ALTON - The Alton Committee of the Whole on Monday gave their preliminary approval for $250,000 worth of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to purchase a new Paint Striper. The new machine will reportedly be used to paint new center stripes on Broadway as well as other roads around Alton.
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When Alderwoman Carolyn MacAfee asked what exactly the new machine does, Director of Planning & Development Greg Caffey replied: “everything.”
“We could do our center stripes down Broadway,” Caffey said. “In the morning they could be doing center stripes, [in the] afternoon they could be doing crosswalks, all off the same machine. [Curbing], same thing, all off that machine.”
Caffey added that the new machine will use a laser-driven striping system to ensure straight lines. It would also require two people to operate, the same number required of the city’s current machine.
When MacAfee asked him about the status of repainting the new four-way intersection of Alby and East 20th streets, Caffey said he plans to put the repainting project for that intersection out for bid while the city awaits its new paint striper. His plan is to repaint the surrounding roadways leading into that intersection on all four sides, as well as the intersection at State House Square, on top of the previously-mentioned center restriping on Broadway.
“We’re going to paint up to that area - I want to make it to where as you’re coming to that intersection, it’s all painted up,” Caffey said. “Then the intersection itself will be painted, because … people are going to try to run it. So both intersections - the State House Square as well as [Alby and] 20th Street - will be painted [on] all four sides; it’ll be brand new.
“We’re putting bids out for that right now. That’s going to happen before the paint machine gets here.”
The Committee of the Whole then voted unanimously to approve the purchase of the new paint striper for $250,000.
The item now goes to the Alton City Council for final approval at their next meeting on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. Tune in live on the Riverbender Facebook page or Riverbender.com.
A full recording of the March 11, 2024 Alton Committee of the Whole meeting is available at the top of this story, on the Riverbender.com Facebook page, or on Riverbender.com/video.
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