Other suburbs follow Glenview, Northbrook’s lead adopting new biking, pedestrian plans

“Prepare your do the job. Get the job done your system.”

Prudent advice no make any difference what you endeavor. Even wiser if you “make no minor strategies,” as urban architect Daniel Burnham once reported. Enhancing Chicago place bicycling happens to entail “no small designs.”

Despite the shutdown, suburban municipalities and counties have taken Burnham’s tips to coronary heart, adopting, nearly finishing or initiating bicycle (and pedestrian) strategies in the pandemic’s 21 months.

Maggie Czerwinski, Suburban Advocacy supervisor for Active Trans, (Active Transportation Alliance), affirms that an lively transportation program is essential for numerous motives. It sets a objective/vision, engages the local community, can help prioritize enhancements and surfaces new neighborhood biking/pedestrian leaders.

“A bicycle prepare really should make the function of municipal staff and advocates simpler to supply funding, prioritize assignments and drive for implementation. A strategy can aid safe funding for distinct assignments. Several grants need or strongly advise that tasks be centered on a neighborhood or regional neighborhood-knowledgeable system.”

7 Ideas Launching Lisle adopted a Bicycle and Pedestrian System in October 2020. Wilmette adopted with its Master Bike and Active Transportation Program this past March. In July, the metropolis of Elmhurst Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan was authorised replacing the 2011 system.

According to Northbrook’s web page, in 2017, the village initiated a new Master Bicycle and Pedestrian Approach to serve as a blueprint for developing a much more bikeable, walkable Northbrook it was accepted by the village board in July 201. The prepare incorporates infrastructure and coverage recommendations, policy thoughts and how the strategy will be included in other places, these kinds of as the annual funds advancement funds. For particulars, go to northbrook.il.us.

Bike Glenview is a communitywide initiative intended to endorse biking as nutritious, price tag-powerful and environmentally helpful. The initiative is manufactured attainable by a cooperative hard work concerning the village, Glenview Park District, Glenview Library, Glenview Chamber of Commerce, and the Glenview Natural Assets Fee. There are events each year, which include a environmentally friendly infrastructure tour riders will locate a bike repair station at Gallery Park and maps of numerous routes for all ages and capabilities at glenviewparks.org/bike-glenview.

Continued Advocacy Critical

As enjoyable as new biking/pedestrian programs are, warning is in buy.

“Options can collect dust,” Czerwinski observes. “Ongoing advocacy is normally an important ingredient to guarantee the approach is executed and area authorities is held accountable to their system.”

To that conclusion Wilmette’s strategy delivers for annual workers stage assessments and a general public remark time period at a Transportation Fee meeting. Elmhurst’s prepare phone calls for a metropolis staffer to provide as Pedestrian and Bicycle coordinator, handling approach implementation and launching a citizen advisory group to vet initiatives and ensure regularity with strategy implementation.

Bob Hoel, Energetic Trans and Trip Illinois board member, adds, “The 2011 Elmhurst strategy did not have these types of a person. What implementation was accomplished was completed by means of present general public functions staff and the Community Affairs Committee of the council. The result: not significantly was accomplished.”

“The motivation of the mayor and council to implementation,” Hoel urges, “will be dependent on the development of an Advisory Team and generating absolutely sure that implementation resources are incorporated in long run budgets.”

• Workers writer Melynda Shamie contributed to this report.