State hands out millions for bike, pedestrian trails and bridges in suburbs and beyond

Multiple suburbs will receive grants for projects to encourage residents to use alternates to cars, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced Friday.

For Crystal Lake, Roselle, Mount Prospect and Schaumburg that amounts to $3 million each for trails or bridges over busy streets.

Statewide, about $128 million was dispensed to communities as part of the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, the largest ever Gov. J.B. Pritzker noted at an event in Englewood.

Funding will “improve the quality of life of people who live in our neighborhoods,” and “build better and safer bike routes and walking paths and trails and other local travel options,” Pritzker said.

“These new dollars are advancing 70 projects across the state, 75% of which are in areas that historically have seen the fewest development dollars over many years.”

Projects getting an infusion of cash include:

• A new sidewalk and shared use path along Randall Road connecting to existing trails in Crystal Lake and Lake in the Hills – $3 million.
• A pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Route 14 in Mount Prospect connecting Melas and Meadows parks – $3 million.
• An off-road bike path stretching 2.3 miles along Higgins, Martingale and Schaumburg roads and Corporate Crossing in Schaumburg – $3 million.
• A shared-use bike path and pedestrian bridge from Roselle’s Metra station to the town center – $2.9 million.
• A sidewalk and bike/pedestrian path with lighting along both sides of Route 31 in McHenry – $2.5 million.
• Completing Stage 1 of the Patriot Path bike trail in Lake County running on the south side of Route 137 between the Des Plaines River Trail and O’Plaine Road – $2.4 million.
• Reducing Windsor Road in each direction allowing for turn lanes and bicycle lanes in Arlington Heights – $2.2 million.
• Widening Route 19 in Streamwood to allow for turn lanes along with a bike/pedestrian path – $2 million.
• A pedestrian/cyclist underpass on the north side of the Route 14 S-curve in Des Plaines – $1.9 million.
• Connecting Millennium Trail and the North Shore Bike Path in Mundelein – $1.5 million.

Projects are funded by a combination of federal and state revenues. Illinois is in the middle of a six-year capital plan partly paid for by increases to the gas tax and vehicle registrations.

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20230407/state-hands-out-millions-for-bike-pedestrian-trails-and-bridges-in-suburbs-and-beyond