Barrington (Hills) Anti Bike Campaign

Anyone heard about the campaign below or seen this sign?

Website is - http://www.dontchangebarringtonhills.com/

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Permalink Reply by mike w. on July 12, 2014 at 1:07am

"... Considering that the number of chainlinkers that regularly ride in Barrington Hills has to approach zero, we don't have much of a dog in this fight. "

Okay, i'll allow that that not a huge percentage of chainlinkers ride out that way, but there is a healthy number of us who do... hardly a number that "approaches zero."

 i will say that a many groups ride out that way, and some of the larger groups  do behave badly  (riding 3-4 wide, blowing stops, etc.) and that fuels the hostility. BH PD is pretty strict and i'm sure they write a goodly number of tickets. When i'm out that way (nearly every weekend in summer,) i do keep an eye out for the local constabulary. 

 Barrington Hills is not so much of a "community" as an oversized country club that has almost no commercial district and plays on the cachet of the "Barrington" marque. Yeah, they may have paid for their roads-most no more than alleys- but they are public ways. Unless they want to pull a Rosemont and fence themselves in with checkpoints and perhaps a passport requirement, it will be forever thus. 

i'm really very sorry if the property owners go uncompensated, but i doubt that will happen when all is said and done- a lot of lawyers will line up for well-heeled clients if the plans go through as stated above... 

Permalink Reply by Mike Bullis 5.5-6.5 miles on July 12, 2014 at 1:42am

 I'm one of near zero chainlinkers that ride there and I'm probably going to get shit for this, but I'm siding with the folks in Barrington Hills on this one. I live in the Dundees, not too far from Barrington Hills and have ridden in the area for nearly forty years. Are some of the residents 'moneyed assholes'? Hell, yes. Many are not(moneyed, yes, but not assholes). It's their home, not ours.

The roads are narrow and the sight lines are short. It has gone from the occasional cyclist in the Seventies, to several large groups on the road at the same time. And they ain't all well behaved. Thirty riders blowing a four way stop. Groups blocking both lanes while climbing one of the several hills. I'd be pissed to find banana peels and GU wrappers at the end of my driveway. Throw in what CMAP is planning and I'd be going bat shit crazy.

As Reboot Oxnard said, we don't have much of a dog in this fight. Best to sit back with a bowl of pop corn and watch.

 

Permalink Reply by Richard Stiers on July 12, 2014 at 3:29am

I do agree. I have never ridden a group ride in BH and with the narrowness of the roads, riding 2 or more abreast (on Haegers Bend at least) is folly at your own expense. Many in group rides express arrogance in the riding 2 and more abreast on any road. I find that behavior as well as jettisoning banana peels and food wrappers anywhere other than a trash receptacle to be less than acceptable (sub 3 year old in the case of a bicyclist).

I still hate dodging and running over horseshit on the roadway, but at least the horses behave better than cyclist in groups.

To put it more precisely, bad behavior by cyclist anywhere really pisses me off!

Mike Bullis 5.5-6.5 miles said:

 I'm one of near zero chainlinkers that ride there and I'm probably going to get shit for this, but I'm siding with the folks in Barrington Hills on this one. I live in the Dundees, not too far from Barrington Hills and have ridden in the area for nearly forty years. Are some of the residents 'moneyed assholes'? Hell, yes. Many are not(moneyed, yes, but not assholes). It's their home, not ours.

The roads are narrow and the sight lines are short. It has gone from the occasional cyclist in the Seventies, to several large groups on the road at the same time. And they ain't all well behaved. Thirty riders blowing a four way stop. Groups blocking both lanes while climbing one of the several hills. I'd be pissed to find banana peels and GU wrappers at the end of my driveway. Throw in what CMAP is planning and I'd be going bat shit crazy.

As Reboot Oxnard said, we don't have much of a dog in this fight. Best to sit back with a bowl of pop corn and watch.

 

Permalink Reply by Asper K on July 12, 2014 at 4:32am

Introducing lots of bikers into an area does change it's character.   I feel sorry for anyone who tries to go for a leisurely stroll on the lakefront path.  It obviously would be so much nicer for those walking and running and if there were no bikes.  Bike lanes are positive for bikers, negative in some cases to others.  

