Need Route Advice from NW Suburbanites!

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Permalink Reply by OLB 0.1 on July 28, 2014 at 1:52pm

Jeff,

I ride through some of these areas and have a few suggestions:

I'm not familiar with Emerson, but I ride the Council Trail/Marshall portion south of Golf and it is good. Emerson should be fine also as are most of the side streets in that area.

I usually go East along the bike path under the power lines instead of continuing South. The reason is that I prefer to not ride on Dempster or MP Road.

At Warrington I go South to Dempster/Thacker, cross the tracks and cut through the park to Algonquin. I wouldn't ride Algonquin West of this point, but it is good going East until DPRT. I take DPRT until it goes under I294 and then get back on the streets at Sibley. I don't take Algonquin to get past 294 because there isn't much of a shoulder, traffic is fast, and the overgrown trees will occasionally force you into the lane.

Riding E-W through Park Ridge is easy and enjoyable as you zigzag along the street designated as bike routes. I normally take the Sibley/Western/Belle Plaine route suggested and like it just fine.

I turn South at Edison Park to go home, so I am not as familiar with the rest of the recommended route. I do normally avoid NorthWest Highway in Edison Park but I do think it's fine once you get a couple blocks East of Harlem. I will qualify that by saying that I don't ride Norwood Park or Jefferson Park during rush hour.

Feel free to message me if you have any questions.

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Permalink Reply by David Barish on July 28, 2014 at 4:50pm

I could not get your map. I assume you are starting near the Oberweis Dairy on Northwest Hwy just south of Central. I have ridden in that area. You can take side streets of your choice to get yourself to downtown Des-Plaines without killing yourself. Golf Rd. between Wolf Rd. and Rte. 12 is actually safe. Or, you can be on Seeger which is  just south. Then, Rte. 12 southeast to  Ballard. Ballard east to  Bellaire which is just east of the 294. Take Bellaire north a couple blocks to Church. Take  Church east for a long way. just south of Golf Mill you are on Maryland crossing Milwaukee. You make a right on Lyons and a left on Washington to get to Beckwith. That takes you all the way east and becomes Church again. What you do depends on where you want to go. (For example, I like to take Dodge in Evanston south which becomes California to Lincoln) You can take Church to the North Shore Channel Trail and then take Foster east until you are in Uptown.  This route takes you east earlier than the above route via Park Ridge. 

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Permalink Reply by Shawn Evans on July 29, 2014 at 3:17am

Instead of Montrose, take Foster. It goes through more forested/park-like  areas, so it's quieter/less traffic.

I've taken NW Hwy through Park Ridge, and it was OK, but it's been a few years, so I don't know the condition of the road. But NW Hwy does go directly to Foster.

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Permalink Reply by Rich S on July 29, 2014 at 8:23am

If you're talking about Foster between Cicero and Pulaski then I would disagree and recommend avoiding. Yes it's forested park-like but drivers regularly go 50+ mph there. However I haven't ridden on Foster there since the speed camera was installed by Gompers Park so maybe it has improved. 

Bryn Mawr is in my opinion a much better street to get from Pulaski to Elston. You have to wiggle around the neighborhood a bit to get to Cicero but the bike route is signed and easy to remember once you've ridden once or twice. 

From uptown Park Ridge where the Pickwick is north to Des Plaines I prefer Busse over Northwest Hwy. Both are similar width and condition but Busse has less traffic. 

Shawn Evans said:

Instead of Montrose, take Foster. It goes through more forested/park-like  areas, so it's quieter/less traffic.

I've taken NW Hwy through Park Ridge, and it was OK, but it's been a few years, so I don't know the condition of the road. But NW Hwy does go directly to Foster.

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