Monee Explores Federal and Regional Grants to Improve Village Walkability

Monee Village Board of Trustees Meeting | February 25, 2026

Article Summary: Monee officials recently met with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning to identify long-term funding sources for expanding pedestrian infrastructure and managing traffic speeds.

Village Walkability Initiatives Key Points:

• Public Works officials consulted with Victoria Barrett from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP).

• The village is targeting the TAP program and the Safe Streets for All federal grant to fund future walkability projects.

• Officials acknowledged that federal grant processes often carry lead times of up to three years.

MONEE, Ill. — Expanding pedestrian access across Monee is a growing priority for village officials, who recently opened discussions with regional planners to secure outside funding for future sidewalk and trail connections.

At the Wednesday, February 25, 2026, meeting of the Monee Village Board of Trustees, Trustee Doug Horne reported that he and Public Works Superintendent Ed Johnson met with Victoria Barrett from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP).

Horne stated the primary goal of the meeting was to review the village’s vision for making the entire municipality more walkable and to ensure they were pursuing the correct avenues for infrastructure funding.

“One of the things that was very valuable for us was she identified funding sources with regard to different grants that we can take advantage of,” Horne told the board.

Specifically, Barrett directed the village to explore the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) and the Safe Streets for All program, a federal grant administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Horne also noted that the group discussed broad speed management strategies to improve pedestrian safety in town.

While the village intends to actively pursue these funding opportunities, Horne cautioned that large-scale pedestrian projects will require patience.

“Of course, a lot of lead times are a year to two to three years on these different things, but we will definitely take advantage of them,” Horne said.