BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — According to a survey, residents said Veterans Parkway is unsafe and many are hoping it could be changed.
“People are driving too fast and recklessly,” one survey comment said. “I hear them racing on Veterans quite a few blocks away.”
Veterans Parkway is one of the region’s most dangerous roads, according to Reinvent Veterans Parkway. Between 2019-2023, 16% of all crashes in the Twin Cities occurred on the highway, with six of them being deadly.
“I know some families, they don’t want their children to cross the street, they view it as a really dangerous [to cross] or even to ride their bicycles across,” said Raymond Lai, the executive director of the McLean County Regional Planning Commission.
The Reinvent Veterans Parkway Project hopes to make the road safer. They held an open house in Bloomington on Tuesday, showing their current proposals to the community for feedback.
One idea would be to upgrade the six-lane highway, reducing the lane length and adding sidewalks separated by green space.
An alternative option would be to reduce the lanes from six to four, which could “reduce dangerous speeding and other reckless driving,” according to the proposal.
Another plan would leave the road as is, changing the intersection and installing sidewalks. Keeping current lanes would minimize travel delays, according to the display board.
While all three plans are different, they all focus on three things, reducing crashes, building sidewalks and adding more green spaces.
According to a survey done by the group, 74% of responders said Veterans Parkway should be different, with 63% saying the road should be more bicycle and pedestrian friendly.
Trying to cross veterans is incredibly difficult, according to Lai. He said it’s currently a “physical barrier” that separates communities.
“I’ve seen people getting off the bus and trying to run and dash over because they just want to go home just across the street,” he said.
Residents at the open house were able to leave their thoughts on an anonymous board. Some want to see a safer, greener road. Others are against any changes.
“Please leave Veterans Parkway as it is,” said one comment. “This road is meant to carry a large amount of traffic. It is not meant to hold flowerpots and park benches.”
The project will continue surveys up until September 2026. Once that’s passed, they’ll bring their findings to Normal Town Council, Bloomington City Council and McLean County Board.
Another open house will be held in the Bloomington Public Library on Wednesday from 6-8 p.m.
WMBD TV can be reached at News@WJBC.com.
