New action plan lays groundwork for a continuous Chicago River Trail
Plan provides details on how to create a continuous trail that runs along — and in some places — over the Chicago River
Chicago, Ill.: November 10, 2016 — After releasing an executive summary of its Chicago River Trail Action Plan several weeks ago, Active Transportation Alliance is now sharing its full plan that lays out key steps to create a continuous trail on the north and south branches of the Chicago River within Chicago. The plan features connections to existing trails in the suburbs, and includes a captivating design envisioned for connecting the Chicago River Trail to the 606 Trail.
Nearly half of the 27 miles of Chicago’s riverfront has existing trail segments, and several more miles are slated for development over the next few years. While there are currently 14.8 miles of the Chicago River with no trail, 7 miles of river provide “near term opportunities” for creating new trail segments.
Active Trans has been meeting with community organizations in neighborhoods all along the river to discuss needs for the trail in local communities, how to improve river access and upcoming development projects that may affect future trail sections.
A number of active and planned riverside developments create unique opportunities to reshape the landscape along the river and leverage private resources to complete new river trail segments. The Paseo Trail project in Little Village and Pilsen, the south extension of the North Branch Trail, the downtown Riverwalk expansion, the Bridgeport rowing center, the Finkl Steel site, the enhancements at Lathrop Homes, and planned developments in the South Loop and on Goose Island are just a few examples of immediate opportunities to move the Chicago River Trail forward.In some locations where riverbank is not available for a trail, new trail segments may need to float on the river or be built on a deck above the river, such as the planned Riverview Bridge between Clark Park and California Park on the North Branch.
While talk of a continuous Chicago River Trail has a long history, recent initiatives, like the City of Chicago's recently released Our Great Rivers vision has brought the idea back to the forefront. Given that nearly 1 million Chicago residents live within one mile of the river, a continuous river trail has the potential to benefit a huge portion of the city, providing them with a new set of options for recreation, access to greenspace and healthy transportation.
Read the full plan: http://activetrans.org/
# # #
The Active Transportation Alliance is a nonprofit, member-based advocacy organization that advocates for walking, bicycling and public transit to create healthy, sustainable and equitable communities. The organization works to build a movement around active transportation, encourage physical activity, increase safety and build a world-class transportation network. The Active Transportation Alliance is supported by more than 7,000 members and 1,000 volunteers. For more information about the Active Transportation Alliance, visit www.activetrans.org or call 312.427.3325.
