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Chicagoland Bike Trails - News & Conditions

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Chicagoland Bike Trails - News & Conditions

Your one stop shop for trail news and conditions in the Chicagoland area. User generated, so please add a report if you're on any of the region's bike trails.

Members: 119
Latest Activity: Oct 23, 2023

Discussion Forum

Desplaines River Trail 16 Replies

This Discussion is to provide up-to-date information regarding the Desplaines River Trail. As you ride it, provide a brief report hereContinue

Started by spencewine. Last reply by Elwood Gruschow Oct 2, 2021.

North Branch Trail 32 Replies

updates and conditions for North Branch TrailContinue

Started by Yasmeen. Last reply by SixtyTwoPercent May 22, 2020.

Major Taylor Trail 22 Replies

This Discussion is to provide up-to-date information regarding the Major Taylor Trail. When you ride it, please provide a brief report here.Continue

Started by Anne Alt. Last reply by Anne Alt Apr 3, 2020.

I&M Centennial Trail 5 Replies

This Discussion is to provide up-to-date information regarding the I&M Centennial Trail. As you ride it, provide a brief report here.Continue

Started by spencewine. Last reply by Serge Lubomudrov Jun 24, 2019.

Channel Trail 13 Replies

News and ConditionsChannel Trail starts just North of Lawrence, along side the Chicago RiverContinue

Started by Yasmeen. Last reply by Bob Kastigar Jun 3, 2019.

Great Western Trail 4 Replies

The purpose of this discussion is to provide up-to-date information regarding the Great Western Trail. As you ride it, provide a brief report here.Continue

Started by Chris C. Last reply by Chris C Oct 28, 2018.

Cal-Sag Trail 7 Replies

-The Calumet-Saganashkee Trail runs 26 miles from Lemont to Burnham. -Miles 0 thru 14 (west segment) opened in June 2015, completion in 2017.-Connects to Centennial Trail, Tinley Creek trail, Major Taylor Trail and Burnham Greenway. Access from 3…Continue

Tags: regarding, the, Cal-Sag, Trail, information

Started by Brian Bender. Last reply by Andrew F Jul 9, 2018.

Lake Front Path/Trail (LFP/LFT) 2 Replies

News and updates for the Chicago Lake Front PathContinue

Started by Yasmeen. Last reply by Yasmeen May 15, 2017.

Big Marsh 1 Reply

Big Marsh News and Updates on Trail ConditionsContinue

Started by Yasmeen. Last reply by Yasmeen May 2, 2017.

User counts on Cal-Sag Trail

Palos Heights Parks & Rec. did a survey using automated counters between September 7 and 27. 8,664 trips recorded at Lake Katherine 2,181 trips recorded at Oak Park spur Continue

Started by Brian Bender Nov 16, 2015.

Comment Wall

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Comment by Greg Valent on September 28, 2021 at 5:20pm

Don't know about near Busse Woods, but, here's an article about an air pump station at the Southern End of Salt Creek Trail near 26th St. https://www.gofundme.com/f/8tt3n-alexs-eagle-scout-project

Comment by Chupacabra Chalupa on September 28, 2021 at 4:27pm

Free Air on the Busse Salt Creek Trail

There is a sign that looks very official on the Salt Creek Trail indicating free air for your bike. I tried to follow it last Sunday and got nowhere. Anyone know where the actual pump is?

Comment by Skip Montanaro 0mi on February 2, 2020 at 5:14am

Possible bike trail in Central Lake County (abandoned Rte 53 extension)

https://activetrans.org/blog/support-bill-to-re-envision-route-53-e...

 
This seems like a good thing. Note the opportunity to fill out a witness slip in the middle of the page. Note also that witness slips must be submitted by February 4, 2020.

After nearly six decades of debate over the highly controversial Route 53 highway expansion project, victory was finally declared for walking, biking, and transit in Lake County last summer.
Recognizing the $3 billion project would not relieve congestion problems, in July of 2019, the Lake County Board unanimously voted to remove support for the Route 53 highway extension from its strategic plan.
A day later, the Illinois Tollway announced that it would cease work on a multi-million dollar environmental impact study of the extension.
Comment by Bob Kastigar on October 29, 2018 at 10:33am

Railbanking is essential to preserving rail corridors for use as trails. This federal statute has allowed local trail groups from across the country to convert former railways into thriving rail-trails that boost local economies and create healthier, more vibrant communities.

