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| Major Taylor Trail opens | |
| Jun 4, 2007 | |
| City of Chicago press release | |
| Pertains to Major Taylor Trail, Chicago | |
| On June 2, community and city officials celebrated the official opening of the Major Taylor Trail, a 6.5-mile trail on Chicago's South Side. The trail, a joint effort of CDOT and the Chicago Park District, runs between the Dan Ryan Woods near 80th Place and Whistler Woods on the south bank of the Little Calumet River in Riverdale. It's namesake, Marshall "Major" Taylor, is an African-American bicycle racing legend of the 1890s and early 1900s who set records in Chicago and lived his final years in Bronzeville. "This trail is just the latest in a long line of projects Mayor Daley has undertaken to make Chicago one of the best cities in the world for biking," said CDOT Acting Commissioner Cheri Heramb. "The Mayor’s goal has been to provide safe and convenient bikeways—from on-street bike lanes to off-street paths—for cyclists to pedal across the city." Just as important, Heramb said, is that the trail honors its namesake Taylor, "a world-class athlete, but one whose accomplishments are largely unknown to most Americans. Born in Indiana, Taylor became a world-champion bicycle racer at the turn of the 19th Century, when bike racing was the most popular spectator sport in the United States. In 1899, Taylor set the world record for the one-mile: one minute, 19 seconds at a speed of over 45 mph. His accomplishments are even more significant considering the times in which he lived. Taylor faced racism and religious discrimination from both spectators and even fellow competitors. But he persevered in the face of those challenges, rising above them as both an athlete and a citizen. "His perseverance and character continue to serve as an inspiring example to all of us," Heramb said. |
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