The following is a press release written by Desiree DeMolina for the City of Bloomington.
The City of Bloomington’s College and Walnut Corridor Study will begin its formal public review process when it is presented to the Bloomington Transportation Commission on November 16, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. The review is a long-range planning step and does not authorize construction or commit the City to implementing either of the study’s full corridor concepts. Adoption would establish a planning framework the City can use to pursue future state and federal grant opportunities.
The study examines approximately 4.2 miles of College Avenue and Walnut Street, from the SR 45/46 Bypass to Allen Street, evaluating how the corridor can evolve over the long term to improve safety, accessibility, and economic vitality. Between 2018 and 2022, three fatal crashes and 34 serious injury crashes occurred within the project limits. Although College Ave. and Walnut St. account for a portion of local street mileage, arterial streets like these represent a disproportionate share of severe crashes citywide. Speed monitoring across 14 study locations revealed that over half of drivers exceeded posted limits at 11 of those sites.
Historical traffic data collected for the study shows that while Bloomington’s population has grown by 44% since the 1970s, vehicle traffic on College and Walnut has dropped by 31%, indicating that the existing multi-lane highway configuration no longer reflects actual travel patterns.
To address these severe crash risks and support economic vitality, the study evaluates two primary concepts: a reconfigured one-way street design and a two-way restoration. While both alternatives feature continuous pedestrian facilities, an urban trail, and intersection safety upgrades, Planning and Transportation staff recommend incorporating the two-way concept into the City’s Transportation Plan.
The study is a long-range planning document, not a funded construction project. Planning-level cost estimates place full implementation at approximately $103.1 million for the one-way concept and $109.4 million for the two-way concept in 2026 dollars.
Given the scope of the long-term corridor improvement project, the City will actively pursue federal, state, and other non-local grant opportunities to support project implementation. Future improvements would occur incrementally over time as external funding and project opportunities are established.
The Transportation Commission meeting will be open to the public and will include an opportunity for public comment. Additional meetings and participation details will be published with the official meeting agenda. Consideration by the Transportation Commission marks the first step in the formal review process, which will be followed by public hearings before the Plan Commission and the Bloomington Common Council.
For more information, visit bloomington.in.gov/transportation/cwcs or contact Ryan Robling, Planning Services Manager at roblingr@bloomington.in.gov.
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