Railbanking can be a long process, requiring complicated agreements between the railroad owners of the corridor and local trail managers. Negotiations to preserve corridors can be slowed by many factors and often take years to complete.

This process sometimes requires railroads and trail managers to extend the negotiation period several times—well beyond the original six-month period provided in the railbanking law.

But the federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) is proposing to significantly restrict the timeframe for these negotiations—dealing a blow to local trail groups that could lose out on creating the next great rail-trail in your community and beyond.

Act now: Help us stop these needless restrictions—sign the petition now to urge the STB to reject this harmful proposal before the Nov. 1 deadline.

Sign the petition here: https://rtc.li/2NzCIxV

You can add personalization to this message:

Reject Needless Restrictions on Railbanking

TO: The Surface Transportation Board

As a supporter of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, I am opposed to the restrictions to railbanking negotiations proposed by the Surface Transportation Board (STB) (Docket ID: EP-749-1).

Railbanking can be a long process. Negotiations can take years to complete and many successful negotiations have taken longer than the maximum time period now proposed by the STB.

Placing arbitrary restrictions on these negotiations will only impede local groups from preserving rail corridors and creating rail-trails that boost local economies and create healthier, more vibrant communities.

Comment by Bob Kastigar on December 9, 2017 at 10:33am

From the Nextdoor list on the web...

Proposed 6,000+ sq. ft. home to built on land adjacent to future Weber Spur Bike Trail

The proposed zoning change of the property at Bryn Mawr and Kostner will open a 493+ foot section of land along the western edge of the planned Weber Spur Bike Trail to enable a developer to construct a 6,000+ sq. ft. home on that land. Presently, half of that section is zoned POS (Parks and Open Space) and, at a zoning committee hearing scheduled for Monday, Dec. 11, the developers and Alderman Laurino will ask that the POS designation be changed to RS1. When I attended an open meeting for the Weber Trail proposal, the group that addressed this particular section was adamant about preserving the "wild" status of the trail. That position will be compromised by this development. I wonder whether the trail advisory board is aware of this rezoning proposal and it's impact on the future character of this "wild" section the Weber Bike Trail.

Comment by Julius Nadas on June 22, 2017 at 12:20pm

access to the weber trail from the FPD trail has been blocked.

FPD has installed barriers preventing access to the weber trail from the north branch trail.  it looks like the rail road must have told them that the only way they would allow the fpd trail to cross the weber south of the river was for FPD to block access to the railroad property. As an additional consequence you can no longer walk down the railroad right of way from Bryn Mawr, across the river on the old railroad bridge and go to the Irene C. Hernandez Family Picnic Grove.  

Comment by Jared on January 22, 2017 at 12:33pm

Robert McClory Trail in Lake County up around Zion was pretty much unrideable due to being waterlogged.  Like riding through sand.  Mostly rode parallel streets....

Comment by Bob Kastigar on May 21, 2016 at 8:39pm

A set of trails are coming together that may soon make it possible to bike north, from the Elston bike lanes to Dempster Street in Skokie.  I just did a survey to see the progress on the trail building in Lincolnwood. 

 

A Strava mapping is at https://www.strava.com/activities/582211546 but you may need to use the satellite view because a lot of the path doesn’t exist yet on the maps.

 

A set of photos along the way are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/kastigar/albums/72157668374710031 but the notes below the pictures aren’t that easy to read.

 

If you have a bike that can handle a few rough trail spots you can take this ride now.  The Lincolnwood trail section is under construction, but I don’t see a lot of work going on.  The Weber Spur section is supposed to intersect with the south part now under construction of the North Branch Trail.  A few streets that are crossed are bike-friendly, and at the north end there’s easy-access to the Yellow Line CTA terminals.

 

Comment by Rich S on September 7, 2014 at 11:10am

Fox River Trail had downed trees and power lines in a few places north and south of Elgin yesterday. Some spots you could find a clearing a go around. Others were impassable and you had to detour on the main road. There were crews out but it looked like they were still wrapping their heads around the damage and were putting up barricades to close the trail in sections. Lots of homes around there were without power.  

Comment by Jared on September 7, 2014 at 10:02am

The path between the Botanical Gardens and the Green Bay Trail is now complete, though it doesn't officially open until next weekend.

 

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