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| MCC pedals way toward bicycle path | |
| Mar 28, 2008 | |
| Regan Foster rfoster@nwherald.com | |
| Northwest Herald | |
| Pertains to ComEd ROW - McHenry Cty., Crystal Lake, | |
| CRYSTAL LAKE —œ McHenry County College trustees paved the way Thursday night for construction of the first leg of a bicycle path meant to connect Woodstock and Crystal Lake. Trustees unanimously gave their preliminary blessings to a McHenry County Conservation District plan to build a path on about 1,000 feet of college land. The college spur would be part of a 2-mile trail on which conservation district officials hope to break ground as early as this autumn. The path likely would start at Oak Street just north of Route 176 and jog west near the ComEd power lines to Route 14, said John Kremer, conservation district operations director. From Route 14, it will turn north and follow the highway to Ring Road and the college’s southern entrance. An existing crosswalk, frequently traversed by college athletes heading to nearby baseball diamonds, would be utilized for riders as a pedestrian crosswalk, Kremer said. Trustees enthusiastically embraced the idea. "I'll probably ride up until October if somebody will give me a ride home,” Trustee Donna Kurtz said with a laugh. "I'm thrilled, I think it's great. With gas going up and people gaining weight, it's completely a win-win." The conservation district already manages the bicycle-friendly Hebron Trail, Huntley-Marengo-Union Trail and Prairie Trail. Prairie Trail, the longest of the trio, stretches across the county from Algonquin to the Wisconsin state line, according to the conservation district Web site. That nearly 26-mile path also connects to eight municipalities and offers access to more than 100 miles of path network. Ultimately, the Crystal Lake-to-Woodstock path could connect into the Prairie Trail, Kremer said. The first 2-mile spur is projected to cost about $700,000 to build, although the district has secured a $200,000 grant to help cover some of the costs. The remaining $500,000 price tag would be paid for courtesy of a $73 million bond issue that voters approved April 17, 2007. Although trustees signed off on the concept of the path and authorized the use of the land, the project still faces one big legal hurdle. Namely, an intergovernmental agreement between the college and conservation district that will detail the legalities of the path. Kremer said he hoped to have that agreement ready for the college’s May meeting, and the first shovels could be lifted as early as this fall. Ultimately, he said, people could be peddling along the route as early as fall of 2009. Trustee Scott Summers saw the campus spur as an opportunity for the college to construct its own system. "If memory serves," he said, "the college master plan does provide for bike paths. This is a good opportunity to put it all together." |
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