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| Towns eye railway bed for bike trail | |
| Feb 15, 2007 | |
| Lynn Stiefel | |
| Wilmette Life | |
| Pertains to Skokie Valley Trail, Glenview, Wilmette, Northbrook, Northfield | |
| Officials from Glenview, Northbrook, Northfield and Wilmette are expected soon to team up to determine whether an abandoned railroad track can be developed as a bicycle trail. Concerned that the 8.5 miles abandoned by the Union Pacific Railroad might be developed for parking or utilities, Wilmette officials a year ago got their counterparts in the other suburbs talking about a North Shore trail. "We believe this could be a regional trail and natural open space prairie preserve for general public use and enjoyment," Wilmette Village President Christopher Canning wrote the other village leaders at that time. "If we do not act collectively today, this unique and valuable opportunity will be irretrievably lost for the future." Representatives of the four municipalities have met monthly for the last year to discuss the project's potential. Officials now are ready to hire a consultant to study whether developing the trail would be feasible. An intergovernmental agreement worked out by staff of each village calls for each to contribute $6,000 for the study, and to hire the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation to do it. The Glenview Village Board approved the agreement Feb. 6. The Wilmette Village Board was scheduled to consider the matter Tuesday. The Northfield Village Board is scheduled to do so when it meets Feb. 20; and the Northbrook Village Board to vote when it meets Feb. 27. Chicagoland Bicycle Federation was considered the "superior choice" for the study, Glenview village staff stated, "due to the group's experience, recent projects and dedication to providing increased non-motorized accessibility" in the Chicago area. The federation plans to confer with T. Y. Lin International, a civil and structural engineering firm based in Alexandria, Va., which specializes in bridge designs. Most of the ties and rails have been removed from the Union Pacific right-of-way, and officials said it is being used as a dumping ground in some areas. Skokie already has received state funding to purchase a portion of railroad right-of-way between Dempster and Oakton streets. Canning believes residents from the four communities eventually could use the proposed North Shore Trail to get to a new CTA station proposed at Oakton St. Canning foresees the proposed trail's north end might eventually connect via a Lake Cook Road bridge to a path built by Lake County and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. "We're very pleased to be collaborating and participating in this project with the other municipalities," Glenview Village President Kerry Cummings said. "We are really putting an emphasis on reviewing our overall bicycle and pedestrian walkways and this is just a perfect opportunity to coordinate with other communities." Should all four Village Board approve the intergovernmental agreement, the feasibility study is expected to be completed by fall. Additionally, an open house to present the preliminary plans tentatively has been scheduled from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. April 19 at Northbrook Village Hall, 1225 Cedar Lane. |
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