Residents can get their first look at plans for U.S. 50 through O’Fallon at open house

After months of public design workshops and planning meetings, the Great Streets project team on Forward 50 is hosting an open house to share new concepts intended to help strengthen the function and appearance of U.S. Highway 50 through O’Fallon.

The open house is set for Tuesday, Dec. 5, from 5 to 7 p.m., with a presentation at 5:15 p.m., in the council chambers in City Hall, 255 South Lincoln.

Community members of all ages are invited to join elected officials, city staff, and project team members in collaborating on the future of the O’Fallon thoroughfare.

The city has been studying Highway 50 as a part of the East-West Gateway Council of Government’s Great Streets Initiative.

After December, the next public meeting will be in April, and then the study is expected to be completed in June 2024.

Community Development Director Justin Randall said O’Fallon residents’ ideas, concerns, and preferences have been taken into consideration for refining the concepts. He said everyone will be able to view the emerging concepts in a storyboard format.

Highway 50 was the main thoroughfare through O’Fallon until Interstate 64 was built in 1975, and its function has changed over the years.

While it continues to support local access to businesses, schools, neighborhoods, health facilities, and parks for the city’s 32,000-plus residents, the town’s leadership believes segments of the corridor can operate better, especially when it comes to land use and mobility.

Randall said the study is to ensure the community is connected and supported throughout all the neighborhoods, look at market demands and potential changes in land use, identify strategies to improve safety for all modes of travel, and imagine aesthetic improvements to strengthen the area’s appeal.

RDG, a national planning and design group with an office in St. Louis, is the project director.

“This Great Streets Initiative allows residents to dream and plan for their ideal community asset - in this case, Highway 50,” said RDG Senior Manager Cory Scott.

RDG has had ongoing conversations with city leadership and now, residents on mobility, land use and design, infrastructure, economic development and environmental and parks.

The project was launched in September after focus groups met – businesses, churches, educational groups, and civic and service organizations in August. Design meetings will continue this year, with a final open house set for April 2024 and completion expected in June 2024.

The west area is defined between I-64 and West 3rd St/Cambridge Blvd., while the central area is between West 3rd Street/Cambridge Boulevard and Weber Road, and the east is between Weber Road and Scott Troy intersection.

Marty Shukert, principal at RDG, has more than 40 years of experience in urban planning, and has been biking around town as he explores every facet of the city.

“These are areas of real interest, corridors that have more potential than realized,” Shukert said. “We develop ideas with the community in mind, the connectivity that will benefit the district. We want to make it functional for everybody.”

This highway study is part of the East-West Gateway Council of Governments’ Great Streets Initiative. It is funded, in part, through a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Illinois Department of Transportation.

In March, the city received a Great Streets grant for a detailed plan for Highway 50 from Exit 14 to Exit 19 and a portion of Lincoln Avenue. The grant is up to $500,000 and the city’s portion is $100,000.

“Great Streets programs are often an endeavor to do some place making and space making along with economic development,” Randall said.

For more information about Forward 50, the city has begun putting information on their website: To see a schedule of events, a map of the project area, and more, visit:

https://www.ofallon.org/planning-zoning-division/pages/forward-50-great-streets-initiative

If you have any further questions or comments, contact Justin Randall, Community Development Director jrandall@ofallon.org, or by calling (618) 624-4500