City of Carbondale receives more than $800K to improve Piles Fork Greenway

CARBONDALE, Ill. (KBSI) – The City of Carbondale received a $827,800 grant from the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program.

The funding will be used to improve and extend the Piles Fork Greenway. This will provide a safer and more accessible trail for pedestrians, bicyclists, and micromobility users.

The path currently runs along Piles Fork Creek ending at East Grand Avenue and East Walnut Street and
a spur to South Wall Street.

The following improvements are planned as a result of this grant:

• Replacement of the existing 8-foot wide asphalt path with a 10-foot wide concrete paved path
• Extension of the multi-use path to the north and east, along East Walnut Street, to connect with the Crab
  Orchard Greenway
• Signage aligning with the City’s Bike Wayfinding Plan
• Enhanced pedestrian, bicycle, and micromobility access & street crossings

“The Piles Fork Greenway has been linking pedestrians, cyclists, and individuals with limited mobility to various residential neighborhoods, commercial centers, medical resources, and schools since it was built in the early 1980s. By making these improvements, we hope to enhance accessibility and encourage more people to use alternative forms of transportation to get around town,” said Senior Planner Molly Maxwell in a release to media.

The City of Carbondale assumed management of this greenway in 2018 after the expiration of a 35-year lease with the Carbondale Park District.

The city has already installed new pathway lighting along the entire greenway. That enhances the improvements that this ITEP funding will provide.