So the attitude from some, that bikers are a blessed thing that should be welcomed everywhere is a bit arrogant in my opinion.  Have a little respect for others who have a different view/lifestyle.  

Permalink Reply by Asper K on July 12, 2014 at 5:52am

In response to your hypothetical, I don't have an opinion of this project per se.  I've never been to barrington.   But I wouldn't be up in arms if a project, god forbid, didn't include bikes.  

You know, some people are against windmills because they change the look and feel of a community. What's wrong with that?  Or being against wider roads and bike lanes.  



h' 1.0 said:

OK, in light of this new information, it sounds like Barrington residents might be willing to compromise-- skip the bike lane but still widen the road slightly to facilitate more automobile traffic?

Arnon K? Mike B?

Permalink Reply by Richard Stiers on July 12, 2014 at 7:22am

You might want to do a search and find out how many have been killed on those bucolic roads of Barrington Hills. Persons who are jogging, riding horses and bicycles have been killed on the 'idealic streets' of Barrington Hills.

Haegers Bend Road is a favorite 'cut through' road for persons wanting to miss the traffic of SR59. Even though the speed limit on Haegers Bend Road is like 35mph. Favorite speed trap for Barrington Hills constabulary. 

Also don't confuse Barrington with Barrington Hills. Most folk in Barrington are not that enamored of their southerly namesake. 

Cameron 7.5 mi said:

The section of the website titled "The Biggest Land Grab in the History of Barrington Hills" makes it sound like they're opposed to anything that uses more land or changes the road from a quite country lane, so I doubt they'd be ok with the widened road to facilitate more automobile traffic. They want to be a small island of rural living with an easy commute to the city and are fighting to keep the outsiders who threaten that image out.



h' 1.0 said:

OK, in light of this new information, it sounds like Barrington residents might be willing to compromise-- skip the bike lane but still widen the road slightly to facilitate more automobile traffic?

Arnon K? Mike B?

Permalink Reply by Bob Kastigar on July 12, 2014 at 10:25am

Last Thursday, July 10th, there was a meeting where extending the Forest Preserve bike trail south through Edgebrook and Forest Glen was opposed by the LOCAL residents using the same arguments.  "Don't go through MY community and change it."

The concern was about removing trees to extend the Forest Preserve off-road trail.  Nobody seemed to be aware of how many trees were removed to build the homes they lived in.

The proposal, and what the neighbors wanted:

http://edgebrookcommunity.org/?page_id=9271

They wanted to keep the bikes out of the woods and on the streets, so they kept referring to the streets for cars and "paths."

Keep the bucolic character of Edgebrook from from change?

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on July 12, 2014 at 5:19pm

You all missed the part about Barrington Hills has a long history of being against everything.  And yes, do not confuse the Village of Barrington with the Village of Barrington Hills.  Barrington was an original "train stop" town.  Barrington Hills seems to be the place where the people with money went.  There is no "cache" to Barrington.  It is a small town along a train line that grew into an area of multiple villages.  Barrington Hills would be considered to be "old money".  The rest of the area are "johnny come lately" folks.

I will say that one should not criticize the local police for enforcing the state law and local ordinances. A little more of that would go a long way everywhere.

Permalink Reply by Reboot Oxnard on July 12, 2014 at 10:53pm

You're correct: "bucolic" doesn't mean "nobody ever dies of anything other than old age." A fatal balloon crash more than 30 years ago (and other oddball stories) doesn't mean the community isn't relatively pastoral, especially in comparison to Chicago.

Barrington Hills has a master plan for development that was created by the community, for the community. The road project under discussion is being done at the behest of outsiders for the benefit of outsiders and violates that existing community plan. Simply put, people who don't live or work in the community want them to expand the roads so that those outsiders can more easily drive (and bike) through the community - at the expense of the community. More traffic for the sake of more traffic. A project like that should encounter resistance in any community.

You don't hate these folks because of their quasi-rural lifestyle, you hate these folks because they have the gumption - and the money - to resist changing their lifestyle to accommodate your sensibilities. Not everyone wants to live in a big city like you do and that hurts your feelings.

h' 1.0 said:

I'm not finding much about dead horseback riders/joggers/cyclists besides a story about someone dieing after being thrown from a horse.

