PPUATS recently received two transportation planning grants from the Illinois Department of Transportation. Together the projects total $380,000 going to work in Greater Peoria. Moreover, they will help PPUATS meet two vital needs in our region. The funds require a 20% local match.
Digital Aerial Photography
PPUATS received $192,932 to coordinate a joint procurement process for digital orthophotos. Orthophotos are aerial images that have been digitally corrected to a uniform scale. Orthophotos are commonly used in geographic information systems (GIS) as a “map accurate” background image. A common example is the “Satellite” option in Google Maps. Because land uses in our region change constantly, photos must be accurate and up to date.
This project will serve six government partners:
- City of Peoria
- Logan County
- Peoria County
- Tazewell County
- Woodford County
- Greater Peoria Sanitary District
Flying the region all at once saves the partners time and money versus doing it on their own. The finished product will be consistent and accurate images of the region that partners can use to optimize their GIS activities. Images will have a ground resolution of 0.5 feet (1″=100′ scale) and cover about 2,450 square miles. The total project budget is $242,415.
Roadway Asset Management
PPUATS also received $188,000 to help area communities better manage their road networks. PPUATS and community transportation leaders have already begun collecting information about the condition of major roads in the region. This grant will allow communities to collect data about all of their roads—or additional assets like sidewalks and stop signs—at a greatly reduced cost. Commu. This project is a first step toward more effectively matching scarce resources with the many infrastructure needs in our region.
