Manhattan Launches $100,000 Safety Study for Route 52 Corridor

Village of Manhattan Meeting | April 21, 2026

Article Summary: Armed with grant funding, the Village of Manhattan is partnering with the Farnsworth Group to evaluate and recommend safety improvements along the Route 52 corridor.

Route 52 Safety Study Key Points:

• The village utilized a $100,000 Safe Streets and Roads for All grant to commission the study.

• The Farnsworth Group will conduct a three-phase process focusing on vehicle and pedestrian safety.

• Public engagement workshops are planned for June or July to gather resident feedback.

• Trustee Justin Young was appointed as the chairman of a 12-member project steering committee.

To address ongoing traffic concerns, the Manhattan Village Board on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, heard a presentation outlining a comprehensive safety study aimed at improving the Route 52 corridor.

Greg House, an urban planner with the Farnsworth Group, detailed the project to the board. The village previously secured $100,000 through the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program to fund the evaluation.

“The goal of the study is to provide recommended strategies, both policy-based and infrastructure-based, on how to improve the safety along that corridor,” House explained. “While this project will focus on all forms of transportation up and down the corridor around 52 within the village, it will spend a little extra focus on the relationship between pedestrians and vehicles.”

The study will be executed in three stages. The first phase will involve a rigorous safety analysis to review current conditions and crash data to determine where and why accidents are occurring.

The second phase, which House described as a “very critical portion,” will center on public and stakeholder engagement throughout the summer. This will include working with a newly formed steering committee and hosting two public workshops, likely in June or July, to gather feedback and present project alternatives.

The final element will be an implementation plan that provides specific policy and infrastructure recommendations, funding options, and timelines. The goal is to present the final plan for adoption by late 2026 or early 2027.

Mayor Mike Adrieansen read the roster for the 12-member steering committee, which includes Village Development Director Marc Nelson, Police Chief Ryan Gulli, Public Works Superintendent John Tyk, and Manhattan Township Supervisor James F. Walsh, among several local business owners, residents, and school officials.

Trustee Justin Young, who was appointed as the chairman of the steering committee, expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative after recently returning from a lobbying trip to Springfield.

“Mostly trying to bring some road safety here to Manhattan,” Young said. “And then also, thank you for the opportunity to be the chairman of the steering committee for the road safety study. Looking forward to it and I’ll make sure that we get this town a little safer.”