties result in the largest number of complaints, so care should be taken to apply when winds are light and directed away from sensitive vegetation.
“Other precautions include leaving a buffer strip, increasing droplet size, lowering spray pressure and using a drift control additive. Finally, keep accurate, detailed records, including wind speed and direction during application, to avoid frivolous complaints.”
IDOA spokesperson Lori Harlan said “while there is no legislation that sets climate – air or water – parameters for ‘tillage,’ the Illinois Pesticide Act regulates the use of pesticides, and the Illinois Department of Agriculture investigates misuse complaints. Our website has a form for submitting complaints online.”
The instructions for the complaint form note that the form “must be received by the department within 30 days of the incident or within 30 days of when the damage associated with the incident was first noticed, pursuant to 8 IAC 250.200. Complaints received by the department after this 30-day period will be kept on file at the department but no investigation or administrative action will be pursued.”
Provided
Sharp-lookin’ Fighting Illini backpacks
“I see these sharp-looking Fighting Illini backpacks around campus. Are they available only to student-athletes, or can I buy one to give as a Christmas gift?”
UI athletics spokesperson Derrick Burson said the Illinois Fighting Illini Nike Utility Speed Backpack is available for purchase at Gameday Spirit.
Kathy Reiser/The News-Gazette
Unity school spirit at Savoy McDonald’s
“Love the Unity Rockets flags atop the Savoy McDonald’s! Is there a particular connection between the Savoy store/staff and the Rockets?”
Blake Linders, owner/franchisee of Linders Family McDonald’s, said the flags “really just came about as our first customers were a bunch of Rocket high school kids who came in all excited when we opened, and we put their picture up in the store as our first customers, and it ballooned from there! We get a lot of Rocket students every day — and someone asked about putting up a flag, and we said yes.”
Kathy Reiser/The News-Gazette
Who pays for traffic lights that serve private property?
“When a privately owned parking lot abuts a state or U.S. highway, who pays to install and maintain any traffic signals facing its parking lot?”
The reader inquired specifically about the signals between Car-X and Culver’s, where Knollwood Drive meets U.S. 45 (Neil Street) in south Champaign.
Kensil Garnett, Illinois Department of Transportation engineer, says if the initial signal installation is a result of a commercial development, then the private party or commercial establishment generally will pay for the installation and the municipality will pay for the costs of maintenance,
However, different situations may exist depending on the conditions at the time of the initial installation.
“Sometimes, a signal may already be installed at a location prior to a significant development. In those cases, the developer may only need to pay for the cost of the additional leg of the signal system. Other times, the signals may be installed as part of a larger permit or local agency project.”
Garnett said municipalities usually maintain traffic signal installations within their boundaries, by agreement with the state. The state reimburses cities and towns proportionately for electricity and maintenance of the legs of the intersection that are under state jurisdiction.
“Therefore, the city at least initially pays for the maintenance and electric costs but may have agreements with developers or private parties to recover costs similarly.”
Are streetlights planned for Neil/Dunlap south of Devonshire?
*“I know the U.S. 45/Neil Street project isn’t done yet, but are there any plans to add dedicated streetlights to the roadway south of Devonshire Drive?” *
I think the U.S. 45 project has officially pulled ahead of the I-57/74 reconstruction project as the most frequently written-about stretch of highway in recent Champaign County history.
The reader who posed the question went on to say “outside of the major intersections — Windsor, Curtis and Burwash — there are currently no dedicated streetlights south of Devonshire.
“There are also several that appear to have possibly been put up by the Village of Savoy onto wooden power poles to illuminate intersections with some smaller side streets,” the reader said.
IDOT engineer Kensil Garnett said providing lighting for all highway facilities is neither practical nor cost-effective.
Garnett’s “inside baseball” explanation is that IDOT generally provides highway lighting “only where justified based on sound engineering judgment and on the criteria, warranting guidelines presented in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) publication Roadway Lighting Design Guide, NCHRP Report No. 152 Warrants for Highway Lighting, and by our Bureau of Design and Environment (BDE) Manual.”
Highway illumination within a municipality is handled by an agreement between the municipality and IDOT. “For new lighting, the municipality is 100% financially responsible for lighting installation and energy costs. Lighting work is being done in conjunction with traffic signal work at other intersections on this project and poles are being replaced. The cost for the poles and foundations (traffic signal appurtenances) is by a proportion.”
Kathy Reiser/The News-Gazette
When will Bob’s Discount Furniture open?
“A sign at Market View Shopping Center says a Bob’s Discount Furniture is coming soon. When?”
Jana Wiersema wrote about the new Bob’s in August. Spokesperson Haley Garvin said the grand opening is still expected to take place in winter 2026 at 63 Market View Drive in Champaign. That’s the former location of a Dick’s House of Sport and a long-ago Bed, Bath and Beyond.
Bob’s Discount Furniture is based in Connecticut, and its website shows the chain has more than 200 locations across 26 states. Its Joliet location is the nearest one to C-U at this time.
Longtime multimedia reporter Kathy Reiser is the author of Kathy’s Mailbag, which runs in full every Friday on news-gazette.com and in part in Saturday’s News-Gazette. Submit your questions here.