City Highlights University Place Neighborhood Street Improvements
Published on October 31, 2024
Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and Lincoln Transportation and Utilities (LTU) Director Liz Elliott today announced that the 1.5 mile Lincoln on the Move Leighton Avenue improvement project is nearing completion and expected to reopen to through traffic early next week.
“Through our community’s investment in Lincoln on the Move, we are proud to deliver street improvements – like this project that is helping students safely travel to and from Lincoln Northeast High School, connecting neighbors to nearby amenities, shopping, and enhancing mobility within northeast Lincoln,” Mayor Gaylor Baird said.
Improvements to Leighton Avenue between North 48th and North 70th streets include a mill and overlay of the existing surface and base repairs where required, public utility adjustments, inlet top and curb repairs or replacement, and installation of a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon. The City used Highway Allocation Funds for additional work to the existing curb ramps to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
Approved by residents in 2019, Lincoln on the Move is a quarter-cent sales tax specifically for additional street investments. Since its inception, Lincoln on the Move has added nearly $78 million additional dollars to the City’s overall street investments, resulting in 52 projects with over 162 lane miles of new and resurfaced streets.
Joining Mayor Gaylor Baird and Director Elliott at the news conference were City Council Chairperson Sändra Washington, and area residents Barb Damewood and DeWayne Taylor.
The 1.5 mile Leighton Avenue project cost nearly $2.6 million. Elliott said the project is one of eight Lincoln on the Move projects being constructed in 2024, totaling a nearly $18 million in investments and nearly 27 miles of street work spread out across all four quadrants of the city.
Elliott said the City minimized traffic impacts on the community by engaging residents and businesses before and throughout the project via an open house and informational postcards.
“These are just a few of the many efforts LTU conducts to offer sound and proactive customer service through our projects across Lincoln,” Elliott said.
Damewood and Taylor said they were impressed with the professionalism of City staff and the work that has been done and look forward to using the newly completed street.
“I know it’s going to make a difference for everyone who lives here and visits. Whether they're neighbors walking their dogs or family coming over for the holidays,” Damewood said.
“I want to thank the City of Lincoln and everyone who was involved in ensuring the completion of this project, with a final result that exceeded expectations. The project is an important one not only for northeast Lincoln, but for the entire City,” Taylor said.
Washington said the voter-approved Lincoln on the Move initiative helps ensure that Lincoln streets are expanding and improving as the community grows.
“The completed work on Leighton Street shows how these investments expand mobility, safety and access for all our residents, while also creating the infrastructure support to help businesses thrive and grow our local economy,” Washington said.