But that's not to say Barrington Hills isn't a deadly place.

Permalink Reply by Mike Bullis 5.5-6.5 miles on July 13, 2014 at 3:43am

I'll add that until the early 80s, Barrington Hills was still a farming community. When the family farm bust cycle hit, these folks realized that they were sitting on prime real estate. So, they took the money and ran.(My own family did that in the 60s). Hell, if I could have swung it, I'd be there.

I'm one of those people who don't want to live in the big city.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on July 13, 2014 at 11:06am

You will just have to fill in the gaps in his monologue by reading beaglezog's place for the other half of it. 

h' 1.0 said:

Per Julie's Link:

Now [Barrington Hills] Village President McLaughlin and his staff are proposing to substantially widen these roads, flooding our community with vehicle and professional bike traffic in order to "save money". They have already reclassified many roads as “connector roads” and “arterial highways” – e.g. Spring Creek, Haeger’s Bend, Ridge, Plum Tree, Braeburn, Meadow Hill are just a few examples. Your road has probably already been reclassified without your knowledge.

Where is this "outsiders" coming from?


Reboot Oxnard said:

You're correct: "bucolic" doesn't mean "nobody ever dies of anything other than old age." A fatal balloon crash more than 30 years ago (and other oddball stories) doesn't mean the community isn't relatively pastoral, especially in comparison to Chicago.

Barrington Hills has a master plan for development that was created by the community, for the community. The road project under discussion is being done at the behest of outsiders for the benefit of outsiders and violates that existing community plan. Simply put, people who don't live or work in the community want them to expand the roads so that those outsiders can more easily drive (and bike) through the community - at the expense of the community. More traffic for the sake of more traffic. A project like that should encounter resistance in any community.

You don't hate these folks because of their quasi-rural lifestyle, you hate these folks because they have the gumption - and the money - to resist changing their lifestyle to accommodate your sensibilities. Not everyone wants to live in a big city like you do and that hurts your feelings.

h' 1.0 said:

I'm not finding much about dead horseback riders/joggers/cyclists besides a story about someone dieing after being thrown from a horse.

But that's not to say Barrington Hills isn't a deadly place.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on July 13, 2014 at 3:12pm

I can empathize with that sentiment.  If only he was of like mind when it came to visiting this site as well, with his umpteen sockpuppet accounts :(

h' 1.0 said:

If I was being sentenced for something and given a choice between visiting that site a certain number of hours or jail time. I'd take jail time.

James BlackHeron said:

You will just have to fill in the gaps in his monologue by reading beaglezog's place for the other half of it. 

h' 1.0 said:

Per Julie's Link:

Now [Barrington Hills] Village President McLaughlin and his staff are proposing to substantially widen these roads, flooding our community with vehicle and professional bike traffic in order to "save money". They have already reclassified many roads as “connector roads” and “arterial highways” – e.g. Spring Creek, Haeger’s Bend, Ridge, Plum Tree, Braeburn, Meadow Hill are just a few examples. Your road has probably already been reclassified without your knowledge.

Where is this "outsiders" coming from?


Reboot Oxnard said:

You're correct: "bucolic" doesn't mean "nobody ever dies of anything other than old age." A fatal balloon crash more than 30 years ago (and other oddball stories) doesn't mean the community isn't relatively pastoral, especially in comparison to Chicago.

Barrington Hills has a master plan for development that was created by the community, for the community. The road project under discussion is being done at the behest of outsiders for the benefit of outsiders and violates that existing community plan. Simply put, people who don't live or work in the community want them to expand the roads so that those outsiders can more easily drive (and bike) through the community - at the expense of the community. More traffic for the sake of more traffic. A project like that should encounter resistance in any community.

You don't hate these folks because of their quasi-rural lifestyle, you hate these folks because they have the gumption - and the money - to resist changing their lifestyle to accommodate your sensibilities. Not everyone wants to live in a big city like you do and that hurts your feelings.

h' 1.0 said:

I'm not finding much about dead horseback riders/joggers/cyclists besides a story about someone dieing after being thrown from a horse.

But that's not to say Barrington Hills isn't a deadly place.

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