​On Tuesday, July 9, 2019, Urbana City Council approved a new $5.00 vehicle registration permissive tax that will be effective on January 1, 2020 for all vehicles registered with the Ohio Bureau of Vehicles within the corporation limits of the City of Urbana.  The vehicle registration permissive tax is an optional tax that can be levied by counties, municipalities, and/or townships on vehicle registrations.  There are eleven $5.00 levies that are available to be enacted, but only six can be in effect at any one time in any single taxing district.  The current maximum permissive tax for registration in any single taxing district is $30.00 per registration year. 
 
Currently, for vehicles registered with the Ohio BMV within the City of Urbana corporation limits, $20.00 is paid as part of the vehicle registration fees as a permissive tax.  With the additional $5.00 being added, a total of $25.00 in permissive tax will be paid as part of the vehicle registration fee when a vehicle is registered with the Ohio BMV.  Of the $25.00 collected, $17.50 of this fee will be used for maintenance, repair, and improvement of public roads within the city.  This new, city specific $5.00 permissive tax fee will generate approximately $57,195.00 per year for road maintenance and improvement citywide.  The other $7.50 will continue to be used by the county to maintain, repair, and improve county owned  roads. 
 
According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, when adjusted for inflation, $100.00 invested in road construction in July 2005 now costs $152.00 as of June 2018.  According to the 2017 Pavement Condition Rating of all 62.6 miles of public streets within the City of Urbana, $6,016,075.95 in maintenance and resurfacing work is required.  Based on historically available funding, it would take the city over 24 years to complete street work on every city street if the pavement conditions did not worsen over that 24-year period.  Coupled with the recent gas tax increase that was put into effect by the State of Ohio on July 1, 2019, the new $5.00 permissive tax will allow the city to begin to further address its backlog of roadway maintenance and improvement projects.

Mark your calendars with these upcoming event dates at Grimes Field Airport in Urbana, Ohio!

The City of Urbana is scheduled (weather permitting) to sweep the outlined arterial routes every 2nd and 4th Monday of each month. Secondary streets (with curbs) are scheduled for sweeping intermittently as needed. 
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Please be mindful and use caution when following or passing machinery; if your street is on a regular sweeping schedule, find alternate parking to avoid interfering with the scheduled route.  Appropriate signage will be posted prior to the sweeping of secondary routes.

The roundabout at Monument Square will be undergoing some changes in 2019.  Below are updates and a project summary.

Update 4/2/19 - Coverage of Urbana's proposed roundabout project is seen on  the WHIO Channel 7 evening news 4/1, on the Springfield News-Sun website 4/2 and on the Urbana Daily Citizen website 3/30.

Update 3/26/19 - NPL on behalf of Columbia Gas of Ohio will be performing small gas line relocations at various spots around downtown in preparation for the City’s US 36/US 68 Intersection Improvement Project.  The gas work should begin the week of 4/1.  Public parking areas will be affected as NPL tries to avoid the travel lanes.

Update 3/20/19 - R.B. Jergens Contractors of Vandalia approved by Council as the contractor with the lowest and best bid at a price of $1,808,913.09.

Update 3/11/19 - Rebid date for the US 36/US 68 Intersection Improvement Project (ODOT PID 103793, CHP-US36-14.88). 

Update 2/19/19 - Letters were sent to owners and businesses within the downtown district notifying them of approaching construction and what to expect.

Update 2/7/19 - Bid date for the US 36/US 68 Intersection Improvement Project (ODOT PID 103793, CHP-US36-14.88).  (Note: Project will be rebid.)

The City has obtained funding to make improvements to the Monument Square roundabout (Safety Grant, Small Cities Grant and Urban Resurfacing Grant through ODOT).  This next evolution involves safety improvements such as curbing and a truck apron that will better guide traffic.  Pedestrian safety is a top priority as well.  Center splitter islands on the approaches will provide a "refuge" area for pedestrians in the crosswalk.  Rectangular rapid flashing beacons are planned to enhance driver awareness of pedestrians intending to use the crosswalk.  A concept drawing of the new and improved roundabout is linked below.

Roundabout Concept

Due to their age, water mains, services, valves and hydrants will also be replaced downtown during the course of the project.  An Ohio Public Works Commission 0% interest loan will pay for most of this portion of the project.

Detours will be signed depending on the leg of the square under construction.  Plans for these state and local detours are linked below.

Detour Routing

Access to parking lots and alleyways will be affected while the project progresses.  Read more about that and pedestrian access in the following letter.

Letter 2/19/19

The Urbana South Main Street Corridor Plan will provide a blueprint for development in the southern portion of the City of Urbana and result in a land use, circulation, and access management plan for the corridor. The plan will examine the built, natural, and economic environment and make specific action-oriented recommendations. The plan will be based on input from the City, its residents, and other stakeholders with an investment in the City’s future and will be used to guide future land use and zoning decisions.

This is why the project team needs your help!
We are asking residents of Urbana to share their vision for the South Main Street Corridor by completing our online survey and attending public engagement events.

Following public input, the project team will prepare design concepts and recommendations that promote the corridor, as well as detail any necessary zoning and development regulations needed. These recommendations will then be presented to the public for their additional input.

Please join us in planning South Main Street!