The City of Riverside received a grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program, which is co-sponsored by Iowa State University Extension, Landscape Architecture, and Trees Forever.

With this grant, they were given a proposal manager who had previously worked with other communities in Iowa using the same process. They facilitated meetings and assisted committee members in identifying safety concerns and areas for improvement in the community.

The committee itself began small in October of 2021, before being tasked with putting together a large focus group of people from the community to gather additional input. The Iowa State Extension team oversaw the collection of data from groups that included people over the age of 60, the mobility impaired, recreation users, youth, and parents. They also toured the community to gain a better understanding of the issues raised in the focus groups.

The committee and team members then analyzed the data gathered during public input and met with local city officials and the Iowa Department of Transportation to discuss options. The Community Visioning Program team then took all of the feedback and developed design recommendations to meet the committee’s top goals. Those top goals include Highway 22 and downtown safety improvements, sidewalks, trails, boat access, and park amenities. Additionally, improving the Ella Street intersection is a goal.

The Community Visioning Program Project is nearing completion. With proposed solutions, implementation, and fund raising all being discussed. At Riverside’s annual Shop the Park event from 10:00am-2:00pm on September 11th, committee members will be displaying designs and answering questions. 

If you have any questions or would like to get involved, please contact Christine Yancy at the City Office, 319-648-3501.